As I started digging into sling construction, something that comes up is breaking down rope or twine for the fibers.  While a rope may be too big, twine seems like it could just be made into a sling directly.  Why add such a (seemingly) labor intensive step?

For me, there are two reasons. One is to make slings more akin to how they would have been made historically. Braiding loose fibers from plants would have been faster than to manufacture twine first.  Two, it is fun! There is something satisfying about making slings from lengths of fiber that are closer to what you'd get directly from the plant.

I take it one step further and collect plant fibers from plants (like yucca, agave, flax, etc.) and then braid those into a sling. It is just about as laborious as deconstructing a rope, but it is very satisfying once you are finished with the sling.

Would you say it's necessary?  Could I just take some twine and go from there?  Or does commercial twine have imperfections that could jeopardize the integrity of the sling?  I also have some kevlar and UHMWPE, but they're too small.  Could those be bundled, twisted, and braided like plant fiber?  I don't think I've seen information about making a sling if what you have is too small.  But I may not have looked well enough...

Using different sling materials and the designs can have effects on many different characteristics that can be beneficial or increase your overall performance with a given sling. Unfortunately to learn what you like in a sling it often takes a lot of experimenting.

You can make a sling with a single cord.
Bit most people prefer a different type of sling due to many different reasons.

Absolutely you can use twine by itself. You don't need to do anything to it and it will make a great sling.

[list bull-blackball]

Fibre in my view looks better, it produces a cleaner braid.

It's generally better for tapering and splicing material to control thickness of the braid. With twines, especially thick twines, you have less flexibility, especially for thinner braids.

Some materials like sisal I would only really work with in fibre as it is very springy and has undesirable properties in twine form which can have a negative effect on the sling. In fibre form it's like a totally different material.

Some materials are just plain hard to find in twine, whilst generally you have plenty of options for rope for a wider variety of materials. As far as I know there is no polysteel twine, and in the UK getting hemp twine can be difficult too.


Twine does work just fine though and is significantly easier and faster to braid with. Also, for round braids and woven pouches it's a better choice IMO. I would highly recommend starting with twine if you are braiding a sling.

Hemp fibre is readily and cheaply available in the UK.
Screwfix, any plumbers suppliers and ebay all have it in quantities from plenty for one sling up to kilo bundles.
Be happpy.
😁👍

xud9a - call me zud 👍 wrote on Jun 28^th, 2024 at 3:53am:

Hemp fibre is readily and cheaply available in the UK. Screwfix, any plumbers suppliers and ebay all have it in quantities from plenty for one sling up to kilo bundles. Be happpy. 😁👍

Preaching to the choir, I have a good stash of the stuff I got on ebay! Alas though, twine is harder to find. Doesn't help that most online listings use the word "hemp" for search hits even when they are jute 99.9% of the time  >:(

I joined this forum to ask this question, now I'm sitting here untwisting a manila cord to see what kind of fibers I can get from it.

ScantPalaver wrote on Aug 25^th, 2024 at 1:13am:

I joined this forum to ask this question, now I'm sitting here untwisting a manila cord to see what kind of fibers I can get from it.

;D  :thumb:

Have any of you more experienced weavers here ever try making a Balearic sling using raffia fibers?  I see raffia fibers readily available in bundles at local craft supplies. 

Ahnkochee wrote on Sep 6^th, 2024 at 2:29am:

Have any of you more experienced weavers here ever try making a Balearic sling using raffia fibers?  I see raffia fibers readily available in bundles at local craft supplies.

I haven't.  I see them at Michael's but they're always so brittle I never even considered trying them.

I  tried cord making with raffia recently and was surprised  at what a decent result it gave.
If you want to give it a go, why not ?

Perhaps try some raw and waxed, oiled, wet and any other treatments you can think of ?

Good luck and have fun.

:) [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

xud9a - call me zud 👍 wrote on Sep 6^th, 2024 at 4:46am:

I  tried cord making with raffia recently and was surprised  at what a decent result it gave. If you want to give it a go, why not ? Perhaps try some raw and waxed, oiled, wet and any other treatments you can think of ? Good luck and have fun. :) [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

I am a fan of pine tar, so may try that.

Ahnkochee wrote on Sep 7^th, 2024 at 12:40am:

I am a fan of pine tar, so may try that.

Any advise on where to get some?  Or are the horse hoof listings on Amazon fine?

https://a.co/d/e2ZDp4Q

ScantPalaver wrote on Sep 7^th, 2024 at 1:56am:

Ahnkochee wrote on Sep 7th, 2024 at 12:40am: I am a fan of pine tar, so may try that. Any advise on where to get some?  Or are the horse hoof listings on Amazon fine? https://a.co/d/e2ZDp4Q

Yup, basically the same thing.  I usually thin the pine tar 50% using gum turpentine, though regular paint thinner works in a pinch, and costs less.  I soak it overnight, then drip dry it over the container, then hang it outside for several days until thoroughly dry to the core.

Ahnkochee wrote on Sep 6^th, 2024 at 2:29am:

Have any of you more experienced weavers here ever try making a Balearic sling using raffia fibers?  I see raffia fibers readily available in bundles at local craft supplies.

I picked some up at Michael's, and was immediately surprised that it wasn't as brittle as I thought.  They are surprisingly slick.  If I didn't know better, I'd say they were artificial.

It tolerates the twisting and bending needed for braiding.  I've never braided directly from individual fibers like this.  I think it'd be a good way to practice before using something harder to get  like esparto.

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I was thinking of using this method using natural raffia fibers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRzGbu7Bvfo&t=301s

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ScantPalaver wrote on Sep 8^th, 2024 at 7:11pm:

Ahnkochee wrote on Sep 6th, 2024 at 2:29am: Have any of you more experienced weavers here ever try making a Balearic sling using raffia fibers?  I see raffia fibers readily available in bundles at local craft supplies.  I picked some up at Michael's, and was immediately surprised that it wasn't as brittle as I thought.  They are surprisingly slick.  If I didn't know better, I'd say they were artificial. It tolerates the twisting and bending needed for braiding.  I've never braided directly from individual fibers like this.  I think it'd be a good way to practice before using something harder to get  like esparto.

  That looks great!  Nice job!  I ordered some raffia from Amazon, extremely affordable.  If I treat the fibers with pine tar, I'll do it afterwards on the completed sling.

Ahnkochee wrote on Sep 8^th, 2024 at 8:25pm:

I was thinking of using this method using natural raffia fibers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRzGbu7Bvfo&t=301s

Yeah, that's pretty much my reference too, I was just having a hard time starting the braid like he showed, so I tied it up with a constrictor.  I don't think I left myself enough to join the finger loop, though...   

That looks like the same stuff I got:
https: //www.michaels.com/product/long-natural-raffia-by-ashland-10189654?michaelsStore=8411&inv=5

Ahnkochee wrote on Sep 8^th, 2024 at 8:32pm:

If I treat the fibers with pine tar, I'll do it afterwards on the completed sling.

I'd be interested to know how that goes.  Whether they soak it in  or if it just coats them.  I'll try some wax when I get there.

Oop, I think I found the downside:  it's very elastic.  I can stretch the ~6 inches I have braided an extra half inch just by pulling.

Edit:  I suspect raffia would have better results if worked wet.

ScantPalaver wrote on Sep 9^th, 2024 at 2:24am:

Oop, I think I found the downside:  it's very elastic.  I can stretch the ~6 inches I have braided an extra half inch just by pulling.

Good to know.  I wonder if I can soak my completed sling in diluted pine tar mix, then add a weight on one end and hang to dry, thus setting the fibers in the stretched state.  My raffia arrives tomorrow.  I wonder if misting the raffia fibers while twisting and braiding would help relax the fibers.  I may try that first.  Thanks for the progress report.

I found this older post: https://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1367809518/8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRzGbu7Bvfo&t=301s
I noticed in video @ the 6:00 mark that he stretches the braid regularly to I assume tighten the braid and removed any inherent elasticity within the braid.  I got my raffia fibers in the mail yesterday, and when I pull on it I feel no elasticity in the fibers, so I think any perceived stretch is in the the braid.  I'll try wetting and stretching, and see what happens. 

All braids will have some initial stretch and 'set'. But a good braid and material combination shouldn't have too much stretch after taking out the initial set. Half an inch seems reasonable for a full unfolded sling.

I might not've been aggressive enough with my first attempt.

I also found an old thread with Squirrel and Teg going back and forth about how to work raffia.
https://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1383011079/8

I'm actually on the fence about the wet/dry, but I'm kinda leaning towards Teg's side of braiding it dry.  I think the next couple things I try will be:
[list bull-blackball]

More aggressive twisting before adding a strand to the braid

Increasing the number of strands in the braid (prob'ly jump to 9)

I soaked the first test braid I made and hung it with a weight, but it didn't seem to take the elasticity out.  I hope you have better results with some of your experiments.

Goob, the half an inch of stretch I got wasn't from a full sling, only a six inch test braid.  But half an inch for a sling is a good baseline.

Teg, I see you still log in occasionally, so if you see this, your input and experience would be appreciated!

I was working in the backyard yesterday, and noticed that my pandanus bush had grown quite a bit, and the old dead leaves drying up under the new grown.  These leaves are about 18 inches, and very tough yet pliable.  I think I'll harvest a bushel of these leaves, and try to braid a sling from it.  I know the Polynesians made their sails from Pandanus leaves, so they should be tough enough.  I shall keep you posted. 

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Hi ScantPalaver,

Your picture above shows one key thing I'm doing differently. I prepare the fibers before braiding.
See the appended picture. Do you see how the fibers I'm braiding with look like? And the raw fiber I put beside it? The fiber I'm braiding with is, well, fibrous. The fresh one is more of a sheet.

You want to remove all the soft parts and break the sheets somewhat down before braiding. To do so, pinch the fibers with your index finger and your thumb and pull them through a couple times. See the second picture. A lot of material should come away. Be generous and discard it. The fibers should break down into thinner strands and become soft and pliable. If you have too high quality fiber, you might have to use the fingernail of your thumb to help you a bit (and safe the skin of your thumb from burns...).  Now you are ready to start braiding.

Regarding wet vs. dry: A wet sling is (quite often :D) a dead sling.
The fibers will swell and away goes the nice tight braid you just made.

Regarding twisting: you can make very stiff braids without twisting at all. Not saying that it is a good idea though...

I guess your springiness comes mainly from the "sheets" you are using. Maybe also from a lack of tension while braiding. Hard to tell from a distance though... To help you, you can fix the braid to a post or something. In this way you can more easily maintain tension while braiding. You don't need to have tension on all threads at all times. Just on the one you are braiding with.

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