Slinging.org Forum - Vegetius (and Virgil) on sling material: linen or wool (wool best)

TOMBELAINE Funditor Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 839 france Gender:	Re: Vegetius (and Virgil) on sling material: linen or wool (wool best) Reply #60 - Nov 10^th, 2020 at 2:24am Hello Kilisi, I'm very interested by your sling. Do you have a photo ?
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Re: Vegetius (and Virgil) on sling material: linen or wool (wool best)
Reply #61 - Nov 10^th, 2020 at 2:42am

TOMBELAINE wrote on Nov 10^th, 2020 at 2:24am:

Do you have a photo ?

No sorry, it was a long time ago in a different country. It was very simple, just a strip about 7 feet long cut from one of these bushshirts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swanndri
but I don't see why any material wouldn't work. The first ones I made for my sons I just cut up a potato sack.

But my sons went online and saw all these fancy slings with fingerloops and pouches and stuff and hassled me.

Sorry but I never learnt to do anything properly back in the day so I'm having to relearn so I can teach the kids.

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TOMBELAINE Funditor Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 839 france Gender:	Re: Vegetius (and Virgil) on sling material: linen or wool (wool best) Reply #62 - Nov 10^th, 2020 at 3:02am I agree with you. I made a sling with synthetic felt ribbon. There is a photo page 2. It is not beautiful but it throws very well. With it, I throw up to 80/100 meters. After, you we can make more worked slings. It's also ok.
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Re: Vegetius (and Virgil) on sling material: linen or wool (wool best)
Reply #63 - Nov 10^th, 2020 at 3:25am

TOMBELAINE wrote on Nov 10^th, 2020 at 3:02am:

It is not beautiful but it throws very well.

Yes, I like a strip, no need for knots, pouch, different length slings etc,. You just wrap the extra around your wrist and tuck it in.
But my sons said I do everything like a caveman and they want proper real slings, so we braided some.

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TOMBELAINE Funditor Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 839 france Gender:	Re: Vegetius (and Virgil) on sling material: linen or wool (wool best) Reply #64 - Nov 11^th, 2020 at 4:48am Personaly, I have two daughters, and one of them, teenager, once told me even cavemen dress better than me. Son or daughter doesn't matter ; that's what it's like when you're old
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a Senior Member Offline a Posts: 325 a Gender:	Re: Vegetius (and Virgil) on sling material: linen or wool (wool best) Reply #65 - Nov 11^th, 2020 at 11:00pm TOMBELAINE wrote on Nov 11^th, 2020 at 4:48am: Son or daughter doesn't matter Yep, 3 sons & 2 daughters, they all sling and the only one doesn't get cheeky is the baby
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Re: Vegetius (and Virgil) on sling material: linen or wool (wool best)
Reply #66 - Oct 3^rd, 2021 at 7:31am

Big breakthrough on the "wool" front!
I just found this with regard to Goat Hair (hairs from the outer coat): " The yarn is akin to linen, strong with very little elastic memory. "
I am now confident that this is close to the Saetae that Vegetius was describing, as such qualities are quite favorable for slings. The structure of the fibre, along with the natural oils present, makes it durable and very resistant against rain.(as it was when it was on the goat!)
I also found this somewhere else: " Columella stated that it was used for ropes with a reputation for lasting longer in water than hemp ropes, as well as for sacking, sails, and tents. " https://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/sites/default/files/articles/pdf/az1993n17a5.pdf

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Kick past-moderator Offline Posts: 4469 Finland	Re: Vegetius (and Virgil) on sling material: linen or wool (wool best) Reply #67 - Oct 3^rd, 2021 at 11:12am That sounds like it fits the bill.
Back to top	You are a great guy Kick but also slightly scary at times. - Morphy "Nothing matters, but it’s perhaps more comfortable to keep calm and not interfere with other people." - H.P. Lovecraft, in a letter to Frank Belknap Long, 7 October, 1923 IP Logged

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Re: Vegetius (and Virgil) on sling material: linen or wool (wool best)
Reply #68 - Oct 3^rd, 2021 at 11:32am

Perfect ! (esp. since "saetae" means "quills, spikes", so perfect for long outer-coat hair). Now to make a sling with this material-- how is it plaited into ropes, rather than woven into cloth ? I assume the hair are spun into yarn, and hence yarn strands can be plaited as normal ? Or is hair spun into a very thick yarn that can be used directly for slings ?

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Re: Vegetius (and Virgil) on sling material: linen or wool (wool best)
Reply #69 - Oct 4^th, 2021 at 8:14am

Thearos wrote on Oct 3^rd, 2021 at 11:32am:

the hair are spun into yarn, and hence yarn strands can be plaited as normal ?

It seems like a balearic sling.

Thearos wrote on Oct 3^rd, 2021 at 11:32am:

Or is hair spun into a very thick yarn that can be used directly for slings ?

Ok for the belts but more complicated for the pouch.

I prefer the first solution. It seems easier and quicker to implement.
Just my idea.

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TOMBELAINE Funditor Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 839 france Gender:	Re: Vegetius (and Virgil) on sling material: linen or wool (wool best) Reply #70 - Oct 4^th, 2021 at 8:18am Thearos wrote on Aug 24^th, 2014 at 4:11pm: POURQUOI une écharpe en poils d'animaux emmêlés est-elle meilleure que les fibres tressées ? Because there are goats everywhere and their hair is cheap ?
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Re: Vegetius (and Virgil) on sling material: linen or wool (wool best)
Reply #71 - Oct 7^th, 2021 at 7:06am

I am very soon receiving a sling from Iran, made by a man who was taught how to make slings by his father. He uses various materials but he has said that the one he's sent me uses goat hair for the cords and then wool for the pouch. It's hard to say if this is the same as they would have been made in history, but it seems it is a known technique that works for slings. I think this is essentially solved. I believe there was the distinction made between goat outer hairs and wool and so this was what was meant. Once I get the sling I'll take lots of close up pictures to show the construction.

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You are a great guy Kick but also slightly scary at times. - Morphy
"Nothing matters, but it’s perhaps more comfortable to keep calm and not interfere with other people." - H.P. Lovecraft, in a letter to Frank Belknap Long, 7 October, 1923

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Thearos Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Take that Posts: 3419	Re: Vegetius (and Virgil) on sling material: linen or wool (wool best) Reply #72 - Oct 7^th, 2021 at 9:18pm AMAZING ! It must be from the Zagros, right ?
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Re: Vegetius (and Virgil) on sling material: linen or wool (wool best)
Reply #73 - Oct 8^th, 2021 at 9:53am

Thearos wrote on Oct 7^th, 2021 at 9:18pm:

AMAZING ! It must be from the Zagros, right ?

I don't know exactly where the maker is from, but yes around that area. It arrived today and is absolutely beautiful, but it's also clear this is not just for decoration. This is definitely a functional tool. Photos to come very soon.

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You are a great guy Kick but also slightly scary at times. - Morphy
"Nothing matters, but it’s perhaps more comfortable to keep calm and not interfere with other people." - H.P. Lovecraft, in a letter to Frank Belknap Long, 7 October, 1923

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Re: Vegetius (and Virgil) on sling material: linen or wool (wool best)
Reply #74 - Oct 8^th, 2021 at 10:01am

Some close-ups.

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You are a great guy Kick but also slightly scary at times. - Morphy
"Nothing matters, but it’s perhaps more comfortable to keep calm and not interfere with other people." - H.P. Lovecraft, in a letter to Frank Belknap Long, 7 October, 1923

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