Traditional Muzzleloading Association
Craftsmanship => Accoutrements => Topic started by: ridjrunr on December 01, 2014, 10:38:38 PM
-
Can anyone give any tips or hints on the best places to retrieve deer sinew from? I am guessing the legs but?? if the legs, is front or rear better or does it matter?
Any advise appreciated.
ridjrunr
-
I get it off of the backstraps.
-
so silver skin is the same as tendon?
-
The "silver skin" is what I use. Never tried to use tendons.
-
The "silver skin" is what I use. Never tried to use tendons.
-
The tendons work too. ya let them dry and pound them and pull the fibers apart.
-
Back of the hind leg tendons (what on us would be the Achilles tendon) is what I primarily use. I just pound off one end and pull the fiberous strands. The threads are short, so I typically soak a number of sinew threads in water and then thread up 10-12 needles at a time. I leave the sinew threads hanging in water using a pepper flake bottle full of water (put the threads through the hole in the top and fill the bottle with water). That way, I always have freshly threaded sinew. This is important when you are working with wet rawhide that is used as a repair or to cover the length of the shaft of a stone war club - you gotta work fast! I use a lot of sinew, but probably have 2-300 tendons stored in quart mason jars (keeps the rodents out) - enough to last my lifetime. Just my advice - take if for what it is! I remain your humble servant,
Turtle Dave 
-
You can use leg tendons or back tendons. You'll get longer strands from the back. It depends what you are going to use it for. I soak it in warm hide glue just before I apply it.
-
I don't use it myself but my friends that make their own bows & other stuff have me save the tendon that runs on top of the spine from head to tail. I make game & they make tools;-)