I have seen a number of posts on social media where cordage has been made from plastic beverage bottles. By creating a jig from wood that incorporates a knife blade, a plastic bottle can be cut into a thin ribbon that spirals the circumference along the length of the bottle. I wondered if that plastic ribbon could be used as cordage for a bow.

I made a jig, made the plastic “cord”, and found it to be strong but slippery and unweildy. My plan was to make an Egyptian Style Bow with a knot around the middle of the spindle with cordage wound above and below it. This method does not depend on friction to spin the spindle but just unwraps and rewraps with each stroke of the bow.

Because the ribbon was unwieldy, I cut slots at each end of the bow that were perpendicular to the bend, tying one end into a fat knot and wrapped the other end around the handle to allow for adjustable tension.

As I stroked the bow back and forth it performed beautifully and I brought the resulting char to a smoldering ember.

As mentioned above there are many materials used for cordage but now you know of yet another resource should others be scarce or not available.

I decided to use a clam shell because of it’s concave shape and hard surface but I felt that it needed support because of it’s thin wall so I went down to the creek to find some clay material to surround it. After kneading the clay I applied about a half inch layer across the backside and along it’s sides so that the finished product looked like I had pressed the shell into a ball of clay.

I let it dry for a week and the results were great! I noticed that the clay had receded slightly around the outside edge of the shell but remained whole without cracks. I applied the new bearing block to the test and it worked wonderfully. After a successful coal was formed I examined the bearing block and noticed a discoloration at the pivot point which is to be expected and some small fractures, so it will be interesting to see the length of service that it will give me. I also noticed that the exposed edge chipped down slightly to the top surface of the surrounding clay leaving a flush clean edge. It was easy to handle and feel that it was a great success.

This bearing block is simple to make and would make a nice addition to your collection of firecraft tools.

I was asked to try a fixed blade to see how I might like it as an alternative to my current knives and what would be the features that I would like to see. I said I would like a thick spine with a wide portion of blade for battoning/chopping, a full tang, a non slip grip , a socket in the handle for bow & spindle firecraft, a 90 degree edge for striking ferro rods, and the blade made of carbon steel for flint & steel fire making. The HWS fixed blade knife fulfilled my requirements and I began to put it to the test.

I had to get used to wearing the HWS as my other knives were carried differently. The HWS rides high on my belt but has the advantage of being easily concealed if needed. Because of the high mount I was able to be seated in a car seat or chair but I could also feel the handle against my ribs. The Kydex sheath is very durable but I might explore other options than the leather loops for attachment to my belt. It would also be nice if a ferro rod would be integrated. The Mycarta handle has positive grip even when wet. It also has a 1/2″ hole at the end of the handle that can be used to attach a lanyard but is large enough for straightening arrow shafts for primitive archery enthusiasts.

I began to use it for chopping wood but at 8 oz. I found it to be light in weight. Chopping wood using a 4 1/2″ blade with a total length of 8 3/8″ is asking a lot but with persistence it can be used on moderate to small branches and sticks. It works best to use a wide angle approach when chopping.

The hefty blade worked wonderfully when using baton sticks. It was limited only by it’s length but it is very sturdy. Once the wood had been split down I was able to make fuzz sticks by making successively higher cuts along the wood’s edge using the thumb of my opposing hand across the top of the blade to control each cut. I found that a thicker blade works a little differently but with a little adjustment it definitely works. I then wanted to use the HWS features for my firecraft endeavors.

I grabbed a piece of flint and some char cloth. I began to use the back side of the blade to strike the edge of the flint and the initial sparks looked promising but successive sparks were harder to achieve. I was able to catch sparks on the charcloth and join it to some tinder to make a fire. Although dedicated strikers make better sparks they weren’t made to do all that the HWS can do.

It seems that any manufactured edge needs to be ruffed up a bit to be effective. that also goes for a new ferro rod. The flint striking helped to make the top of the blade more aggressive for using with a ferro rod. After several strikes I could throw some sparks and I found the sweet spot for striking to be toward the tip on the backside that gave the easiest and best sparks.

I grabbed my bow & spindle kit and began to use the socket in the knife handle as a bearing block. When in use by the left hand the blade is positioned facing outward, away from the user. The socket is a little shallow compared to a regular bearing block but then the socket in the handle is a bonus feature and not a dedicated part of a specific bow & spindle kit.

The HWS is a very dependable fixed blade knife. It feels comfortable in the hand and can perform a multitude of bushcraft tasks. All told I was impressed with this knife and it’s craftsmanship by Kellershop Knives.

I first saw this method posted in a social media group where the member posted photos of their experience. I was intrigued and knew that I had to try it for myself to validate it and add to my firecraft achievements.

Traditional bows use a single cord or strap either with a bent bow, straight stick, or with toggles at each end. It is usually wrapped around a spindle once or as with the Egyptian bow drill method a knot is tied in the middle of a spindle with a few additional winds on either side. A multiple wrap approach helps to prevent the spindle from springing out of the hearthboard, especially as the spindle gets short. In a similar fashion the twin cord method employs a single wrap with each cord that helps to prevent the spindle from being tossed out.

The twin cord can be simply made by using a loop that is fastened or hooked on a branch spur or notch on one end of the bow and held in place with your thumb at the opposite end. Your thumb is used to maintain tension on the spindle while bowing. I found that I supported the end of the bow with the palm of my hand and had to twist the bow slightly to compensate for the cord position while being held with my thumb.

I think that this method has two advantages: it provides a secure spindle and the cord-to-bow attachment is very simple.
To watch this method in action, click HERE to view a video.

Now, when I see this, my eyes light up because I think “astragalus bones” that I use as sockets for my bow & spindle fire kits. When my wife sees this, she cringes because she knows what’s coming next. In this case, we agreed to postpone my harvesting task until after our breakfast. Good thing… when I arrived at the scene on our return trip, I could see that the deer was not exactly fresh, and definitely had an “air” about it. In fact, I decided to harvest only one of the bones. In the end, this adventure influenced our outing to proceed directly home. My wife recovered while I boiled the bone to preserve it and help remove excess remaining tissue. Men, I recommend this as a “guys-only” activity whenever possible.

In any case, if you decide to harvest astragalus bones in this way, cut along the front side of the rear leg joint. This opens the hide and severs all of the front ligaments. Then hyper-extend the joint forward by stepping behind the leg and placing your foot on the joint while using both hands to pull the upper and lower leg bones against your foot pressure. This is similar to breaking kindling wood. The astragalus bone should pop up where you can cut the side ligaments to release it.

You can learn more in my article “Astragalus Bones“