MATERIALS & PREPARATION
The following is a partial listing of natural materials which yield good fiber
for complete and other cordage materials may await rediscovery.
Information given on when to harvest plants is intended only as a guideline.
Species, climate, environment, genetics and intended use may all effect when
plants can or should be harvested.
Fibers may be cleaned and separated by many methods. Here are some which will be
mentioned later or which you may want to try:
RUBBING BETWEEN THE PALMS - This is efficiently accomplished by holding one end
of the fiber in the teeth as the hands move down the length of the fiber This
allows one to keep the fibers taut and prevents them becoming tangled,
Alternatively the fiber may be rolled back and forth on the thigh with one hand
while being pulled taut with the other.
SCRAPING - Aside from the pre-scraping of dogbane, which may be applicable to
other species, this refers to scraping with a duller tool after the fiber is
removed from the stalk. We usually use our thumbnails but semi-sharp bone, shell
or metal tools can also be used. If you do use the thumbnail beware of getting
splinters of material under your nails. Scraping removes non-fiber chaff and
makes the fibers more flexible and workable.
HACKLING - This consists of using a pointed spike-like tool to comb, clean and
separate the fibers. We haven't used it much but plan to try it more in the
future. Ethnographies from California mention running a bone awl repeatedly
through a bundle of fiber.
POUNDING & WASHING - Pulpy things like yucca and agave can be pounded and washed
to good advantage. Select younger leaves as they clean much easier. Some tree
barks and fiber yielding roots can also be pounded and washed, Use a smooth
peeled branch to pound with and a smoothed peeled log as an anvil.
POUNDING DRY - Twist the hank of fiber into a loose rope twist and pound it
lightly with a smooth mallet on a smooth surface, We've had this work well on
milkweed and nettle.
RETTING - This is the rotting of the fiber-yielding plant to weaken all
materials except the fiber itself. This allows for easy cleaning by washing or
other methods. The plants are usually soaked in plain water. If the retting is
carried on too far the fiber begins to weaken and eventually becomes worthless.
Plants will ret faster in warm weather. After five days check progress every
couple of days. Retting plant fibers can smell absolutely putrid so don't do
this in your house. After retting use the above methods to clean your fiber.
Dogbane, Indian Hemp - Apocynum cannabinum
An excellent native perennial fiber plant, Widespread throughout U.S. but
uncommon. Prefers wet areas.
Harvest dry stalks autumn - early winter after plant dies back completely. There
are usually several years worth of old stalks in a dogbane patch. Try to collect
the previous season's growth. They are usually the reddest. In arid areas,
stalks from even several years ago may be found to have sound fiber. Crack or
snip the small stems and thin tips from each stalk. Store in a dry place. The
outer layer of each stem is a thin bark. It has no tensile strength and should
be removed. Given a set diameter, cordage made from well cleaned fiber will,
theoretically, be stronger than that made from fiber which contains non-fiber
materials. We prefer to remove most of the outer bark by gently scraping with a
sharp knife or stone flake at a ninety degree angle. Only the very outer layer
should be removed. If fibers are seen under the knife you have scraped far
enough or maybe even too far. Be especially careful around the leaf and stem
nodes, Scrape less rather than more until you learn some boundaries. Most of
what's left can be removed later by rubbing or scraping with the thumbnail.
Crack the stem into 4 equal parts by squeezing it up and down its length. Crack
the woody part into many small pieces and remove carefully leaving as much fiber
in tact as possible. There is a much more specific way to remove the woody
portion which retains the maximum amount of fibers but it is too complex for
inclusion in this article. If possible ask someone who uses dogbane how they
remove the fiber from the stalks. Rub between hands and scrape with fingernails
to clean further.
Milkweeds - Asciepias species
Excellent white fiber,
Harvest late summer through winter. Remove fiber from stalks as with dogbane.
Clean by rubbing between hands scraping, and dry pounding.
Nettles - Urtica species
Some species are very good, others are nearly worthless. It tends to rot
quickly. Used in wartime as a linen (flax) substitute.
Harvest at peak height or dead but not rotten. If harvested green, it may need
to be retted. Remove fiber from stalks as with dogbane. Clean by rubbing,
scraping, and dry pounding.
Yucca - Yucca species, esp. mohavensis (best); bacatta
Widely used in desert areas for nets, ropes, sandals, and fiber skirts.
Harvest green. Pound and wash or ret and wash.
Sinew - (preferably from large animals)
Achilles tendons from deer, elk, moose etc... and also sinew which overlays the
sirloin muscle on either side of the backbone.
Very strong but gets slimy when wet. Sinew is an excellent material for
bowstrings. Also glued to backs of bows for strength and power. Fine threads
moistened in mouth and used for attaching arrowheads and feathers to arrowshafts.
Dry and shred. Leg tendons may be easier to shred if pounded lightly first.
Other materials are: agave (sisal), coconut fibers, Iris macrosiphon/tenax,
basswood bark, fireweed, New Zealand flax, flax, hemp (Cannibus sativa),
mulberry bark, willow bark, primrose, sagebrush, ribbonwood, mountain mahogany,
cottonwood, Fremontia californica, mesquite bark, western red cedar, redwood,
beach lupine root, elm bark, leatherroot, cattail, tule, maple bark, and many
more.
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