This should probably be a poll question, but I was watching the youtube interview with Edd Scott and he made the statement that some argue which sinew was better, but in reality sinew is sinew no matter where it comes from.
I have heard whitetail or elk so long that his statement just sounds wrong. But if it is not, then could a person just have a butcher save all his sinew he acquires?
I prefer back sinew because its super easy. That being said I will use whatever type I have from whatever animal it came from. Sometimes I wonder if we "split too many hairs" on our primitive bows.
Here is my take, A tendon is a tendon. I find it hard to believe that a tendon from a 150 lb deer is any stronger then a tendon from a 1000 lb cow. Yes they are bigger and the size helps to cary the load. but pound for fiber compared to fiber they are equally strong unless decay or degeneration is set in. I have ruptured both of my biceps and found out that years of gymnastics and weight lifting may have been to blame. There was degeneration in both tendons so it may have been diet or even genetics as well.
My point is that sinew is nothing more then the tendon that attaches the muscle to the bone. If the animal was healthy, and the tendon was carrying the weight load it is more then likely plenty strong enough to back your bow
Mongolian bows 800 years ago used cow sinew. If it would have mattered I am sure the bowyers would have used deer sinew. If one of their bows broke in battle they were beheaded.
Well that was my first stance, that sinew was sinew. But a little over a year ago I was in a conversation on another forum and 3 guys were staunch that cow sinew had much more stretch than white tail and a person was a fool to use it on any quality bow.
I was at a mound site in FL last week and they had a dog they excavated. They said that the Asi would not use the dog for anything other than a pet or hunting and when it died it was buried with the family but they would harvest its sinew for arrows and bows.
I prefer back sinew from bison or elk, mainly because preparation is easy and applying it to a bow is quicker then leg sinew. I have made bows from both leg and back sinew and am unable to detect any difference in performance. I know many people who swear that sinew from wild game is better then sinew from domestic animals, but it is my belief that perceived mojo is the greatest benefit. My opinion: The sinews preparation, technique used to apply it, type of glue used, and how it is sealed, will have a far greater influence on its performance then if out was from a domestic or wild animal.
I think the fact that the wood itself can vary from bow to bow so much that it would be impossible to know which is better or worse. Im all about easy when it comes to sinew.
I'm not a tendon expert nor have I used sinew on a bow. But after years of athletic training and coaching,research done on my own, and talking with trainers and doctors about athletic injuries, I feel that a tendon is a tendon.
As stated by others, diet and health of the animal has a great deal to do with the strength of the tendon. It stands to reason that the preparation of the sinew will also contribute to the performance of the fibers.
Of course, this is only my humble opinion. I just follow along what these other experts say! :D
Red, That must of been mighty painfull, having to agree with someone! :laughing: :archer2:
Ps. Just kidding my friend, Hopefully that sinew is still holding on the juniper bow for you.
Find a game processor in your area and get him to save all the back sinew from deer he butchers. Then you'll have so much you won't know what to do with, and it'll have all that good whitetail mojo, even if it is just a myth.
I've sinewed many bows with sinew from various animals. Speaking strictly LEG sinew, the main difference to me is the texture. I've observed that Buffalo sinew processes and lays real nice, almost silky on a bow. I would say that cow sinew is probably next smoothest. Then next down the line might be Whitetail and Elk. I used Caribou sinew also. I've found it to be more course in texture. It didn't lay as nice and the cured end result wasn't as smooth. I am accused of being a bit of a perfectionist and it bothered me some, aesthetically. I tried Ostrich sinew a long time ago. I didn't like it. I don't remember why, just didn't care for it. Maybe, it was just too long?
As far as performance, I've found no noticable differences between any of them.
Just, my two cents...
I had a local deer processor save the legs from some of the deer he butchered. In short order, I had piles of them. That was several years ago, and I still have most of those tendons left.