Skinny strings ?

[valleysniper]

Who uses them and are they of any real benefit ? I'm looking at getting one for my new Widow. Can I use ff instead of D97 ?

[The Whittler]

I can't help with skinny strings but Fast Flight is an older version of low stretch strings. I believe D97 is a newer better material but there are others on here who can help you a lot more the me.

[John Krause]

Did it years ago. Thought it was noisier and not worth it.

[valleysniper]

Ive been out of traditional archery for awhile. Thought ff was the newer of the 2. Been gone longer than I think.....
Lol

[Orion]

Fast flite has sort of become the generic reference to low-stretch strings.  Been around a long time.  D-97 is newer.  That's what I currently use, but have read that some of the newer materials are better yet. 

Yes, for me D-97 is a tad noisier, higher pitched actually, than dacron, but I have no trouble quieting it enough for me with wooly whispers.  Low stretch strings get noticeable performance increases out of most bows and reduce hand shock at the end of the shot.  Unlike dacron, they stay put once shot in, i.e., they don't stretch, at least not as much, with temperature changes, etc.  And, they're more durable than dacron.

Dacron makes a good, quiet string.  I just like D-97 a bit more.

[hitman]

I use skinny strings and they have been good. No noisier than anything else.

[Trenton G.]

I've only had one bow with a skinny string, but I didn't care for it at all. Even with two massive string silencers it still had a high pitch ring to it whenever I shot it.

[Lakerat007]

I tried a skinny string on a 65# bow and didn't care for it. Cut into my fingers, didn't notice any difference in noise.

[Steelhead]

I always have swapped out the stock Widow strings in favor of 8 strand SBD Silent but Deadly bowstrings.Its made from D-10 material and the loops on the strings are built up for a cushioning effect.I always have wool puffs on those strings.

In my experience they make for a quieter bow with less vibration and a tad more speed.

I would recommend trying one and seeing for yourself how they compare to the stock string.I think you will feel and hear the difference and find it was money well spent.

[Jason W]

I was never a fan. However, I received a new bow with one on it built by the bowyer. I have to say, I might be a convert...

[old_goat2]

I've tried them, couldn't really see a difference over a normal sized string. Build my own now and kind of go in between skinny and fat. I think how well it's made and the material it's made from makes a bigger difference than how skinny it is, kind of like people!

[LC]

I make my own endless loop skinny strings. Have for several years now. In my opinion it has to be built at exactly the right length for each particular bow. Easy for me as I've only used my homemade bows for a long time now.  Once the sweet length is found I find it to be awesome. I do pad the loops and serving area.  I believe the bow shoots quieter and smoother. It is a different sound for sure from B50 though.

[Wudstix]

My Big River LB 21st Century version, came with SDS and it shoots noticeably faster than my MOAB, which is fast with a heavy arrow, shooting 185-189 fps with 700 grain arrows.  BR @3# heavier, same length but shoots faster to my eye.  Have not chrono-graphed it yet.  Really have not noticed any increase in noise, but now I'll pay more attention.[attachment=1] 

[Wheels2]

I prefer a thicker loop so it lays fuller in the groove.

D97 and FF+ are interchangeable.  D97 is the only thing I use but FF+ is acceptable to Border Archery.  I use D97 because that is what Steve Baker uses when he builds strings for me.  I recall that he makes the string 12 strands of D97 but pads the loops and lengthens the tags to wrap farther around the big hooks on my Border Covert Hunter.

[SteveB]

What is the diameter of a "skinny" string before serving? Don't see how to have a discussion without 1st identifying "skinny". Using strand count doesn't work as available materials can vary 50% and more from one to the next. Break out those micrometers 

[Rob DiStefano]

low strand count strings were a novelty of sorts for me and i built quite a few, for all the bows i owned and for friend's bows. 

in the long run, i've gone the opposite direction, to higher strand count strings.

while skinny strings can offer a few feet-per-second boost in arrow speed, heavier strings offer the better advantage of Stability and the added "robustness" of more strands in the string.

[Mike Burch]

low strand count strings were a novelty of sorts for me and i built quite a few, for all the bows i owned and for friend's bows. 

in the long run, i've gone the opposite direction, to higher strand count strings.

while skinny strings can offer a few feet-per-second boost in arrow speed, heavier strings offer the better advantage of Stability and the added "robustness" of more strands in the string.

I tend to agree. I thought it was just me or in my head. I've tried several skinny strings and just received a Holm-Made River Runner with a skinny string and it doesn't "feel" or shoot near as stabile to me as a Kota I have with the thicker string. Don't like the feel at the shot with the skinny string. Gonna swap it out and see. For whatever reason, and it still maybe in my head, but I rather have a string with more stands than the skinnies. Just seem more stabile and controlling to me.

[kennym]

Just out of curiosity, what is string stability?  What does a stable string feel like vs an unstable one?

Serious questions...

[Rob DiStefano]

low strand count strings, regardless of each strand's tensile strength, seem to add more vibration(s) to my longbows, with a shorter "recovery" time after each release.  there is almost always some added string stretch because there are fewer strands.  aesthetically, they have a higher pitched release twang, as well.  they can add perhaps 2 to 5 fps to the arrow speed. 

a higher strand count string has the opposite of all that, for my bows and me.

what makes a string a low strand count?  any bowstring that has the fewest safe number of strands that equate to a tensile strength that is commensurate with the actual holding weight of the bow while at the shooter's draw length.  while i could easily make 4 strand d97/d02 bowstrings, i never went below 6 strands and mostly used 8 strands.  now my strings are 14 strands of the same string fiber.  this is for 45 to 55 pound longbows.  in the way distant past my longbow strings were all flemish, but i quickly changed over to endless.

all of this is infused with a fair amount of subjectivity.  there is no right or wrong, only what works best for each of us.

[Mike Burch]

Kennym,

Hard for me to put in words, but it's a feel thing for me. I'll try and describe my thinking. I tend to like a softer shot at release, and the skinnies I've tried seem to have a quicker faster/response, which for me and personal preference, doesn't feel controlling, where a thicker string for me has a softer take off at release. I'm not sure if that makes sense and stability may not be the right word.

I think I probably should say I just prefer a little thicker string for myself. Lol.

Mike