cat-tail cordage pic heavy

RescueRiley

RescueRiley

Joined
Mar 22, 2006
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I've been on a real natural cordage kick lately.. To me it seems like one of those defining skills, something that I think is a sign of a decent bush person..so I've been practicing the reverse twis method for a while with regula paracord, and to day I went and collected some cat-tail leaves, and went to work I made about 12 inches in about 10 min or so..cat-tail leaves are amazing for this,,I've tried several different mediums but this is the best so far.... as time goes by I intend to experiment with other plants and than move on to bark..after a bit more practice I'll do a vid.. Thanks for looking

length of cord:
PICT0004-1.jpg


closeup of the wrap:
PICT0005-1.jpg


Pretty strong: (could handle much more)
PICT0006-1.jpg


pic with better lighting
PICT0007-1.jpg


Knots well too:
PICT0008-1.jpg
 
Great job John! Milkweed makes decent cordage also and its pretty common as well.

Cordage is definately a skill I need to brush up on.
 
Looks good. It is a good feeling to know you can make cordage anytime you need it. I'm on a dogbane kick right now. I'll have to get out an snag some cat tail leaves. Mac
 
Thanks guys..I'm gonna have to dig up some milkweed and dogbane I guess..and maybe some nettle when the weather gets warmer...It is a great feeling Pict.. just another step towards independence.
 
Great job on the cordage John. I remember how excellent pict's video was.... You both are definitely on my list for watching and learning. Great teachers!
 
Thanks Rocky I appreciate the complement but am humbled by and bow to the massive expertise and experience or Pict. (and many others on here)..
 
I just used as is...you can split them to make finer cordage if you like...but I just kept them slightly damp while working with them
 
That is pretty neat. This is a skill that I could really work on around my area. I know of a place to find a lot of cattails. Thanks for the pics :thumbup:
 
Sweet! Yet another shortcomming of my skills.... Seems like the perfect time to start practicing. It would be pretty darn cool to be able to make cordage whenever I wanted :)

Thanks!
 
Thats cool Riley. I've not seen this done with Cattail before. We have tons of it here. Its a very useful resource.
 
It’s Very similar to spinning yarn, in fact some of the same tools can be used, like the drop spindle or the Navajo spindle for heavier stuff. The original tools would have been a rock with a leader attached. Another point of interest related to spinning fibers is the processing of plants like flax, it pretty much grows everywhere but its one heck of a process, sure is easy to understand why linen has always been so expensive.

I’ve carded, and spun enough wool with a drop spindle to knit a sweater, I have a buddy who has made reatas, rawhide rope, he has one now that is 35 feet long, in very similar ways.

It is a great skill, I’m lacking the knowledge of what would be preferred natural materials in any given situation. I know some of the palms are very tough and barks can be extremely fibrous but other than a few local species excluding the obvious, cotton, wool, flax, raffia, ect. I sure could stand to learn more.

Thanks for this thread and the pictures, I’ve always been fairly confident I could make strands and ply if I had to but this thread sparked the desire to search out and practice with the wild stuff.
 
Is there some kind of step-by-step around here for reverse twisting natural coardage? I need to learn that!

The only cordage I can make involves twisting up strips cut from trash bags - quick and effective, but not natural.
 
Nice work dude! I asked about using cattails for cordage a while back, and nobody had used it before. I wasn't even sure if I should use the stem or the leaves. Now I know.

How do you avoid the "stinging" when using nettles for cordage?
 
I tried making cordage out of tree bark on a couple of occasions last summer. Didn't work so good though; I need more practice.

Looks like you got it down though. Good job.
 
I believe the stingers can be stripped off with the back of a knife blade..I originally triesd it with common reed (phragmites austrailis) (another very useful plant in its own right) because there is just so much of it around here...the leaves worked and made usable light duty cordage but have a much more fragile and brittle demeanor to them than cattail leaves...the cattails.. are just so much more flexible and user friendly.
 
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