Trad Gang

whats a good string silencer for longbows? I heard you cant split the string fibers like a recurve i didnt know how true that is or not? thanks guys
kyle

Here ya go,bet they can help ya out..

http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=153737

Sure you split string fibers, I use alpaca wool fibers.

I have used a variety of silencers on longbows.  Cat Whiskers, wool yarn, fur.  Install the silencer of your choice into the string just like a string on any other bow.  

For longbows, I do like fur since it just looks cool on a longbow, IMO.  You can buy precut fur strips, or if you have a chunk of fur, just cut a strip about 3/8" wide and 4 or 5 inches long, split the string into equal halves, wrap the fur strip around.  There's a bunch of videos on youtube...just search for "How to Install Fur String Silencers"

Kyle,
 If you don't mind something non-traditional, I tried the rubber 'Wishbone' wrap around silencers which I got through 3Rivers. The advantages are that they wrap around the string, can be moved to tune simply by sliding up or down the string, and they are unaffected by wet conditions. They work for me. Good hunting this year!
                            Todd

I've tried several.  In my experience: fur looks the best, nappy and thick wool puffs work the best when dry, and cat whiskers work the best in varied weather conditions.  You can split your strings or tie them on.  I use a 3-string system that I came up with so that I know I always have a fresh string on hunts, always have a fresh and tuned backup string for hunts, and can have a better looking string to wear out playing in the yard.  Also if something happens to my hunting string on a hunt, I can use my practice string as a temporary backup.  It costs me one string a year per bow to keep them rotated.

My 3-string per bow method:  

• newest string: This is a dedicated hunting string that I only use when pursuing animals so it has the freshest serving/nock fit and least wear.  I use catwhiskers on it.  This string gets replaced yearly at the St. Judes benefit auctions.
  
• One year old string: This is my backup hunting string.  It stays in my hunting pack.  I keep catwhiskers on it.  I move last season's hunting string in the pack yearly when I get a new one from the St. Judes auctions.  This gives me a darn near new string, pre-stretched, and pre-tuned that's ready to go at all times in my pack.
  
• two year old string: This is my backup string that gets rotated out of the pack which that typically still has very few shots on it.  I strip the catwhiskers off and replace them with fur which makes it easily identified and looks better.  It becomes my practice string for at home.
  

The black widow spider silencers are my favorite.  Cheap, durable and they don't soak up water or pick up burrs.

Amsteel  Dyneema rope from west marine. best material I've every used. Trad Talk site was the original post about it

I like to use material I already have, just to save some cash.  I really enjoy fishing, and my wife will say I have too much fishing gear.  

I split my string and put in a spinner bait skirt for my silencer.  They are very durable and do the job.  Color options are endless and they are very, very cheap.

Quality string and proper Brace Height. Then you want need a fur coat.Just cat whisker If you do not like the boing sounds the string makes.

I like beaver, muskrat, or otter fir the best and I've started ising two on the string for a much quieter bow.

Two Tracks string scallops. I put a double set on. Very light and super easy to install. Best silencers i've used.

I usually use fur silencers, just because I like the way they look. I have also used wool and rubber. They have all worked well for me.

QuoteOriginally posted by nhbuck1:
whats a good string silencer for longbows? I heard you cant split the string fibers like a recurve i didnt know how true that is or not? thanks guys
kyle

You absolutely can split the fibers on a longbow string.
They are the same string in most respects as a recurves's..maybe a different loop size but that's about it.

I like bowhush for silencers.

Woolie Whispers are what we have found we like beast

I like crabby man silencers off the bay. They're cheap and they work very well. They do stiffen up your set up  though because they are bigger than normalcy

I am partial now to rubber cat whiskers. I like to do multiple colors and make them look cool. Plus, they are also very cheap. I used to use beaver fur on my longbows because they look cool but if you get string wax on them (I over wax my strings) they look like drowned rats and seem to slow down my bow too much (possibly from excessive string wax on the fur). Longbows don't seem to need as much silencing so you can't really go wrong with anything.

Two Tracks wool scallops. They work great, look cool, and I can easily take them off a string and put them on another.

QuoteOriginally posted by DannyBows:
Two Tracks wool scallops. They work great, look cool, and I can easily take them off a string and put them on another.

X2    :thumbsup:

Cat Whiskers can aid in fine tuning by adjusting them up and down the string,pretty simple.Moving hair balls is a different issue.

I like the felt scallops

String scallops from two tracks archery...the best I've used and the absolute easiest to install and tune

What string material are you using, whats your arrow weight in relation to your draw weight, and what's your brace height?

The reason why I'm asking is that with a longbow the lower your brace height the better because the less energy that is put back into the bow the less energy for noise.

With string material Dacron and more primitive materials seem to be quieter.

Too light of an arrow will cause excessive noise as well.

I try to stay away from string silencers because they are just another thing to worry about that can fail on you and in my opinion they are unnecessary on longbows unless it's one of those hybrid designs with a lot of deflex/reflex built in.

Yup, that is why I like Hill style bows, thick heavy b50 strings, and a low brace height.  No silencers needed,  pure simplicity .

My longbows are quieter without silencers than my recurves with silencers.

Unless you're splicing your longbow strings from real sinew, I don't see why you can't split the fibers the same as any other.

Well, after more years than I can count in this sport of archery I have absolutely never had a string silencer "fail".  Seems like we can make the simplest things complicated in this modern day expression of something so old school. I make my own silencers from wool yarn and they are the easiest things to install you could want and no way will they fail or cause angst of any kind.  Just my experience.   ;)

Cat whiskers only for me..they just work.

Wooly Whispers are on all my bows, longbow and recurve, dacron and FF strings. Only $5.25 a set!

Yep.  Wooly Whispers for me as well on all my bows.

QuoteOriginally posted by David Mitchell:
Well, after more years than I can count in this sport of archery I have absolutely never had a string silencer "fail".  Seems like we can make the simplest things complicated in this modern day expression of something so old school. I make my own silencers from wool yarn and they are the easiest things to install you could want and no way will they fail or cause angst of any kind.  Just my experience.     ;)  

I've had string silencers fail on me multiple times and I gave them up because they were too much of a hassle. I was using a rubber silencer and it broke right off.

With good tune, not too light of an arrow, and a low brace height a longbow should be dead quiet paired with the right string.