"Skinny Strings"

[Breeze430]

Eflander,
I'll take you up on that offer...I'll call you Monday.

[Keith Zimmerman]

I love the SBD strings.  Performance, quality, and customer service second to none.

[smokin joe]

What Keith said.

[champ38]

Love the SBD string, gained 8-10 fps(according to my chrono) and a silent bow. Worth every penny.

[StickBowManMI]

I have used the SBD strings on my bows and they are quiet. The 8 strand is about equal to the 6 strand that I had John McCullough make for me. Both are quiet. The SBD string was made out of DY 10 and John's strings were made out of 450. Both good strings, fast and quiet.

[SL]

My bows all were a 14 stand D97. I tried the skinnys and all I got was additional noise. I believe for me the thicker string was more stable and Im able too get off the string cleaner. Once I padded up the main serving and loops for my bow I notice no difference in speed or tuning so I decided to stick to the 14 strands and the extra durability it offers. I shoot 55 to 65 # bows.
SL

[Ground Hunter]

I'm going with Chad.  I do not use less than 14 on anything 60# and under - 16 on any over 60#.

[heydeerman]

I know more folks who have tried and went back than who have stuck with the skinny's. I'm one of em. I can get the same results with a lighter arrow and a little more wool on the string.

[Friend]

Love them!

[Medley]

I have only little experience so far, but have noticed big gains in speed and quietness.

Still testing, expecting a new ultracam in the mail Monday or Tuesday. Can't wait to check it out.

[Rob DiStefano]

for me, a low strand count ("skinny") bowstring isn't about a "performance boost" (arrow speed), it's about a quieter and perhaps more efficient modern hmpe bowstring.  lots depends on the bow and the archer.  there is no way to know what any bowstring will do for any bow, any arrows, or any archer, unless the archer invests the time and money in personal testing.

in building a low strand count bowstring, the string loops must be padded - this is true for either flemish or endless bowstrings, but more important for flemish since the loops on that string type aren't served.

why some folks think or say that a "skinny string" will hurt their fingers is beyond my understanding.  all bowstrings need to have an appropriate center serving diameter to fit their arrows' nocks.  with a low strand count bowstring, this will mean either increasing the serving thread diameter, or padding the center serving area, or both.  the result will always be a center serving diameter that will feel the same to yer string fingers as your fatter bowstring has always felt to ya.

down to brass tacks, for me the advantage of a low strand count bowstring is a tad more "spring to the string".  imo, less strands of uber non-stretch/creep hmpe will make for a "softer" string on release.  this is just easier on the stick bow limbs, and this has always been my perception with low strand count strings, and i have built them for decades.

since most all hmpe (High Modulus PolyEthylene) fibers (pick a brand - dynaflight, fast flight, 450+, D10, F8125, whatever), will break in excess of 100#, it's easy to see how an 8 strand hmpe bowstring will have greater than 800# of tensile strength - far more than needed for any 70# stick bow, let alone a 50# bow.

i'm not advocating or dissing "skinny strings".  only you can tell whether or not they're worth using with a particular stick bow.  just another tackle variable to think about ... or not.

[overbo]

IMO you are better off checking the type and legnth of serving on a string than string count.
Going from a 8'' long suregrip serving to a 5 1/2'' long mono serving dose wonders for me.

[Gil Verwey]

I use 6 strand 450+ on my bows. On my bows they reduce hand shock, are quieter and do improve performance.

I did chrono mine several years ago, but I don't remember the gain in FPS. I don't really care about speed anymore, other than my bow performs well with good trajectory with a heavy arrow. The numbers don't matter anymore. A friend and I tested over 300 bows and found that most perform very well and when a heavy arrow is used even the fastest FF recurve with light arrows will be close in speed to a D shaped longbow when a heavy hunting arrow is shot from both. Therefore to me numbers don't mean anything since I am a longbow shooter.

I find the 450+ last long and hardly has any stretch to it. My hunting bow is 60#. I have been shooting the same sting on the bow for four years. I shoot a lot and the string appears to still be in good shape, but I am going to retire it to my backup string soon.

[drewsbow]

Since I make my own strings I can do what ever I want at a low per string cost. I have made many low strand strings from , D97 to D75 thin on to 452x and now using trophy . I don't worry about any speed gains but what I like most is the way it quiets a bow down and no shock . I can make a 12 strand string with trophy and its tiny . I have invested the time testing what I like and don't and will be staying with skinny . Drew

[KentuckyTJ]

Skinny strings bring out the best in all my bows.

[3arrows]

I like skinny and carbon and single bevel because i still want to moose and deer hunt with my recurve a few more years.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by 3arrows:
I like skinny and carbon and single bevel because i still want to moose and deer hunt with my recurve a few more years.

how do those items you've mentioned allow you to extend your hunting?

[3arrows]

Rob,i can do the same with 50# that i once did with 60#.

[Flying Dutchman]

Another vote for SBD strings. SBD is a pleasure to do business with.

I tested them on several bows and with several different archers and I chronoed them.

Silent: definitely much more silent!
Speed: as rule of thumb: 1 fps more for every strand less you are using. i.e.: when you are shooting 14 strands and move over to a skinny string from 8 strands you will most likely gain 6 fps.
Bite in fingers: definitely not
Handshock: becomes less

So I never looked back and always use SBD skinny strings on my bow for tow years now.

[StickBowManMI]

Have been using six strand strings for years and I love them, quiet and fast.