Something you’ll quickly learn as an archer is that bowstrings are consumable items. They wear out in various ways, such as in the string itself, the string ends, and the serving (the middle wrapping).

The serving is something you’ll likely replace more often than the entire string, but here we’ll focus on constructing the string itself. A Flemish string, which has a braided appearance, is often used for longbows and hunting recurves. The type with looped ends is called an endless-loop string and is commonly used for bows like barebows.

To make your own Flemish string, you’ll need a string jig. You can easily build one yourself (they are available for purchase but tend to be expensive; a DIY version costs no more than a hundred Swedish kronor in materials).

If you have a string jig, all you need is the string material (including serving) and knowledge of your bow’s length. Making a Flemish string for the first time can be a bit tricky, so it’s a good idea to start practicing with inexpensive materials. Learning to make a string is much easier by watching how it’s done, as it’s very hard to explain in text. For that reason, we recommend this tutorial video from Merlin Archery.

Once you’ve finished your string, you’ll need serving thread and a serving tool. There are many different types of tools available, and you don’t need to buy the most expensive one for it to work effectively. Personally, I use the one shown in the picture here. It works perfectly and has served me well many times. It’s from Spigarelli and cost 189 SEK. There are more advanced models available, which cost around 500 SEK.

Serving the string is also much easier to demonstrate through a video. I’ve chosen one from Richard Head Longbows.