How to Keep Your Bowstrings in Pristine Condition

Essential Bowstrings Care Tips

Caring properly for your bow and bowstrings is essential for maintaining the high quality performance of your equipment as well as extending its lifespan. While more experienced archers usually have a solid system in place for bowstring and bow maintenance, it can be difficult knowing where to start as a beginner. To help you understand the basics, we’ve got everything you need to know about bowstrings and how to keep them in pristine condition.

A Brief History of Bowstrings

To give you context on why bowstrings require such careful maintenance, here’s a quick history of their construction. Bowstrings were originally made of animal sinew. Later, they were made of various plant fibers, such as hemp, flax, linen, and even silk. Now, with advanced technology, bowstrings are usually made using high tech polyethylenes. Regardless of the material used to make bowstrings, the process has always been similar: you bind the fibers together to form a string of fibers. This delicate process requires excess care.

Number One Care Tip: Wax Your Bowstrings

While you may know that it’s important to wax your bowstrings, you might not know how important it is, how often it should be done, and why it has to be done. We’ll answer all of those questions and more.

Use the Right Wax

To get the most longevity out of your bowstrings, you must use a wax that is specifically designed to lubricate bowstrings. Other types of wax can be harmful to the strings and can actually wear them down faster.

Use the Right Waxing Process

Before you start waxing your strings, clean them with a bowstring cleaning agent. Once you’re ready, carefully rub your bowstring wax into the string with your bare fingers. You want to make sure the wax gets inside the string, so it can actually lubricate each fiber. To do this, pinch the string between your fingers and work a two-inch section back and forth until friction melts the wax. Then, you can move to another section and repeat until the entire string is waxed.Make sure that you don’t get any wax on the service areas of the string, as this can be harmful to the bow’s mechanics.

If you wax correctly, you should not need to wax your bowstrings more than a couple times per month.

Why Waxing is Important

Waxing accomplishes 3 major things:

• It prevents the individual fibers inside the bow string from fraying by keeping them from rubbing together.
• It strengthens the string as it keeps the strands bundled together.
• It keeps strings lubricated while keeping water out.

A bonus tip for you, while we’re on the topic of water: keep your bowstrings away from moisture and extreme temperature.

Some Last Thoughts on Bowstrings and Proper Care

If you keep all of the above in mind and care for your bowstrings properly, your bow will perform well for you, even if you’re shooting every day. However, make sure you get your bow checked by a professional every once in awhile to make sure everything is working properly and your care tactics are working. Additionally, you will probably want to replace your bowstrings about once per year. Other than that, all you need is proper care and you’ll be good to use your bow as often as you want, all year long.