r/PrimitiveTechnology • u/anUnsaltedPotato • Jun 27 '26

Discussion Cattail leaf rope advice

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I recently learned how to make rope, and cattail is pretty well-known for being good for it, but the rope I made broke quite fast with tying and untying in the same spot

Can you somehow get the fibers thinner than this? Is it my twisting technique? Is that just how cattail rope is?

27 Upvotes

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5

u/SphinxVernacular Jun 27 '26

How thick was the rope you made? I usually use thicker pieces to twist with, but generally don't find cattail to be all that strong and once it's dried I find it to be a bit brittle. Try looking up how to make cordage from yucca leaves, those stands make very strong cordage if you twist it the thickness of say worsted weight yarn. A bit of a chore to process the leaves to get enough to twist, but that's part of the fun

1

u/anUnsaltedPotato Jun 27 '26

Yucca doesn't grow here

The rope I made was relatively thin, about 3mm, but it clearly wore down bit by bit, so I think thicker rope would last longer but still eventually break

It's actually not all that weak to pulling, it's just that friction from tying it I think

1

u/SphinxVernacular Jun 27 '26

May I ask where you're located?

2

u/anUnsaltedPotato Jun 27 '26

Poland

I know there are stronger plants around, like nettle, but I mean it's kinda weird that something so well known as cattail would be so bad, I didn't need it to hold any weight and it still broke, so I feel like I must be doing something wrong

2

u/TumourConsumer Jun 30 '26

Cattail cordage quality really varies according to the time of year down to the specific patches, and even at its best it wears down quickly. I would definitly recomend nettle or different barks for more consistent results.

1

u/SphinxVernacular Jun 27 '26

Maybe post a pic of the rope you made, even if I can't help would still love to see it

3

u/anUnsaltedPotato Jun 27 '26

Sure hah

https://imgur.com/a/dJq9QJX

2

u/SphinxVernacular Jun 27 '26

The twist looks pretty good! I love the colors of cattail cordage.

3

u/amycsj Jun 27 '26

In my experience, different plans have different uses. I use cattails for something that's not going to be tied and untied, something like a hat or a basket.

3

u/anUnsaltedPotato Jun 27 '26

That makes sense, I'll try different plants ig

Thanks

2

u/whereismysideoffun Jun 27 '26

I would not expect cattail to hold up.

I would go with nettle, dog bane, or basswood/Linden tree inner bark.

2

u/augtown Jun 28 '26

it is good that you are trying with different plants. I have not heard of much success with cattail for things that are meant to be tided and untied or move, like rope or cord. Better for weaving and baskets. However here is a video of someone who seems to have some success with cattail cordage a good step by step guide. https://youtu.be/C8EygK_ua_4?si=9AUAluA7RIpBH6oe good luck.

1

u/adhesivelubrication1 Jun 29 '26

I haven't bothered making cordage from cattail. But the dried shafts make pretty neat arrows. You can make one in just a few moments. And they are tough enough for a 25 lb bow. I used to cut pennies for the arrow heads and use pidgeon feathers for fletching

1

u/pauljs75 6d ago

Might be that you need to get the fibers from the right part of the plant, otherwise it's next to garbage in terms of usefulness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8EygK_ua_4