Frequently Asked Questions

String materials can be split into two different groups: pure and blended.

The main component present in both is a high modulus polyethylene (HMPE), the most known of which is Dyneema. The various grades of HMPE creates differences in the overall elasticity and overall diameter of the strand itself. The HMPE fibre is extremely strong and lightweight making it ideal for bowstrings

Blended strings mix HMPE with Vectran, formed from a liquid crystal polymer which has extremely high resistance to heat and virtually no creep or stretch. The advantage of using a blended string is that is gives a lot more stability on bracing height/cam timing etc. particularly on heavier weights. However, blended strings do tend to be slower than pure HMPE and do not have the longevity of a pure string.

In our opinion… no.

There are some theories regarding left handed strings and these generally relate to the direction of the twists; whether it raises or lowers the nocking point when the fingers come off the string. The effect of this is barely measurable and not as important as ensuring the direction of the twists in the string follows the direction of the twists in the material of the strands. Our tests have shown twists in the string opposing the twists in the strand direction leads to more creep and stretch.

For recurves it’s recommended to have between half a twist and three-quarters of a twist per inch of string.

Our strings sit in the middle of this recommendation, for example, on a 68” string, you can adjust eight twists easily in each direction if required.

For compounds, the strings will be made to factory measurements so very little adjustment should be necessary. We do not recommend adjusting more than 4 twists in either direction on the main string.

Unless you are 100% sure of what you’re doing then we wouldn’t recommend installation. You should have it installed by one of our authorised merchants.

We always recommend waxing your string with a soft silicon-based wax. Waxing the string provides a protective seal against moisture in the air. By using a soft silicon-based wax, this helps to penetrate the string and lubricate the fibres inside. This helps to prolong the life of the string and keeps shooting more consistent in wet conditions.

When removing your recurve string from your limbs, take care not to lose twists and use the hairgrip which comes with our strings and fits in our tubes perfectly.

Between manufacturers and models of nock there are differences in the diameter of the groove of the nock. And although the difference may only be 0.001”, it makes a massive difference when it comes to getting the perfect nock fit.

Perfect nock fit is when there is no free play with the string within the groove of the nock. There should be very little resistance from the nock when twisting the string within it.

Firstly, it’s important to know the difference between stretch and creep.

Creep is an irrecoverable elongation of the string, whereas stretch is a recoverable elongation, otherwise described as elasticity.

Creep is removed from the string by our machines which pre-tensions the string in excess of 400lb of pressure. What remains after this process is the natural elasticity of the fibre itself (stretch). A small amount of stretch is reasonably essential for Recurve bows as it minimises the shock that goes into the bow.

The amount of stretch in the string varies depending on the material and the number of strands. The more strands a string has, the more the tension is distributed.

Blended strings with a higher Vectran ratio will have less creep. This is because the weight required to stretch Vectran exceeds the weight of the bow.

Material stretch lowest to highest:

454
X-99
452X
BCY-X
Fury
Mercury
8125
Fastflight Plus
Dacron
*This is based on a 68” AMO bow string suitable for 32lb measured after 20 secs at 100lb of tension.

For the most accurate measurement, the best way is to hang one end of the string on a hook or nail and measure from tip to tip, pulled as tight as possible.

If you require your centre serving to be in a different place from standard (standard location is: 4” above and 4” below centre) please measure the start and finish point of the centre serving in relation to the tip of the top loop.

All strings start their lives as white and dye is applied to create all other colours. The quality of string is the same no matter the colour.

Differences do occur in strand diameter due to the waxing of the string after the dye has been applied. Luckily for Reign customers, we buy all of our materials in a specific wax content to minimise any potential difference.

Your string will be at its most efficient for its first 10-12,000 shots, but treated carefully can perform well for 20-30,000 shots

For example, if you shoot three times per week and look after your string, it should shoot well for approximately 12-18 months.

So, look after your string and your string will look after you.

The number of strands is dependent on the material itself, the draw weight and to a degree the draw length for recurve bows.

On recurve products on our web shop, we have given a guide for strand count for the different materials.

For compound bows, the string and cables need to be a specific diameter to fit the cam track, so it needs a certain number of strands to achieve this fit.