Bow Accessories

Bowstrings & Cables

Strings and cables wear out and directly affect tune and safety. These articles cover materials, measuring and ordering a string, brace height, silencers, and routine care.

Close-up of a compound bow cam with the bowstring and cables running around it — Photo: StromBer

Bowstrings & Cables articles (15)

Wooden bowstring serving tool holding a spool of dark serving thread, with the thread running out through a slot in the base

Gear

How Long Do Bow Strings Last? When to Replace Them

How long do bow strings last? What Hoyt, Bear and string makers recommend, how storage affects strings, signs of wear, and when to replace string and cables.

October 19, 2026 · 10 min read

Diagram of a bowstring showing the bare strand sections to wax in green and the centre serving, end servings and loops to keep free of wax in red, with three steps: apply, rub in, wipe off excess

Training

Bowstring Wax: Why, How Often and Does It Go Bad?

How to wax a bowstring, how often makers recommend it, why you should keep wax off the serving, what string wax is made of, and whether bowstring wax goes bad.

October 19, 2026 · 9 min read

Top-view diagram of a crossbow with six numbered maintenance points: rail, string and cables, limbs, serving and trigger, scope mounts and cocking device

Gear

Crossbow Maintenance: A Complete Checklist

A crossbow maintenance checklist: pre-shoot inspection, waxing string and cables, rail lube, checking bolts and screws, storage and string replacement.

October 16, 2026 · 9 min read

Close-up of an archer at full draw with a compound bow, the string touching the face at the anchor point

Gear

Kisser Button and Peep Sight: What They Do, Where They Go

Kisser buttons and peep sights explained: what each does, where they go, how to install and tie in a peep, fixing peep rotation, and kisser vs nose button.

October 9, 2026 · 8 min read

A two-colour Flemish twist bowstring in brown and white, with twisted end loops at each end and a dark centre serving

Gear

Flemish Twist vs Endless Loop Bowstrings

Flemish twist bow string or endless loop? How each is built, what makers say about speed and loop protection, and how to twist a string to set brace height.

October 3, 2026 · 4 min read

Simplified side view of a compound bow showing string silencers on the string between the cams and grip, a string stop rod from the riser with a rubber tip at the string, and limb dampeners on the upper and lower limbs, with notes on each

Gear

String Silencers and Limb Dampeners Explained

Bow string silencers, string stops and limb dampeners: what each does, where it fits, which need a bow press, and what maker claims do and don't prove.

September 28, 2026 · 5 min read

Diagram: white-tailed deer have two cone types peaking near 450 to 460 nm and 537 nm plus rods near 497 nm, with no cone at the red end; maker data shows fluorescent string colours up to 12% larger in diameter (BCY), 8125 diameters from .070 to .087 in and some colours up to 24% heavier (OCD Strings); no independent tests found on colour and speed, deer reactions or fading

Gear

Does Bowstring Colour Matter?

Does bow string color matter for hunting or accuracy? What deer vision research shows, what string makers measured about dyes, and how to choose a colour.

September 12, 2026 · 4 min read

Simplified four-step diagram of stringing a longbow with a stringer: seat the bottom loop and slide the top loop down the upper limb, fit the pocket on the lower tip and the saddle behind the top loop, stand on the cord and lift the grip while sliding the loop into its nock, then check both loops are seated and measure brace height, with brace height guidance from Bear, Black Widow and 3Rivers

Training

How to String a Longbow Safely

How to string a longbow or other traditional bow with a stringer: fitting the pocket and saddle, seating both loops, checking brace height and unstringing.

July 7, 2026 · 4 min read

Simplified diagram of a bowstring with a bow square resting on the arrow rest and a nock point set above square, beside a crimped brass nock set and a tied thread nock point with the arrow nock below each

Training

How to Install Brass and Tied Nock Points

Recurve bow nocking point height and how to fit one: find square with a bow square, crimp a brass nock set or tie one on, then fine-tune by shooting.

Updated October 8, 2026 · 5 min read

Simplified diagram of three kinds of bowstring wear: light fuzz on the strands marked watch (wax and inspect), a cut or broken strand marked stop (replace the string), and a gap in the serving marked pro shop, with quotes from 60X Custom Strings, BCY Fibers and Hoyt

Gear

Can You Repair a Frayed Bowstring?

Can you repair a frayed bow string? What Hoyt, BCY, Mathews and 60X say about fuzz, broken strands and serving gaps, and why a damaged string is replaced.

April 2, 2026 · 4 min read

Chart of crossbow string and cable replacement guidance by maker: TenPoint every 2 years; Ravin 2 years or 400 shots (200 for R18 and R500); CenterPoint 2 years or 400 shots; Barnett at least 100 shots, often several hundred; Mission about 200 to 500 shots; plus warning signs that mean stop and see a dealer

Gear

When to Replace a Crossbow String and Cables

When to replace crossbow strings and cables: what TenPoint, Ravin, CenterPoint and Barnett recommend, how to spot serving wear, and why it's a press job.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 4 min read

Compound bow string with a peep sight tied into the strands, the sight and riser beside it and a target in the background

Training

How to Install and Tie In a Peep Sight

How to install a peep sight on a compound bow: why you need a bow press, setting peep height, splitting strands, serving it in and checking alignment.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 5 min read

Simplified diagram of two bow stringer types on a recurve held horizontally: a double-pocket stringer with a large pocket on the lower limb tip and a small pocket on the upper tip, and a pocket-and-saddle stringer whose saddle grips the upper limb just behind the string loop, with a checklist to inspect the cord, stitching, saddle and fit before each use

Gear

Bow Stringers: Types and Why You Need One

What a recurve bow stringer does, double-pocket vs pocket-and-saddle types, longbow fit, why makers warn against step-through stringing, and what to inspect.

July 19, 2025 · 4 min read

Simplified diagram comparing a bowstring change on a recurve, where a stringer with a pocket on the lower tip and a saddle on the upper limb lets the archer stand on the cord and lift the riser, with a compound in a limb-tip bow press that flexes both limbs so the string and cables go slack, with Bear, Hoyt and Mathews guidance

Training

Changing a Bowstring: When You Need a Press

Changing a bow string without a press works on recurves and longbows with a stringer. Most compounds need a maker-approved press. Here's how to tell.

June 23, 2025 · 5 min read

A girl aiming a beginner recurve bow with a blue riser

Training

How to String and Unstring a Recurve Bow Safely

How to string and unstring a recurve bow with a stringer, why step-through stringing twists limbs, post-stringing checks, brace height and string care.

Updated February 1, 2025 · 8 min read

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