Monday, February 4, 2013

Got Baling Twine?


Monday February 4 2013

Baling twine (known as binder twine back in the day) was developed as a replacement for wire for tying bundles of reaped grain together in the late 1870's. A manilla fiber was used early on; in the 1930's sisal was the primary twine. That was eventually replaced by hemp fiber, then paper twine. In the 1960's, polypropylene twine was developed.

The quality of the polypropylene twine improved in 1977 and eventually became the rage it is now. It's simply good stuff for baling hay, and just about any other thing you might need in a pinch. Which is a good thing, since any farm or ranch that feeds hay will have an overabundance of baling twine. The stuff piles up, reproduces, and grows, no matter your best intentions of cleaning it up.

Which is a good thing. It's the best thing since sliced bread. I never ride without a knife and baling twine in my saddlebags.

You can hold most anything together with baling twine, like a falling-down tree, broken tack, or fencing.


You can tie a quick bowline,


make a loop,


slip it over a horse's neck (as Stormy happily demonstrates here),


take a twist and slip it over the nose,


and you've got a quick halter


with which to lead a horse.


As fashionable accoutrements it can be used as a pony tail band, or suspenders, or, if you can't find, say, your Tevis buckle and belt, you can use it for a belt that any hip designer would envy. (Remember Elly May Clampett? An early fashion Maven!)


If you were Batman or Robin, you could use it to climb up the side of a building.

It can be used as a saw to break open baling-twined bales of hay (took me 10 years on the racetrack to learn this one!) just as easy as a knife. It's often used as a fireplace fire-starter.

Even birds get in on the act, and use it in nests - check out osprey nests, or oriole nests in your cottonwood trees.


The Kyneton Agricultural Show in Australia has an Ag Art Exhibition and Competition featuring Farm Art and Baling Twine as Art.

I think they're on the right track. I turned some of our twine into a woven rug that's guaranteed to scrape the mud off my boots and last forever.


















I am belatedly adding a P.S. to this story, which my bird biologist friend Karen pointed out: while Ospreys seem to like decorating their nests with baling twine, it can be deadly for them, when they get entangled in it.

I got hooked on a live bald eagle cam one year and we all watched in horror as one of the 3 babies ('Tiny', the youngest one who got picked on) got his feet hopelessly entangled in orange baling twine in the nest. Unbelievably, we all watched as his mean older sibling untangled and removed the string from his feet, and he survived. 




20 comments:

  1. Love the rug! I've done all the things you mentioned except for the rug! I was thinking of a braided rug for years and years. My cousin braided a huge firewood basket with the hemp that they used to use in England. The strands were thicker then! How did you make the warp? Oh those long winter nights,eh?

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  2. Hmmm I am a big Baler Twine Fan, but I've never seen a mat made out if it before. You've got me thinking now. Very dangerous, thinking.

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  3. That is hilarious! I LOVE IT!! Now I want to make one too. You are super crafty!!

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  4. Right there with you on the knife and baling twine pocket contents. I've never used twine as a tourniquet, but it's another possibility, if the need arose.

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  5. I really like the Elly May Clampett look! ha,ha! We have used baling twine for just about everything I can imagine. Works great to tie down tarps, ect. We have used it as a temporary stirrup leather when one of ours broke on a ride. If you would like to make more of those cool rugs -and sell them-we sure could use one in our LQ horse trailer.

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  6. Tom braided some into a headstall. I like the rug idea.

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  7. when i was a kid, we braided, then weaved a hammock out of binder twine. it lasted for years. :)

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  8. All great uses. I love the rug. Would never have thought of that one. Looks like a lot of work but it came out beautiful.

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  9. I love this post!!!!!!!! Gotta remember about the Tevis buckle too, but if I can't find it I would die.......

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  10. I braided a holder for a jolly ball to hang between stalls and use it to clip my crossties on in the barn.

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  11. It's the best stuff I've found for S & M encounters too. Also, you can use it to tie your kids to a tree when you play cowboys and indians. Great stuff!

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  12. Efectivamente Merri, las cuerdas de las pacas de paja y heno son magnificas para todo tipo de arreglos en las cuadras y el campo, también para llevar los caballos cuando no encuentras las cabezadas.
    Pero una advertencia, hay que tener mucho cuidado, cuando enlazamos a un caballo con estas cuerdas, tu conoce a un amigo en común, cordobes para más señas, ganador de un Al-Andalus, que de un tirón de su caballo llevándolo con un pedazo de estas cuerdas, le amputo una falange de un dedo de la mano.
    Así que mucho cuidado con las cuerdas, es mejor hacer una buena trenza con un conjunto de cuerdas y este ronzal es irrompible.
    Que sigas con tus arreglos con las cuerdas de pacas.
    Mi abuelo lo arreglaba todo con estas cuerdas y yo cuando arreglo las vallas u otra cualquier cosa, me acuerdo de mi abuelo.
    Saludos de Gabriel.
    http://ggjineteraid.blogspot.com/

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  13. Works a treat to repair horse blanket buckles and such too. I've tied a few sheets and blankets together in a pinch.

    The rug is a great idea. Never would have thought of that.

    Baling twine is right up there with WD40 and duct tape!

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  14. I am going to go add a P.S. to this article which my bird biologist friend Karen pointed out: while Ospreys seem to like decorating their nests with baling twine, it can be deadly for them, when they get entangled in it. I got hooked on a live bald eagle cam one year and we all watched in horror as one of the 3 babies ('Tiny', the youngest one who got picked on) got his feet hopelessly entangled in orange baling twine in the nest. Unbelievably, we all watched as his mean older sibling untangled and removed the string from his feet, and he survived.

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  15. I don't have baling twine, and yet I'm thinking how it might be braided and sewn into a good outdoor mat.

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  16. Ditto what everyone said about the rug! I have shared this with a crafty creative friend of mine. She will be impressed too! I love baling twine...use it for everything...except rugs. YET! Ha ha!

    I am so glad that mean eagle sibling got the twine off Tiny's little feet. Whew!

    Karen and Tripp

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  17. It's also useful for repairing electric fence as it doesn't conduct.

    I've heard it called 'farmer's friend' in Europe.

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  18. Anyone looking to purchase any bailing twine??

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    Replies
    1. The Equestrian VagabondJanuary 25, 2024 at 2:56 PM

      I've got it coming out my ears here :)

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