The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: lou13 on January 13, 2014, 07:29:29 pm
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All these years and i have still never opened a bag of feed properly. How is it actually done? :thinking: (the ones with string on the top!) I usually just use a knife! haha1 thanks, lou13
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LOL
Position self in front of bag, string on top.
Take knife, the usual blunt one that is hanging around, and going for the end that is nearest to the lable, hold the string and saw through.
Next pull the string and it should unravel, but it won't, so you then go to the other end of the sewn top od the bag and repeat the procedure with the knife. that won't work either.
So, swearing under your breath at consperises etc, return to the first end and pull the string and .......
Hey presto, you have a perfectly opened bag.
Which i insist on. OH never does it, says life is too short, but when he needs a bag to put stuff in it's my perfectly opened ones that he goes for. :-J
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Glad it's not just me, apart from the bags that are somewhere between paper and plastic that come from Tarff Valley, I can NEVER get the strings to pull. OH just seems to look at them and the strings unravel themselves, which is really annoying.
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Perfect description HG - I use loose Stanley blade so I am most likely to cut myself rather than the string but I too persevere even in the dark to open neatly as we use them for all sorts of rubbish. :innocent:
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Always worth persevering, I can't be doing with a messy bag to put weeds in!! OH always struggles, but I had lots of practice opening cattle feed bags as a child and find it sooo satisfying when the string unravels! Sad, I know, but it cheers me up on another wet day!
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to identify which end to pull from - its always the shortest cut of string. and when they are both the same length if the label is nearest to you then go left...
after that its the fiddly bit
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Oh, I didn't even realise the strings were supposed to unravel themselves - doh!
I've always just cut up the bags just beneath the seam with scissors - still leaves them useable - but then I've only dealt with my first ever feedbag a bit over a year ago!
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Brilliant description Herdygirl!
I had got to the point where I could always know which was the correct end to start - but that was just with one particular manufacturer's bags. The rule that worked for their bags does not work for others. ::)
Sometimes Tarff Valley's bags work, and sometimes they DO NOT :rant:
And I've only ever once managed to get the string to work on Carrs Masterrange Sow Rolls. But it's a plastic sack so you can tear the whole top bit off along the perforation formed by the string ;)
Oh, and dog biscuit sacks from pet shops and pet marts... Don't get me started! :furious: :censored:
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Can be bothered with all that fiddling unravelling string I just grab the string and yank 9 times out of 10 it rips the bag along the string line and the bag is ready for re use. Simpels,
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Can be bothered with all that fiddling unravelling string I just grab the string and yank 9 times out of 10 it rips the bag along the string line and the bag is ready for re use. Simpels,
lol, yep, simples for a big strong fella like yourself and my BH! Not so simples for weedy little arthriticy others ;) :-J
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Yep I used to be good at the brute strength thing but thanks it arthritis in my fingers I now can't do that at all, even gripping the string is a bit tricky so I have to use a knife and slit below the string line now.... :(
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It is so simple to unravel it neatly :innocent: , thereby leaving the whole bag available for gathering rubbish, instead of wasting the top inch which you have ripped off in your impatience.
Place the bag with the single line if stitching facing you, ie the side where the stitching looks like this:
-------------- not the side with a double line, a bit like this: =========.
Then go to the right hand side of the bag, look over the top and pull a single end thread from the double threaded side. Sometimes it will unravel imediately, but quite often you have to fiddle to free the end. It is actually done in a chain stitch so once you have freed the end and pulled, then the bag should open all along the top.
You can only pull the thread to open from the right hand end of the bag and starting from the side away from you , while holding the bag as described above.
Alright I know some of you will still rip it apart in your impatience! :rant: But trust me, sometimes with a bit of fiddling, sometimes without, this will always open the bag in a neat and orderly fashion. :sunshine:
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It is so simple to unravel it neatly :innocent: , thereby leaving the whole bag available for gathering rubbish, instead of wasting the top inch which you have ripped off in your impatience.
Place the bag with the single line if stitching facing you, ie the side where the stitching looks like this:
-------------- not the side with a double line, a bit like this: =========.
Then go to the right hand side of the bag, look over the top and pull a single end thread from the double threaded side. Sometimes it will unravel imediately, but quite often you have to fiddle to free the end. It is actually done in a chain stitch so once you have freed the end and pulled, then the bag should open all along the top.
You can only pull the thread to open from the right hand end of the bag and starting from the side away from you , while holding the bag as described above.
Alright I know some of you will still rip it apart in your impatience! :rant: But trust me, sometimes with a bit of fiddling, sometimes without, this will always open the bag in a neat and orderly fashion. :sunshine:
I wish I had know that before. I always used to be able to unzip the string easily, but these last few years it has totally defeated me. I just grab the top - string polythene and all and with a hefty pull it comes off like a perforated stamp, but I did resent losing the top bit of the bag. Mind you I had so many I left about 100 behind :eyelashes:
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I use the unravel the string bit :-
1 - because i hate the tops blowing away every time there is a bit of wind
2 - because I wrap up the string and use it to tie up the chrysanths and Dahlias
3 - because a complete bag is worth more at the car boot
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For single thread stitching
I look at the stitching, as said its a chain stitch, have the bag with the loops facing you, start at the end where the biggest part of the loop is, if you cut it next to the bag it saves it knotting up as you pull, because each loop needs to be drawn back through the top of the next loop, - I just like the challenge of getting it out in one piece :-). a bit like pulling knitting back.
Double thread stitching is samebut seems a bit more fiddly as you need to sort the threads first.
pity I opened a bag yesterday or I could have taken detailed photos ::) ::) ;D
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It they're plastic bags, I just take hold of the longest bit of string and PULL UP hard and the whole top bit with the string in it will just rip off leaving a nice clean edge.....takes 2 seconds :thumbsup:
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How to open a bag of feed:
Take hold of said string.
Wrap string around hand until circulation in hand stops and hand starts to turn white (it matters not from which end of bag - neither end will be long enough).
Pull with all your might.
As bag is still not opening really get your back into it and use all your weight to pull on aforementioned string.
Rejoice as you fall backwards onto your a*** holding sting and newly ripped top of bag.
Rub a*** whilst keeping one hand on spine.
Limp about distributing feed.
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3 - because a complete bag is worth more at the car boot
Car boot? ??? ?? You mean there are people who actually pay money for the things? ???
I mean - yes - the bags are very useful but paying for them? ??? ......blimey!!!
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A wee tip for those who are not so strong you could use a bit of wood and rap the string round it a few times and then yank away.
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I wouldn't bother yanking, life is too short. If the string won't unravel then out comes the pocket knife, that always leaves a nice neat finish, and helps vent any anger or frustration caused by the string :D
I'm glad I'm not the only one who suffers from bag opening hell. Thank you lou13 for posting this :).
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I take the easy route, keep a pair of scissors next to the feed, cut the top off and put in empty bag waiting for rubbish. With my eyesight I can hardly tell single stitch from double.
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Yep £1 for 10 and I always sell out, mind they are complete and clean
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I suppose the poor
sods souls in towns etc don't have the delights of having to open feed sacks, maybe they buy them for the challenge of opening the other end? :-J
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Well blow me down, llr, your way does actually work with the heretofore unopenable Carrs Sow Rolls! Thank you!
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Marriages used to have string sealed bags with a red strip. I used to find them easy to open and the rrrriiiippp was very satisfying.
They have now changed to rolling the top of the paper sack then sealing it with the outer paper layer. I find this much more difficult to open.
However, the bottom of the bag is stitched and if you touch it every so lightly THE ARSE FALLS OUT THE BOTTOM spreading your feed all over the floor. :rant: Bring back the rippy strip.
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Well blow me down, llr, your way does actually work with the heretofore unopenable Carrs Sow Rolls! Thank you!
Thanks for the feed back Sally. :sunshine: Glad you could understand my explanation! :thumbsup:
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Same here, when the huge dog bed arrived for Phoebe it was stitched in, Used your method and it unzipped a treat :thumbsup:
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I can't actually pull the strings on the feed sacks at all (not that I've tried that hard). It's the kind of motion that my arthritic hands just can't cope with anymore. We keep a mini swiss army knife next to the hay and feed bags and just neatly slice along the stitch line.
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Have a good close look at the chain and you will see immediately which way the loops are going to pull out. If you snip the string at one of the first few stitches on the single stitch side rather than by the edge of the bag and then pull it through you should have two free ends to pull simultaneously. Brands differ but if you always buy the same make then you can memorise which end to start from.
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I just grab the string and yank 9 times out of 10 it rips the bag along the string line and the bag is ready for re use.
Yep, my standard method too. Back up knife for other 1 time out of 10.