"Good Material for Scratchbuilding Reed Boats?" Topic

I'm getting ready to scratch build some reed boats, like you see on this page:

link

I presumed that when the time came I'd think of something clever to build them out of, but nothing has come to me and anyway, why reinvent the wheel? Anyone got any ideas? Or things you tried that didn't work?

Thanks in advance!

Plastic broom bristles?

copper wire?

Depending on what scale you´re after, I´d try Plumbers hemp
or baling twine (the Sisal type of twine, not the synthetic stuff). Both materials being "reed coloured" would save painting… or…shape modelling clay into the Basic shape and scratch the reed pattern into it?

Actually, after looking them up..(some of them have faces woven onto them – crushevil.co.uk/blog/?p=767) you´ve given me an idea – Thanks :-)

Sculpy? make the shape and then use a tool such as a wire brush to carve out the "reeds"

Grass, of course, or wheat stalks.

If they still have them, the bamboo mats that folks use at the beach.

Air dry modeling clay to sculpt the shape then press sisal twine into it for texture

I'd say balsafoam or something simular. The reed texture could be painted in with a split brush and a light hand.

For the base model at scale, it looks like three tapered clay snakes (air dry, Resin clay, sculpey, etc.), and then press appropriately woven cloth in for texture. Cure, drybrush it into submission, and put it on the table.