Talk:Catgut

Etymology
The word kit does not come into common usage until a long time after cat lines are refered to. "Cat" being an abbreviation of the place from which the best gut string ropes were manufactured. Plain gut strings are used by strings players playing historical instruments (rebec, vielle, viol, violin). It only really diminished its use on violins after the 1960s and the introduction of synthetic core strings by Thomastik Dominant. --Barryspearce (talk) 19:59, 28 May 2015 (UTC) --- "Catgut formerly was also used for stringing racquets". Actually, it's still used today, though rare. Some top tennis players use Babolat VS, for example... Jebba 23:46, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

I thought catgut was actually made from tendons? Wouldn't that be tougher material?

Gross! Sinew is made from tendons. Veritas (talk) 19:48, 20 October 2008 (UTC)

Not used for sutures
Catgut isn't used for sutures anymore, to the best of my knowledge - they are virtually all synthetic, with silk being used occasionally. The reference given dates from 1944 (added 16:05, 14 May 2009 by 86.165.85.222)
 * Not so sure about that... googling "gut sutures" returns plenty of hits, such as this one. __Just plain Bill (talk) 20:57, 14 May 2009 (UTC)

Process particulars?
The first step in processing the intestine is ___ ? Cutting in strips? Boiling? How is fat removed? What tissue makes the end product? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.96.23.7 (talk) 04:23, 27 September 2010 (UTC)

Redundancy?
The article says that the intestines are soaked in alkaline lye. If you click on the link for lye, you find that lye is alkaline. I'd take the redundant word out myself, but I was wondering if there's a good reason for using it.JDZeff (talk) 19:12, 31 October 2011 (UTC)


 * Yes you're right. I've adjusted the wording. 86.7.30.217 (talk) 20:52, 27 January 2012 (UTC)

Guitar reference
The attribution of steel string development to the Martin company is inaccurate, despite various print sources making this claim. Martin was a very important force in the evolution of fretted instruments (though selling only a fraction of Lyon & Healy's total output), and so they certainly played a role. But the change in the Martin line from gut to steel strings, though an important trend reflecting popular demand, was not due to a Martin innovation. Steel strings had been used on fretted instruments as early as the 18th century, as can be seen in more thorough historical sources (cf. Tony Bacon, George Gruhn). — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.53.76.153 (talk) 22:07, 1 August 2016 (UTC)

Etymology (2)
No evidence given for a Welsh origin for 'kit'. Authority cited makes no such claim 217.43.164.249 (talk) 11:48, 12 January 2023 (UTC)