hornbeam wiring

Is it just me being a dyspraxic clumsy oaf, or are these tricky blighters? I acquired a shohin a few months ago and did a wee bit of wiring on it and snapped a couple of branches - nowt major though. I ended up using raffia to protect the wood - possibly overkill, but I'd rather err on the side of caution as my budget is limited and I can't afford to replace things I've mangled.

Hornbeam wood is VERY hard (often used for shuttles by weavers). Hard wood often breaks before it bends. They also have smooth bark. Both are good reasons for using something like raffia. (I've never found that raffia does a heckuva lot to prevent breaks, though. You need tape for that and even that doesn't work all the time.) It is much better to bend a little this week, a little more next week, etc.

When I can, I prefer tie downs over wire.