Gut reaction: the worst job in history?

This is an extract from the article ’Gut strings: A strong stomach for strings’ that appeared in the February 2011 issue. To read the full article, click here

Although the term ‘catgut’ is commonly seen in connection with gut strings, guts from sheep and cows have most often been used, usually depending on the length and strength required in the finished product. Information about the making processes has been found in sources such as the Encyclopédie of Diderot and d’Alembert, and the business of gut string making was featured in the UK television series Worst Jobs in History.