I'm not sure it has anything to do with truth, more opinion than anything else. I happen to disagree with a fair amount of what you've said.

I think anyone can make a string if that is what they want to do. Time is money if it's a business, but not if it's a hobby. I'm speaking to the hunter, not someone in the archery business. Stringmaking isn't torture, it's enjoyable, especially for do-it-yourselfers.

Here's how I learned:

I spent a few days reading the absolute tons of existing info about it in forums and on websites. There are volumes written by some very experienced stringmakers. I also bought Larry Wise's video on making them.

I have a friend who is a machinist and he made me a very good jig. I made my first string 4-5 years ago. It didn't turn out that bad. It was for a single cam and is still in use today. I sold the bow to a guy who doesn't shoot more than 6-8 weeks a year and he's too cheap to buy a new one, in spite of my recommendations. There was some serving separation in the end serving on the cam side, and the center serving has been replaced. It was only a single color and the end knots were a bit bulky, making a rather bland if not ugly string, however it has had virtually no creep. A peep would probably not be stable, but I don't use one and neither does the new owner.

Anyone who couldn't make a string that was servicable for longer than 2-3 weeks on their very first attempt, missed some part of the basic instructions. It's really quite easy. By my third string, I was proud enough of the cosmetic quality to show them to experienced archers. It took a few more strings to get some things down pat, and to this day I still learn some new techniques and tips that make stringmaking a bit easier or quicker, but not better.

As for speed, there are lots of little techniques for getting more speed out of string. You can use a lighter/stronger mateial, fewer strands, shorter servings, smaller diameter servings, or material with more stretch. I've even read where making them under greater tension made for a faster string, but I have my doubts on that one. I've read about a few other things that don't come to mind right now, but that's because a bit more speed is never somthing I care about, so I haven't engrained those things in my mind. If it's important to a person making their own strings, they'll remember it when they read about it.

Will a guy be the best after a few strings? - Heck no, but he should be able to construct a stable string that will last a minimum of a year. And if a serving fails, he'll have to knowledge to fix it, on the spot. I started out by making quite a few strings for friends and eventually got to the point where I taught several local guys how to make them. They all made very serviceable strings right from the beginning. One of them now has a local part-time business making strings for many of the area shops.

As for cost, I once figured it at about $8.00 for a 100" string. I accumulated many color over time and it wasn't expensive. When I made a string for a friend, I told him that I would charge him $10 for my labor and I would put it towards new materials, so I could have more options when making future strings. Brownell also makes many tri-color string materials that make very nice strings for a very low investment. I think I made back my initial investment by the third string I made. It may take others a bit longer if they buy an expensive jig or want many different string colors. Still, in my opinion, it's worth it.

Over the years, I've read posts from many guys who made their own strings, and never once did I see someone express regret and decide to quit because they couldn't make a good one. If they quit, it was because of time. Virtually every post you read from a hobbyist stringmaker tells how satisfied they are with the strings they produce and how they love making them. This is a good testament that almost anyone can do this successfully and without a lot of aggrevation.

This is my experience, and it seems to differ greatly from yours. That doesn't make it wrong or untrue - just different. Let those interested in making their own, decide what to do. I'm certainly not going to discourage them or make it sound difficult or expensive when I don't believe that to be the case.