WANTED Birch bark sheets

[Tengu]

Expanding my writing system portfolio; Birch bark.

Used in Novrogod. (Look up Onfimm for a charming example)

I could get some myself...but I dont live in Birch country.

Could one of you further north find me a handful of sheets...respectable sized, not too many marks, like you might use for your letters?

I have various items to swap, leather bits, beeswax, small pouches etc

This will be used in my Archival handling box soits going to a worthy cause.

 

[Robson Valley]

It might be to your advantage to try to identify the particular birch species of interest.

There are some 50 species, about 12 of which are native to Canada.
Of those, 8 or so are tree size (some little ones are quite shrubby).
Maybe 2 or 3(?) would be useful for writing.
I expect, then, that you will have quite a variety of species to select from.
Some far better than the others.

Your European birch (Betula pendula) might be big enough to be adequate,
B. utilis (Himalayan birch) is used in India as a substitute for paper.
I have no references to its distribution westward.
B. papyrifera is the North America species so flexible and multi purpose.
Its artistic value is in the ancient craft of "birch bark biting" = very elaborate artistic patterns and designs.

 

[Tengu]

Ah.

The archaelogical sources say BIRCH.

No species.

I would say European silver birch,or downy birch.

Not paper birch as that is New world.

You are correct that the Buddhists used Himalayan birch...<sighs>

 

[Toddy]

You'll be lucky to get writing paper sized pieces here that are good enough to split for what you're after Tengu.

I know I stripped off some of the inner layers and used them for note writing in one of my boxes, but they weren't 'sheets', iimmc.

Happy to burrow in the shed and find you some bits, but it won't be anything like the quality that is obtained from Scandinavia, Russia or Canada.

M

 

[Broch]

I may be a able to get you a few A5 size pieces from a fallen birch in our wood - I'll check the quality when I go down (it's blowing a gale and pouring at the moment).
As Toddy said though, it's hard to find quality pieces on Silver Birch.

 

[jimbo75]

I can get you large pieces of paper birch if you want any?

 

[Tengu]

PMs sent.

Yes, I need quite a few esoteric bits for my projects....some I can find, I am making the wax tablet and stylus, and others I think I will ask you lot for since like me you accumulate some interesting kit.

I am making plenty of wee leather poucches for trade goods.

 

[Zingmo]

As others have said I struggle to get decent sized bits of birch bark, so I cant really help.
But I would like to say thank you for introducing me to Onfim. Not many 7 year-olds have their artwork on display after 700 years!

Z