Birch Bark

[mrcairney]

This is going to sound like an odd request...

Where do you get your birch bark from? I'd like to make some sheaths for my woodworkers but I've never really seen any silver bark thats in decent nick. Birch is my primary 'must find' tree for loads of reasons but the bark is always pretty poor. There isn't a right lot of birch in my area either.

There's two CRACKING examples of himalayan paper birch near me, but they're in the the car park of a care home and I won't be stealing any.

So I guess my question is am I just unlucky with my bark or is UK birch just not the same as our scandinavian or US counterparts?

 

[Toddy]

We do find useable bark, but mostly our climate just isn't cold enough to produce thick enough bark in big enough pieces without splits.
Warm, moist, temperate, maritime climate........it's the island thing

You can buy bark from Canada/America, but you might barter ? I find most of mine from fallen trees. The inside timber rots out but the bark tube remains sound. It peels and scrapes up fine
For sheaths you can always basket weave thin strips to shape

cheers,
Toddy

 

[mrcairney]

Thanks Toddy, I'll have a look around the only place there are birches at the weekend and report back.

 

[Toddy]

Something to use as a sort of kedge (don't know the English for that) I mean a thin lever wedge to help peel, is awfully useful
I like an old fashioned table knife, myself It just helps lift the bark without tearing it. My little archaeology trowel's useful for it too
It lets me edge under 'sticking' bits and helps me to get a much bigger bit of bark.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[mrcairney]

Should I be taking it down to the wood of the tree? From memory, most of the birch is fallen where I'm going to have a look but it's pretty mossy and split. You can see some here...

 

[Toddy]

Take it down as deep as the reddish layer on fallen stuff, if you can, it can be hard work. That'll scrape off and leave you the sound bark. Moss dries and scrapes clean away

Those fungi are useful too worth taking some of them too.

For birch tar even badly fissured bark works.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[shaggystu]

Something to use as a sort of kedge (don't know the English for that) I mean a thin lever wedge to help peel, is awfully useful ......

we call them spuds around here toddy, don't know whether or not that's regional though, we do talk some rubbish in derbyshire

stuart

 

[Toddy]

I had Derbyshire friends we regularly confused each other

I think the regional variations in our language enrich the whole thing

Spuds are tatties though



cheers,
M

 

[robin wood]

tetra packs (plastic coated cardboard milk or orange juice cartons) cut into strips are great for anything you would do with birch bark, not as earthy looking but I think they are cool recycling.

 

[shaggystu]

I had Derbyshire friends we regularly confused each other

I think the regional variations in our language enrich the whole thing

Spuds are tatties though



cheers,
M

i agree entirely, spuds are taters, but they're also wooden wedges that you use for taking bark off, doesn't make much sense to me either

i agree about the confusion with scots too, i had friends up in stirling years ago, we baffled one another regularly.

stuart

 

[mrcairney]

Right. Now what?



Hope I got enough. I've seen Del's tutorial on how to make the sheaths, but should I clean it? Dry it first? Hope you like my polypore, Mary

 

[mrcairney]

The result!

It's a bit rough, but I like it. I worked out that you have the inside of the bark facing outermost.

 

[the interceptor boy]

hi Steve, been looking at your birch bark sheath, but I can't see the pictures properly. how easy / difficult is it to make one. cheers the interceptor boy.

 

[mrcairney]

Very easy. That was my first and only attempt. Try these pics:



Here's how to do it: http://www.pinewoodforge.com/sheath.making.html

This post also might be of interest: http://torjusgaaren.blogspot.com/2006/12/birch-bark-sheath.html