Saami water tight, birch bark baskets.

[torjusg]

The Saami, from what I have heard did weave (yes, weave, not sew) baskets that could hold water. Although it is possible to find good, sewable birch-bark in Scandinavia, the bark is mostly a little too thin and brittle to be good. Probably due to the relatively mild climate.

Especially at lower elevations, knowing how to weave this way would greatly increase available materials for cooking pots and similar.

Have anyone heard of this or is this a lost skill?

Torjus Gaaren

 

[Toddy]

I have made twined baskets from pineroots that can be used to boilwater if they're pitch lined inside or never allowed to dry out. It's also possible to make baskets from rushes that will hold water as they swell a bit when wet. They do seep, and you have to watch that they don't go mouldy, but I think of them as "use and dispose" types. Heeat using pot boilers. Scirpus lacustris is the stuff if you can get it. Now called Schoenoplectrus lacustris
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Scirpus+lacustris
it grows in our lochs and slow moving rivers, likes oxbow bends too.

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Viking]

It´s far fro ma forgetten skill but you will probably have to go pretty far up north to find birch bark that is thick enough. I have handmade piece that is for sugar and coffe, not tried to see if it´s waterproof but that would not surprise me.

They are often made of two layers of bitch bark one outer and one inner layer. There are many diffrent patterns to weave it all together, try a search on the internet and you will probably fins more info or makers of these things.

 

[Tor helge]

It´s far fro ma forgetten skill but you will probably have to go pretty far up north to find birch bark that is thick enough. I have handmade piece that is for sugar and coffe, not tried to see if it´s waterproof but that would not surprise me.

They are often made of two layers of bitch bark one outer and one inner layer. There are many diffrent patterns to weave it all together, try a search on the internet and you will probably fins more info or makers of these things.

Do you mean a box like this.

This way of using bark isn`t just used by the saami.
I even think Otzi had a box made of bark. Possibly assembled like this?

Tor

 

[torjusg]

Thank you very much for your replies. I am not sure if these methods are what I am looking for. But they may very well be, historical records tend to be generalizing on such details.

Viking, I have seen double weaved birch bark, but never tight enough to hold water. Maybe one can use common weaving, just being very precise.

There is good enough birch bark around here as well, but not of the quality found in Siberia and North America. At a high enough altitude I can find quite good bark.

I guess I have to try different things and see what works best.

Torjus Gaaren

 

[Viking]

Do you mean a box like this.

This way of using bark isn`t just used by the saami.
I even think Otzi had a box made of bark. Possibly assembled like this?

Tor

Looks about the same, just that the one I got is weaved together a bit diffrently. You could probably use resin to make it more watertight.

 

[Viking]

Found a picture of mine, as you can see it has a very tight fit