Spruce root cordage

[Quixoticgeek]

I'm interested in having a play with spruce root cordage, but I've a couple of questions.

- How long does it stay flexible? If I was to harvest/split some this weekend would it still be flexible a week or 2 later?

- In one of the Ray Mears programs you see them boiling up spruce roots. Is this boiling up in a lye solution the same way you would willow bark cordage to keep it supple?

Cheers

J

 

[21st century pict]

I haven't tried rehydrating any , I have some coils hanging up in the woods , must be 5 years old now (I probably try it now but maybe in hot vegetable oil ) just chuck your new stuff it in a bucket of water, I'm sure it should work ok for a week or two.

 

[Robson Valley]

Pacific Northwest native kerf bent boxes are water-tight. The last corner is sewn together with spruce roots.
There are some nice examples of these in the totem pole "Great Room" of the UBC Museum of Anthropology.
I know 10 corners but could not see what was used in the examples on display.
It's a diagonal stitching which amazed me with its precision.

The recent Haida Repatriation Project brought home many hundreds of stolen skeletal remains from "museums" around the world.
The Haida took what we call bent-wood boxes for the remains of their ancestors.

The bottom-hole museum people eventually allowed the Haida to take their people home.

The roots were collected from landslide erosions. Yes, they can be allowed to dry.
The mechanism is the plastic nature of the wood components which are all along and around the wood cells.
Hot water and steam serve to melt(?) soften these pectic substances so that they can be cooled in a different service shape.

 

[Joe tahkahikew]

Keep it wet. Hot water makes it more flexible and easier to work. Spruce works best and you can get long lengths if you find a spruce with open ground around it where you can follow long lengths. It is stronger than most natural rope and is used for stiching up birch bark canoes and many other things.

 

[barbourdurham]

I'm interested in having a play with spruce root cordage, but I've a couple of questions.

- How long does it stay flexible? If I was to harvest/split some this weekend would it still be flexible a week or 2 later?

- In one of the Ray Mears programs you see them boiling up spruce roots. Is this boiling up in a lye solution the same way you would willow bark cordage to keep it supple?

Cheers

J

Did you try it? I'd be interested to see how it went.....

 

[spandit]

Thought I was trying to cut through electrical cable when digging near some willows the other day - it's amazing stuff