Hello

I have a large piece of Birch wood that I would like to take the bark of to use in a flyrod handel.
But should I dry the log before I try to harvest the bark?

Best regards
Martin

Martin,

I have read in some natural history book on the local Ojibwa here that they would peel their birch bark from live trees for canoes. Also an old pulp cutter told me that they would peel their logs with an axe before the wood got too dry. Bark peeled off of green wood can be dried flat with some weight. If you take the bark off seasoned wood the bark fibers will tend to make the bark curl and more difficult to cut rings. Then you would have to steam the bark to lay flat. I have never built a birch bark handle. Seems like an excellent idea.

Good Luck

Craig

The earlier you can get it off the log the better. It is then more flexible then it will be later, which makes it easier to flaten out for cutting the rings.

Thanks, I will strip the log as soon as posible.

I don't know much abour Birch bark, but this is what I do know. Most definately get it off the log as soon as possible. Bark is most easily harvested in the spring. I think it has to do with the time of year that they harvest the sap to make birch syrup. And for whatever reason birch bark seems to come off easier on humid days or that is when I have had the most luck. The type of birch tree that your taking it off of matters. The whitest of the birch trees see to come off easiest. I have tried Silver & Gray and it becomes frustrating. I always have a utility knife, and a few cheap spatula's when I try to harvest some birch. Slice it with the knife, then us the spatula to seperate the bark from the tree. This is going to trash the spatula so don't take mama's best spatula. Stop and buy a few on your way to the tree.

Have fun and keep us posted what you make with the bark.

Having peeled Cascara many many years ago when I was a kid, I learned you need to peel the bark off during the growing season when the sap is moving up the Cambium layer (that area between the wood and the bark). This allows you, once you get an edge of bark, to almost slide your hand under the edge to peel it off. If you wait until it is dry or in the dormant season, the bark is stuck pretty hard on the wood.

I agree. Getting wood off the tree is best in the spring, or at minimum as soon as possible. The second part may be a bit off topic, but Kirk's post made me remember this tool.

As a kid I peeled cascara bark. Slickest way that we had, was to take a 6-8" long bar of metal about 1 1/4" wide. First was to put it in a vice and bend the first 2" of the bar to roughly a 30 (prying head) degree angle. Next grind the angled top down to an edge as sharp as a butter knife. Final thing was to make a notch on one side of the pry head, and file that to a cutting edge. We called it a Bark Spud and it really allowed us to skin the trees, and remove large sheets of bark for drying.

This tool is an all in one and can last a lifetime So it removes all temptation of borrowing mama's toys.

I read this article a few years ago in Rod Maker magazine. I have not tried a birch bark handle as of yet.

I guess I missed the whole idea. I remember back thinking you only used the thin part of the bark as it peeled up off of the trunk. Then you had to press it for a while until it layed flat and then cut it and glued it all together and turn on a lathe.

Did I miss read or are you talking about a different type handle?

It`s tuff getting old.


Bill

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio

[www.rodbuilding.org]

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Thanks Scott, I was wrong again. I also found the article in Rod Maker Vol. 9 issue 2.

Other interseting items in this issue Terry Henson had a beautiful feather inlay and Bill Stevens was being himself with the swampland chicken. lol

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio