Stripping Bark for Walking Sticks

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blaze148

Joined
Oct 3, 2005
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Not being trained in this area, I've tried numerous approaches.I've used every type of knife, and tool I could think of. Based on the wood, I get different results.Is there an ideal edge, or particular knife or tool anyone can recommend?
I try not to use power tools at all.
 
When debarking wood for walking sticks, I STRONGLY prefer a stout knife with a convex grind. I normally use a Marbles Fieldcraft for this purpose, but have also used a number of other Marbles knives, a Blackjack Small, and a couple of convex ground knives from Bark River Knife and Tool. The convex grind just makes it easier to guide the knife along the wood, without accidentally biting in too far.

My late 1990's vintage Fieldcraft is relatively small for a fixed blade, but large enough for a walking stick. The guard is not large enough to hurt your forefinger, but large enough to prevent injury. The spine presents a nice fat target for baton work, if needed to get through knots. The grind is very thin near the edge, but the steel is strong enough to handle quite a bit of baton work.

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blaze148 said:
Is there an ideal edge, or particular knife or tool anyone can recommend?
Click to expand...

Yes, that is exactly what a draw knife is designed to do. These are chisel ground usually 15-25 degrees depending on the wood and they have a slight back bevel, just a few degrees to give easier control in the wood.

-Cliff
 
Thanks guys.
Buzz,
I will get myself a Marble ASAP.
Nice work on the sticks. I've actually been pondering ways to use leather wraps, and such. I think I need a braiding tutorial.

Cliff,
I've tried a few draw knives, but can't seem to get my technique right. I guess my blade set up has been wrong .I just seem to bite into the wood, and gouge it up.
 
Most draw knives are sharpened flat like chisels and what you describe is exactly what happens. The light back bevel prevents that. You can also turn the blade over and put the bevel side into the wood.

-Cliff
 
I don't know what kind of wood you are using, but a lot of green stuff up to about 3" is pretty easy to peel with your fingers. The small stuff seems to not have a very thick bark layer so I get another stick and smack it a couple times to get the bark loose and then strip it with my fingers.

I guess it all depends on the type of wood and how bad you want to use that new knife.

Ryan
 
Preface.... I'm just an amateur when it comes to making walking sticks, and this might be common knowledge, but I'll throw it out anyway...

Let the stick from the tree sapling dry / season for about a year of so. I've found that the bark peels away easily from a seasoned stick (my experience is solely with hickory sticks) leaving a very smooth finish. When I tried this with green sticks, the bark held tight to the wood under it and blemished the sltick when I tried to separate it from the wood. When the stick was dry, the bark peeled away easily without the need for any cutting (excpept for an initial cut) or scraping. Hope that makes sense.
 
In my practice I find any blade that's on the very thin side of the spectrum to work best. Small opinels and saks for example, which is one of the reasons I like them so much. They allow you to lay your knife nearly flat to the wood, which works well for this application.
 
Like a couple above have said, depending on wood used the bark should peel
fairly easy. Here in northern Ontario, poplar and pine staffs are easy to peel in
spring, mid summer after that a good soaking in water will loosen bark.
 
Unfortunately, I have never been lucky enough to have a peel away result. I get saplings from all over the West, and also from Upstate NY. I don't know enough to identify any of them?
I do ALWAYS let them dry out for up to a year. In most cases, I encounter multiple layers.It may be easy to remove a first layer, and then be faced with one or 2 more.Sometimes I just settle for the top one, and try to make it appealing.Often, I wind up with many knife marks. In a way, that becomes part of the appeal to the finished product.I also do a lot of sanding, but the knife marks stay to a certain degree.
Cliff, thanks for the upside down idea on the draw knife ???
 
Use a pressure washer (3000 psi) and an oscillating nozzle.

This method works great for most types of wood, however popular wood is a bit soft for this method.

I think you will be surprised as to how easy the bark comes off the wood.

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When green and the bark is thin and smooth, I have used a potato peeler to remove the bark. It helps if it is new and sharp.

Blessings,

Omar
 
I have been looking for a method to attach a 3" glass globe to the top of a carved snake walking cane and I think I am getting closer to a solution. I plan to use a material called "Magic Sculp" to attach the globe to the stick.

The glass globe has a flat spot on the bottom (used as a paper weight). I'm hoping to scar the bottom enought to attach to the walking cane using the "Magic Sculp".

Just curious if anyone has done something simular before.
 
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