Middle Earth Ranger Forum

I'm hoping someone in the north woods can help me out with this request.
My attempts to contract with a history-craftsman buddy to procure materials for a 'honey-horn' seem to have fallen through, when I happened across this handy little tutorial (Jon's bushcraft site is an excellent resource for everyone here, if you haven't checked it out before.
So I'm thinking about making a couple of these containers for crystallized honey, tea-brewing herbs, &c.


Unfortunately, my stock of high-quality birchbark suitable for this kind of crafting is severely limited. I have bags and bags of smaller pieces to be cooked into birch-oil, but no more wide strips for making containers...and my original source (offgrid with no phone, in Michigan's U.P.) is pretty impossible to contact.

Anyone up North who can help hook me up with some sturdy, wide, white birch bark? I'm fine with $, or barter if you're interested.
Thanks!

Wow that is one resourceful young man! I spent a while going through his site and was very impressed! Some interesting projects there.
I grabbed his shavehorse pdf and will most likely put one together during the warmer months when I have less to do. Let me know if you find a good source for birch bark it is as scarce as hen's teeth down here too. I had a stand of them in my yard on Long Island and it was very easy to come by up there.

I can't help but want to try this project, and seal the result with pitch and beeswax to make a drinking vessel. Unfortunately, I don't have the easiest access to birch bark, either.

Udwin - I just ran across this post. Are you still looking for birchbark? We've got a number of birch on our property - I can keep an eye out for you.
Does this need "deep" bark (such that it would girdle the tree?)
Or are the sheets that peel off good enough?

And I somehow just ran across your reply today, Elleth! Don't know how I missed it. I definitely don't want you girdling any live trees just for craft materials! Bark from downed trees is fine; I'm more concerned with finding some solid strips that are both thick (1-2mm) and long (19" at least).

Oh good! I know there's at least one growing into our road that will need to come down in the next couple years, so girdling wouldn't be *as* big a deal there - but I'd just as soon put that off until we're ready to drop it.

I'll be out in the woods in the next several weeks planting some walnut and holly, so I'll bring along the tools for harvesting as well and keep an eye out when I'm there.