Harvesting Hickory Bark

1865 Big Hill Road,Berea KY 40403

10 June, 2023

Description

Date(s): Saturday, June 10, 2023. 9 am until 5 pm. Class Title: Harvesting Hickory Bark Class Description: In this one-day class, we will harvest hickory bark from the Berea College forest. Weather permitting, we'll start the day with a visit to the woods to discuss good bark trees and safety considerations. Then we'll head back to the shop where we'll shave bark from a collection of hickory saplings. Bark is a traditional material for the woven-bottomed ladderback chairs commonly found within Appalachia. The bark, incredibly tough when dry yet flexible and pliable while still wet, is labor-intensive to collect. A smooth barked tree is felled before the crusty outer bark is shaved with the drawknife to reveal the light-colored inner bark. The inner bark is peeled and stored until use. Attendees will keep the bark they peel. This is a physical class, community-style class, working alongside a fellow craftsperson. We'll work together to strip the bark and divide the collected coils amonst our group. Please bring a water bottle and wear longer pants. We'll have cold drinks and sugar snacks on hand for a boost. Lunch provided. Required Tools: Drawknife. Utility knife. Work gloves. Tape measure Other supplies: Work cloths.