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Oak Tanbark Peeled in Spring, Dried and Ground
Oak bark is the tanner's bark of Europe. It was peeled from coppiced oaks 15 to 30 years old in May and June, when the rising sap lets it come away, dried, and ground to a coarse powder for the tan pit.
The picture: peeling a coppice oak with the bark spoon (Alwin Geimer, CC BY-SA 3.0).
Beginner
A day to peel, weeks to dry
Instructions
1
1
Cut in sap time
Cut in sap time
In May or June, once the sap has begun to rise, cut the lower branches off a coppice oak stem and ring the bark at about head height.
Materials for this step:
Oak Coppice Poles1 pieceTools needed:
Axe
Leather Work Gloves2
2
Slit and peel
Slit and peel
Slit the bark lengthwise two or three times with a short knife, then lever it off in long strips with the bark spud. Fell the stem and peel the rest. Beat thin branches with a hammer on a stone to loosen their bark.
Tools needed:
Knife
Bark SpudAxe
Hammer
Flat Stone SlabLeather Work Gloves3
3
Dry
Dry
Stand the strips to dry in the wood for some days, then bring them home and finish drying under cover. Tie the dry bark in bundles. This is dried oak bark.
Tools needed:
Tarpaulin Sheet
Twine for Bundling4
4
Grind
Grind
Chop the dry bark small with the hatchet on a block, then pound it with the mallet on a stone to a coarse powder (a bark mill does this at scale). Keep it dry in sacks.
Tools needed:
Hatchet
Wooden MalletFlat Stone Slab
Jute SackLeather Work Gloves5
5
Bark for your hides
Bark for your hides
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Materials
1- 1 piecePlaceholder
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