Bark Strips for Chair Seats

My friend and neighbor Purl has been going crazy over repairing and making chairs for the last few years.  He's still learning a lot, but he has quite a bit to teach.  Some of us gathered around a fallen tree to see how to gather bark strips to weave a chair seat.



Wren scrapes away outer bark with a draw knife while Purl stars a new strip with hatchet and mallet.



The inner bark peels away in a long continuous strip.



If there aren't any twigs or knots in the way to break the grain, you can get a very long strip!



Wren coils the bark for storage.  This roll will fit neatly in a five gallon bucket for soaking when we are ready to weave.



An example of a finished seat, on a chair frame of Purl's own making.

Purl is obsessed with making and learning about chairs, so I'm sure I'll be featuring him again soon.