Retting ??????

[Dingleberry]

Hey all,  I was wondering if anyone has experience retting inner hickory bark fibers.  This is my first go at it, and have had the fibers soaking for over a month (with frequent water changes) and still haven't noticed any seperating.  What timeframe do other fibers typically take to breakdown?  Any good advice/techniques would be great.  Thanks

[Hillbilly]

Most times I've tried retting bark, I just wind up with really stinky, slimy fibers. I think temperature of the water makes a difference. I retted some basswood in a stagnant pond/ditch/mosquito breeding facility once, and it came out good, except it smelled like the unadulterated fumes of hell. Forever. With hickory, I usually just scrape the outer bark off with a knife and pull the inner bark apart into fibers by hand.

[Dingleberry]

Thanks Steve,  Based on your descriptions of smells and touch, I think we may have the same batch.   I refuse to give up even if I drive off the neighbors; hey, now theres an idear!

[cracker]

Thanks Steve,  Based on your descriptions of smells and touch, I think we may have the same batch.   I refuse to give up even if I drive off the neighbors; hey, now theres an idear!

HeyDingleberry let me know how it works on neighbors been trying to get rid of mine for years.
R.C.

[sailordad]

heck if it works ya think i could clear a city block with it,then i could make a serious shooting range

[Hartung]

Jonathan, I’m just about retting wych elm bast fibres. The bast is still on the outer bark and has been drying for more than a year because I didn’t have the time.

I put the bark in a small stream which is very convenient because thus you always have fresh water around the bast and you get rid of the slime that is generated if you put the bast in a pond instead.

The bark that I’ve sunk is of different thickness. I’ve checked the less thick ones last Sunday after three weeks in the water. Although they separated ok, I would have prefered to let them in the water for another one or two week. On the thicker bark, the bast was still firmly attached and I suppose to leave them at least two months in the water. But I have read somewhere that up to three month for freshly collected bark/bast is ok too.

I don’t know anything about hickory bast fibers but if they are of the same quality as linden or elm bast fibers I would leave them in the water for at least two months and up to two months and check them every two weeks.

Elm bast after 3 weeks of retting



Elm bast collected from very fresh elm bark (pulled off the bark)

[Dingleberry]

Cracker and Sailordad, I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks Hartung for the detailed description.  I'll hang in there longer and see how it goes.  Nice harvest.

[Pamunkey]

I think the method Hillybilly suggests is the easiest.  I retted some hickory bark I stripped from a bowstave, and it took over a month for the inner bark to start separating from the outer bark.  It didn't smell too bad, though, because I changed the water fairly frequently (could explain why it took so long to rett).  Folks who use hickory inner bark for chair seats usually take the outer bark off with a drawknife, then strip the inner bark.

Will