Many thanks again for the replies gentlemen.
Sockrablur: When I cut small diameter buckthorn, (1.5" - 4" saplings), I just seal the ends with glue, leave the bark on and let them season/dry until ready to use them, usually several months to a year or more. The bark will then come off easily with a draw knife and the stringy inner bark can then be removed with a scraper to reveal your bows back. I've tried roughing out the belly right away on freshly cut saplings and ended up with seriously deep checks on the belly. I've also tried removing the bark right away on staves cut in the spring and sealing the back instantly and had about a 50/50 success rate with that method. For me anyway just sealing the ends of the stave and leaving the bark on has worked best. With larger diameter buckthorn I will split after it has sat in whole log form for a month or more and lost some of the moisture. Hope this is helpful.
