A Survival Item From Tree Bark? - The American Frontier

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[@the-chillian]

One thing we don't appreciate in these days of machine-made everything is how much labor went into even the simplest items before industrialization. Imagine having to sit there working for so long just to make what amounts to a piece of twine! No doubt you could buy a ball of spun twine in the towns, but even that took far more labor than we expect.

[@theviral5]

ChrisC I guess it would all boil down to time vs money. Some things just don't change!

[@the-chillian]

Yes, although by the 18th century their manufacture had become a regular specialized industry in England, and it wasn't that expensive to import them to the colonies. The old 17th century practice of burning down a building you were abandoning to recover the nails -- these structures were poorly built and weren't intended to be permanent in the first place -- didn't actually last very long.

[@Agamemnon2]

It's easy to underestimate how massive a change the industrial revolution really was. It's only until you start to consider how hard it was to make something used every day that the miraculousness of a giant steam powered machine doing it quicker and in massive volume becomes apparent. Of course, with industry came a large-scale move away from craftsman jobs into industrial jobs, not necessarily an improvement for the working man and woman.

[@lovecats6856]

Makes me think of Oscar from Corner Gas excited about scrounging a piece of twine

[@MannequinMG]

They had simple machines that could twist rope by cranking it though, so rope for ships could be made much faster.

[@johnlamarca9439]

Makes people appreciate that twine and rope you just go buy in the hardware store.

[@CraftQueenJr]

John La Marca tried making yuca string once. I got three feet I couldn’t rip. Took three hours.

[@MountainGuerrilla]

all the new stuf is made by machine, actually in this era there would have been hand crank devices for making cordage out of vegetable matter.

[@wereyouaking]

Protip when cutting spiral cordage, stab the knife into the stump and hold the sheet with 2 hands.

[@VoxNerdula]

Also if you don't want to splice then feed the ropes to a dog. It will all come out as one piece when you pull it out the other end. I find it highly likely our forefathers knew about this.

[@daveyboy647]

@@VoxNerdula lol?

[@theMightyWhytey]

@@daveyboy647 yes. Certainly lol. Your ancestors would not have approved this method but they would certainly laugh (assuming they ever wasted their time by watching ther pooch poop)

[@Tsiri09]

This guy is a magnificent teacher! What he teaches could save someone's life. I love watching these videos!

[@Seventy4days]

i feel like if there was an apocalypse this channel is going to be something that we wished we all watched sooner

[@Lady_Jewels]

Except, in the apocalypse, there won't be electricity or KZbin. Start practicing now, or buy a book.

[@jre-1337]

The purpose of the channel is twofold: historical information, and future information.

[@rageface-blt7008]

Makes me wonder how valuable books would be In a apocalypse.

[@waynewatters9283]

It is also a bunch of fun, especially if your grandson claims to his friends that his grandpa is an expert at bushcraft because he lived it as a young boy in KY and then a little in the Army. What am I to do? I watch videos and teach him what we both are learning. I don't know where he got the idea, probably his father.

[@MrEmiosk]

@@Lady_Jewels It was kinda Ray's point, stating that we'd all wished we'd watched these videos while we still could've.

[@frankieb9444]

Next video: How to handle your neighbor when they catch you taking bark from their tree.

[@Your-Least-Favorite-Stranger]

If the cordage is already made you're halfway there :D

[@whoodunit1789]

@@Your-Least-Favorite-Stranger LMAO, that's bad 🤦

[@trevorpetersen9118]

CHEESE IT!

[@uncleruckus3930]

@@Your-Least-Favorite-Stranger A good old fashioned lynching

[@Gottaculat]

For those who missed it, yes, he said, "brain tan." You actually smush up the animal's brain into a paste that is used in a tanning process. The brain contains the tannins needed for preserving the hide. Grizzly, I know, but tanning is a dirty job, no matter how you go about it.

[@lovecats6856]

In England they used urine

[@carptone2056]

@@lovecats6856 I think id prefer the brains

[@janinedear-barlow]

@@lovecats6856 and Israel in Bible times. That's why they were unclean.

[@maxwellbuhler8493]

john was just determined to break all the cord haha

[@vrardis524]

Love videos like this! Especially the bark cordage, such a useful skill. With the hide, you don't need to cut it in a circle - you can use the shape the scrap is in, wet the strip and leave it to hang dry. It will naturally straighten out.

[@JusBidniss]

Yes, I was just thinking the same thing! Nothing magic about the circle shape in terms of the strength of the leather, since it's all going to have a 'short' side and 'long, ruffled' side anyway, so might as well not waste it cutting a circle. Also, holding both the leather and knife is a bit awkward. Seems an easier way would be to drive the knife into the stump, and use both hands to control the leather, being able to slide it up and down the blade while stretched between the hands, and maintain a more even width, dodging imperfections in the leather, etc.

[@kathywolf4558]

The thin roots of coniferous (pine, spruce) trees work well for cordage and basket weaving.

[@copperbear8310]

When splicing in another section, I usually take the "tail end" of the piece that I'm adding and splice it into the second leg of my cordage. The new strand ties the two old strands together and you don't have a tag end sticking out from your cord.

[@gardenlady1293]

Awesome job guys! I am a spinner/weaver so enjoy any fiber arts information!

[@CharlotteHenleyBabb]

At the Jamesdown Native American village, they showed us how to make short cordage from grass...same idea.

[@ToqTheWise]

"Ya see how it looks almost like a cantaloupe?" ...no.

[@gabrielcaballero4817]

Cordage from trees? Now that's extremely useful and convenient!

[@janinedear-barlow]

Nettles can be made into cordage as well.

[@wildlifewarrior2670]

@The Bee Guy you can also make soap out of yucca plants

[@randywatson8347]

That is so awesome. I can imagine back in the days they have many things to do for prep. My dad used to do a double by taking a cordarge, apply some saliva and rub/twist it between his lap and palm of his hand.

[@mrslocalvore5265]

Synthusiast that's called " thigh roling" I just learned how to do this with dried nettle stalks. You Dad obviously knows what's up ☺👍

[@randallhawkinson4727]

Very well done, Gentleman. At "the Park" in Monterey, we teach the 4th graders the importance of rope, its many uses and how it's made. Being Mexican California (1830) we use Sissal as was typical back then. Unfortunately, we only have 25 minutes for all this; so, so use pre-made, two stand Sissal twine to eventually make a 12 stand rope they get to keep. I am the only volunteer that explains "cordage" to them. At 9 and 10 years of age, they're not going to care; but I believe 30 seconds demonstrating this pays off in their eventual appreciation of their day with us. Until watching this video, I was self taught. Thanks to you both, I wasn't too far off! Another keeper for my video file and personal growth.

[@phirewerk]

Red Hibiscus Tropical plant very very very strong when corded.

[@phirewerk]

also makes tea.

[@anonymousbosch9265]

I’m partial to nettles

[@Saku19]

Jamaica is where it's at.

[@lovecats6856]

Also high in antioxidents

[@josephcukjati728]

I Imagine that the first person engineering the mechanization of this process, as trivial as it is by modern standards, must have been incredibly wealthy given how time consuming this seems.

[@kfmoses4580]

This is exactly the sort of thing I was hoping to see one day when I started following you for the cooking videos. Thanks!

[@aislinngraves4291]

brilliant. In the desert, you can do the same thing with yucca fiber or cedar bark.

[@catsaresharp5781]

im rather late i just Said that only not yakka Forgot the plant name Got poked A LOT

[@CraftQueenJr]

I’ve tried both. Cedar was a bit too dry. Yuca fivers are really short so you have to splice a bunch.

[@hipsterypunkery]

"What did he use for rope?" "Human hair...from my back"

[@ragebash13]

I understood that reference!

[@lescobar195]

@@ragebash13 So did I.

[@bozzskaggs112]

"Human hair...from my back". That's what SHE said!

[@Gottaculat]

Makes you truly appreciate a good spool of Dacron.

[@JusBidniss]

I love the idea of the two-ply reverse-wrap technique for making primitive cordage, for a couple of its properties: First, by twisting in one direction and wrapping in the other, the opposing twists/wraps push against each other, holding the cordage together and preventing it from unraveling. Second, if you imagine a given length of bark getting twisted/wrapped into a piece of cordage that ends up being 1/4 the length of the original bark, that means the resulting cordage is 4 times stronger than the bark fiber was initially, because you're packing all that original length into a shorter final length, yet not losing any of the tensile strength of the original, just compacting it. He also was a bit vague in the beginning on the reason for the offset versus twisting in the middle, but it's because you don't want your 'add-on' splices lining up in the same spot, weakening the cordage in that spot. You always want to keep these splices a few inches apart as you add each new piece. And he's right about the muscle memory -- if you have enough raw materials on hand, before you know it, you've twisted up several feet of the stuff. An excellent demo of the skill!

[@mrnobody89]

This is great. If one needed stronger cordage and had time, one could made several lengths of these and plait them together. A 4-strand plait is pretty simple and makes round, thicker and stronger cordage. One could even splice these lines together while plaitting to make a longer rope.

[@pammentzer3584]

Wow! This makes me so grateful for things like my shoe laces!

[@b.m.hm.j.h3310]

my question is, how do you deal with the ends for optimal security, how do I tie it off and make sure it doesn't come undone?

[@roseyknows2637]

DAMMMMM that little bushcraft knife must be super sharp. It went through that pelt like it was nothing.

[@gaslightstudiosrebooted3432]

Great job, great miniseries! Thanks Jon!

[@MissGroves]

That's very similar to straw work cord. You twist the one on the right twice, swap it under or over the left hand thread which becomes the right hand side ready for the next two twists

[@MajorGenralDizz]

I am a huge fan of Dan. Awesome to see these two together.

[@kaidenrigg3683]

I am absolutely loving this new series! When I open a package from Jas Townsend and Son it’s like Christmas all over again.

[@candiedginger8729]

Many weeds can be used for cordage as well, milk weed and nettle come to mind. You can also use this twist and wrap method in your hair to create 2 strand braids.

[@michaelagius6814]

Love this video series from Townsends. Did anyone else have trouble following the instructions with this video? Wish they had picture and picture with a constant view of the cordage making.

[@darel470]

I really like the idea behind this, I love Dan's channel! And this channel is awesome as well, great partnership!

[@Ascham1]

Two of the best YT channels out there. Another great episode.

[@jasonmorello1374]

A technique I know of for leather cord/stripping is a spiral pull. Place a the disk started like he did, against the knife blade pushed tip into a wood base, so that as you tug the leather, it pulls the body of the leather to the wood, and cuts the strip. with practice, you can pull the whole strip fairly quickly and very evenly from the disk to the very center. a second blade or a spaced peg helps a lot to do this fast.

[@LeginNoslen]

Can you recommend a filling porridge for when you forage for cordage?

[@southernwanderer7912]

I know you didn't ask me this question, but I recommend Kasha (roasted buckwheat).

[@jenniferikelman5516]

I see what you did there. Don't forget you can add some borage (edible blue flower) to the top of your filling porridge, while you forage for bark to make cordage.

[@southernwanderer7912]

Right. And any fruit you find along the way as well, such as blackberries.

[@PersonaRandomNumbers]

If you have leftovers, you might need cordage forage porridge storage!

[@KazakhToon]

Jennifer Ikelman quite the homage to the famous borage porage there. Excellent when you need to forage for cordage for portage and such... like.

[@edieboudreau9637]

Really enjoy these segments. Thank you both.

[@verdatum]

Nice! I have a quarter acre of tulip poplar (and hickory). It's nice to find instructions for making cordage with something easy to find! I love videos like this. Keep up the great work!

[@janinedear-barlow]

Sally pointer does videos on making cordage from nettles.

[@yarnyknots]

I'm so excited about this series! Thanks Townsends!

[@pyro3446]

the west coast tribes used cedar, lasts longer and you can keep bugs out with the water you have to soak it in

[@christopherreynolds4506]

I actually was having a bad day. I noticed a bunch of earplug lanyards lying around at work and thought, " Could I weave these into a rope?" So I looked up this video and tried it. It worked and was very relaxing, to learn a new a new skill.

[@prehistoricliving]

This is one of your best videos yet. Very informative, fun to watch, great job!

[@cetyl2626]

Dan's knowledge here really shines, it's just overflowing.

[@christopherellis2663]

I think that this might be one of the original skills that makes us human, along with working wood and stone, followed by fire making.

[@vertigo0331]

This is the coolest channel I never knew I wanted! Great job. I've been marathoning your videos and I've written pages of notes

[@sky.the.infinite]

COALCRACKER BUSHCRAFT! Love that you guys featured Dan! Can’t believe I’m only just now finding these gems!

[@blakedavis4802]

A stronger more durable, uniform cordage can be made by folding the fibers in half. Reverse wrap. As the materials start to thin, take some more fibers, double them and blend in. Repeat. The problem with the 1/3-2/3s method here is the “lump” that forms in the splice. If you try to use it for a bow drill, that’s the first place it breaks. If you keep each length equal, and blend in, than you can control the uniformity of the cordage. Plus the addition of new material is more durable and stronger.

[@thegalli]

Really enjoying this series so far team, thanks so much!

[@vaylonkenadell]

I'm really enjoying this series so far. Great stuff!

[@bobriemersma]

Watching the hide-string part of this I kept thinking "Wow, how handy a modern sharp pair of scissors would have been back then. That one tool could almost make a person into a factory on the frontier." But I'm sure with experience sharp speciality knives of the time period for leatherwork did much the same thing.

[@trishoconnor2169]

I always take a pair of scissors camping, even though if necessary my hunting knife will do anything the scissors will do. There's something to be said for "modern" tools!

[@randybugger3006]

I twist cordage the other direction. Twist away, roll it back. Cedar bark makes really soft cordage. 3 ply is the same technique but each strand has to maintain its position in the orde. An easy way to practice is to use 3 different colors of fiber.

[@SluggerStark]

I am loving this series and learning lots! Great collaboration! 👍✌

[@markcaselius5993]

Really enjoying this new series. Lots of good info packed into very enjoyable settings.

[@TheWheatHead84]

That is very interesting and useful. Thanks for sharing such great knowledge.

[@tieember9596]

Wow..trees vie for dominance..I never really thought about it, but even plants are trying to "one-up" each other..

[@wynnkidsnannylorivance4111]

I loved this one! Great real life application of information. Thank you so much!

[@5argetech56]

1775.. The First Frontier. 2775.. The Final Frontier.

[@Lady_Jewels]

Make it so

[@Gabe1_TM]

2019: Alaska the last Frontier.

[@Deilais]

These videos are really awesome and interesting, can't wait to see more

[@kenjett2434]

My new favorite video this is a great skill to learn. I remember learning this when i was a young boy. I used the skill for fishing making trot lines and bank lines.

[@robcharters2645]

I love this guy,I wish Canadian shows where less concerned with bs propaganda and simply focused on good practical skills like this guy does

[@phillipcroyle]

Great knowledge video, very well done you two.

[@karl7108]

Thank You for another valuable set of instructions gentlemen. Sincere regards.

[@lostbelowthefold4199]

Wow! This is the same process I use to do what is called two strand twisting in my Daughter's hair. I guess some skills transfer over.

[@captaincoolness55]

This is a very important skill to learn, as some form of cordage goes into every part of bushcraft. From trapping food, to making clothing, shelter, and tools, there is always a type of binding or tying involved. I once used green tree bark from a branch that had broke in the wind a few hours before to make a 3 or 4 foot long cord. I took an old tin can from a can of corn, and put the bark strips into it, filled it with water and put that on the stove to boil. Once cool, i used the same method of twisting he did, and tied a knot at the end to hold it. Then i wrapped it loosely around my wrist. It dried like that, and everywhere i went, people saw it and were amazed. They asked what it was made of, how i made it, and once they knew how, it blew their mind. They didn't believe how strong the cord was until i had them pull on it. Skills like this not only are fascinating, but could possibly save lives. I'm very glad you have decided to show these skills. Things like this should never be a forgotten skill. Thank you for sharing! :)

[@adamburdt8794]

This is hand down the best guest. Very informative, with cool real life skills for surviving and even flourishing in the wild. Not just in dats of old. You can use these modern day

[@Aethelvlad]

These two make such an amazing duo

[@robsadler5605]

Amazing video! I'm very much looking forward to this series!

[@edithiepeal]

I like when he does videos with this guy.

[@thebardisashieldmaiden1754]

I love these informative videos. Something I can add to my reenactments and survival tactics. Thanks.

[@mikeokeefe2014]

The look when he broke the skin strip....lthanks...bud..just test its strength

[@markatkinson9963]

Thanks for bringing these old skills to your channel. I will definitely check out Dan's channel. I enjoyed this emesly.

[@richmikesell7166]

A very useful skill indeed! Thanks so much for posting this video!

[@8626John]

Cedar bark and spruce roots were used in the Pacific Northwest.

[@HaphazardHomestead]

There are so many great plants out there, just waiting to be appreciated! This is a great series!

[@fernandonavia8804]

The circular strip was trully genius, what a teacher!

[@tomdrake9121]

Great series, hopefully it will produce many more videos!

[@righteousviking]

This was incredible, thanks so much guys!

[@mikebrooka9395]

Mulberry bark is great for this. Branches approaching one inch need to have outer bark whipped off, usually over the naked green branches. What makes mulberry a great tree to use is that it grows back super fast and you almost can not kill them. The branches 1-2 inch are work but you can use the dried wood as a strong light weight structure timber... Such as kittys, lean to's, etc. On drag kittys, use oak or compatible woods for the drag feet. Fruit woods provide similar results in a survival situation but don't cut off the hand that feeds you or others that may pass by. I hope this helps some one with survival, hobby, sustainable resources, camping, or just teaching kiddos something they can make or craft. Take care from Oklahoma, Mike and Vee

[@mkivy]

I admire ur talent and information obtained from experience and education....thank u all...

[@southernwanderer7912]

Very good information. You can use pine tree roots to make cordage as well, either single strand or twisted, depending on what you need it for and how strong it needs to be. I hope you'll make more of this type of video.

[@RicaRoseHopeful_Voluntarist]

Awesome, thank you Townsends!

[@mark1952able]

This all makes sense to me........

[@mrgamerlion9591]

@mark1952able you are weird

[@cavemantrees7829]

Love the video, ☺. Poplar trees make really great walking sticks. 🌲

[@yuktithegreat5390]

Thanks for introducing this man to us! Love your channel nd now his too!!

[@BanZandar]

Bush Craft is still a major practice used by many Wilderness survivalist and campers the world over. There are still many schools that teach these crafts.

[@EndingTimes0]

Whip making uses the same leather strip making technique. You also soak the leather then stretch it out while it dries to get more length and so its not as stretchy.

[@ryngak]

This is exactly the kind of stuff that I love to obsess over. Odds are I'm never going to need to make cordage out of the bark of a tulip poplar, but just the knowledge of how it is/was done is fascinating.

[@andylundberg2932]

I am really digging these collaboration videos!

[@pixelcook4124]

ive always loved the skill of making cordage so thanks so much on making a video on it! ~Luke

[@sallison6013]

Thank you Dan! The circle thing is so cool!

[@skeetsoldier]

Great video! More of this, please!

[@JeffGloverArts]

Great stuff! Please continue!

[@miriamcooper1320]

Hemp is very good for cordage as well.

[@garyhamiltoniii1215]

Damn Mr coalcracker bushcraft himself. Another great video man keep them up. Special guests are awesome

[@darksidemachining]

In Boy Scouts we would sink a K Bar into a stump or log so that it presented a rigid vertical blade. We would then pull the leather through the stationary blade to create uniform strips of cordage rather than holding the knife in the hand and slicing through the leather.

[@ThePremiumChicken]

I really love the idea of cutting a circle to make long cordage. It's brilliant!

[@seamus6387]

Nice video! This also tells you one thing after you spend some time making cordage. Mainly that when all cordage and rope was made like this that you just didn't cut a rope without thinking like we do now. It was too much work to make the stuff to waste it like we do now.

[@MrBigCookieCrumble]

So simple, yet so amazing.

[@PhilLove1]

Wow that spiral cut is genius

[@dwaynewladyka577]

Very informative video. Thanks for sharing.