How to Make Strong Cordage from Bark (Survival Skill)

Brian makes cordage from bass bark. This forgotten craft is simple and easy and makes strong string or even rope. This is a great survival skill to have. In a pinch you could make a bow string or a fishing line from bass bark.
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Stockman Original is your guide through the lost arts and the forgotten crafts. Brian Stockman is a master carver with more than 50 years of experience carving all mediums from wood, to stone, horn, bone, ivory, and ice. He has a particular speciality as a scrimshander (one who does scrimshaw), carrying on the ancient art popularized by New England whalers. Brian has spent a lifetime gathering knowledge of lost arts and forgotten crafts, all of which he shares with you.
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[@shawnresor5565]

Should be teaching this kind of thing in all high schools.

[@StockmanOriginal]

Thanks Shawn, l agree!!

[@LogenKain]

I'm thinking "Wow, this guy really knows his stuff, shows it well, and without making annoying videos. Subscribed! I gotta get to learnin'.

[@StockmanOriginal]

Thank you so much Logen!!! Very happy to have you with us.

[@robharwood3538]

Awesome! Great demonstration! Amazing what we humans figured out how to do and make even just using some bark and a little handiwork!

[@StockmanOriginal]

Hey Rob, thanks for checking out our channel. Yeah, it’s amazing how much a piece of string elevated our position in this world.

[@sunnylove1008]

Wish I had someone to teach me this when I was a kid! Thanks for making these! 💕✨

[@StockmanOriginal]

@@sunnylove1008 Thank you Sunnylove, l’m so happy that you have found our channel. Welcome to the tribe!!

[@canucknancy4257]

That's very cool. I didn't know that bark could be spun and plied. I do that when I spin wool. Thanks for showing the technique. Give the pupper a scritch for me.

[@StockmanOriginal]

Hello Canuck Nancy42, I hope all is well with you. I’m glad you enjoyed this one, l like very much to learn what’s available to us from the natural world, it’s what got us where we are and we shouldn’t forget.

[@IorekBear92]

Thank you. Had some spare willow from a job, so I wanted to take some down to our local woodland community group and do a cordage making session, in Wales, UK.

[@StockmanOriginal]

That’s awesome Dan, it’s great to keep people engaged in the old ways!

[@CoolhandLuketheCarnivore]

Wonderful video of making bark cordage!

[@StockmanOriginal]

Thank you very much!

[@davedelany2116]

That was a nice surprise when I stopped for lunch and seen you had a video out 😁 love the tree falling 🤣lmao

[@brianstockman5764]

Hey Dave, l guess l’m lucky it didn’t land on me!😳

[@maryannhicks7829]

Thank you for sharing this cordage video

[@StockmanOriginal]

You’re welcome Maryann, thank you for checking us out!

[@russellsawyer5880]

Thank Brian from Alaska we here in southeast we have alder and yellow cedar and spruce to work with.

[@StockmanOriginal]

Hey Russell, thanks for watching our channel!! I’m carving a sign right now and l’m using yellow cedar! I had heard that it carves well and they weren’t kidding, very nice. But boy, by the time it gets to N.H. its very expensive. My wife and I have both lived in Alaska, though not at the same time, and we both love it. Someday we’ll be back to visit. Take care and thanks for your support.

[@JohnDoe-yg6ed]

How does this channel not have more subscribers, all of your stuff is gold 💯

[@StockmanOriginal]

Thank you John, we’ve been wondering that ourselves.

[@davidwhiren817]

@@StockmanOriginal They will come !!!

[@jeffreyfrango9746]

Great demonstration. Thank you

[@brianstockman5764]

Thank you for watching Jeffrey!

[@clydegray9714]

There's a yucca plant growing by a tree in my yard. Made some string/ cordage said to "looky here"! Fairly decent at it,says I. Bark dont separate as good. Noticed its strength though. Ill make a little comb, as you suggested. Ole crows are smart. They can tell if your worth two cents. You must be. I could tell. Residency in the Woods will pay off things are about to come unglued. We'll see ya.

[@StockmanOriginal]

Clyde, thank you for checking out our channel, we’re very happy to have you with us. Yucca is a strong fiber, around here we find it just as an ornamental but still nice to have it. I haven’t used it as a fiber yet but I do use it for a fire drill and it works really good for that. I appreciate your thoughts on crows, I feel blessed to have a family of ravens calling our neighborhood home, they help to keep the hawks in check ( I have a few chickens). I also share your thoughts on the current state of things so keep your powder dry and your head on swivel. Welcome to the tribe!

[@jsteelsadventureandvariety4545]

I must go track down a bass wood tree🙂my friend Willy says we have the odd one around these parts. An interesting process to both watch and learn Brian, great work buddy👍

[@brianstockman5764]

Thanks Janson! I would bet you do have them. They aren’t a dominant species here but they’re around. The wood is awesome to carve and the farther north the better the wood.

[@jsteelsadventureandvariety4545]

will keep my eyes peeled🙂

[@Sheepdog1314]

thank you !!

[@StockmanOriginal]

Thank you Sheepdog9!

[@StockmanOriginal]

Thanks for watching, friends! If you liked this video please check out some of our others! Like how to start a fire with flint and steel: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJ7aiqF6hJqYidk

[@edwardgomez5616]

I could hang out with you anytime, awesome video. 👌

[@StockmanOriginal]

Hey Edward, so happy to have you aboard!! Hanging out would be fun, as a matter of fact l’m thinking about doing classes in conjunction with our camp site we run, so you never know!👍🏼

[@edwardgomez5616]

@@StockmanOriginal sir, you should do that.

[@joncutt872]

Great video

[@StockmanOriginal]

Thank you Jonathan!!

[@Peter-od7op]

Ty for this vdo. I will have to check if northern va has these

[@brianstockman5764]

Hey Peter, l’m pretty sure it grows in your neck of the woods.

[@nimsywimsy3389]

Thanks Brian, love your videos, showing the looping process was incredibly helpful. 🤩

[@StockmanOriginal]

Thank you for checking us out nimsy wimsy, it means so much to us to have your support!

[@trulax6542]

Interesting,relaxing and fun to watch.Thanks Brian🤙

[@brianstockman5764]

Thanks Trulax, l appreciate that!

[@marksparkplug7758]

Thanks Brian, I have split alot of basswood and I'm amazed at the strength of the inner fibers , another species I've notice is Big tooth aspen fibers. Take care and have a great week.

[@StockmanOriginal]

Hey Mark, that’s interesting-big toothed aspen. I’m not familiar with that, but in New England we have eastern cotton wood which has large toothed leaves and when l find a dead one l collect the inner bark for tow to use for fire making with flint and steel.

[@brianmccarthy1029]

The Bob Ross of ancient arts.

[@StockmanOriginal]

🤣thanks for joining us Brian, we appreciate your support!

[@bertjacobson9550]

Just too say is red willow good source I have tried in the spring seams ok

[@StockmanOriginal]

I’m not sure we have red willow here, l’ve never tried it. If you have and it works that’s awesome. They call we who have an interest in primitive technology “experimental archaeologist” because we are the ones who test things to find out what works. It’s pretty cool because it’s like a rebirth of the human species, relearning what our ancestors figured out in much the same way.

[@snipeweedan]

Love making cord with bark rhubarb skin DRACENA leaves etc ... Love the process ... Hope you make more of these type of videos - really enjoyable thank you. Must see if basswood grows in Ireland

[@brianstockman5764]

Hey Angela, thank you. I had been meaning to do this one for a while and finally got to it. You might be looking for lyme or lime wood in lreland, it’s about the same thing as basswood.

[@brianstockman5764]

Angela, do you have milk weed over there? That has a beautiful fiber in the bark, but you have to rett it first.

[@snipeweedan]

@@brianstockman5764 will check that out- thanks for the info😍

[@cynthiadugan858]

❤️

[@brianstockman5764]

Thank you Cynthia!

[@rebeccabense6800]

Thank you for the re-fresher- you tought me how to make coradage....many years ago. I had forgotten! I seem to recall us using our leg? Did I make that up? Twisting one side of fiber between hand and leg? Also- I have heard that milkweed is a possible source for cordage? I know you have the bass wood. Any experience with Milkweed cordage? Love Ya!

[@StockmanOriginal]

Hey Rebecca, it was great to see you the other day! Yes you can prep the twist on your leg but you should still do the actual twist with your fingers unless you just want a loose quick twine. Milkweed has beautiful fiber in it’s bark, you have to wret it first though. That’s done by soaking it in water for a couple days so the bark starts to decay and the fibers can be slipped out cleanly.

[@rebeccabense6800]

@@StockmanOriginal Cool! It htink I will try it! harvest the stalks anytime?

[@ExpressionVessels]

👍

[@StockmanOriginal]

Thanks RNOADM TRACKS for checking us out!

[@snipeweedan]

Love making cord ... Please tell us about you beautiful ring?

[@StockmanOriginal]

Hello Angela, good to hear from you! Hope all is well with you in beautiful lreland. The ring you asked about is my wedding ring. I carved our rings out of wax and had a jeweler cast them, mine from rose gold and Beth’s from yellow gold. The design on mine is almost worn off ( l like stacking stones) but Beth’s still shows the celtic cats putting their heads together and bound by knot work around the band.

[@snipeweedan]

Thanks for sharing your story on your beautiful ring

[@Frank-zf9yl]

Will Willow work?

[@StockmanOriginal]

Hi Frank, no l don’t think willow would work but cedar does and milkweed and nettle do as well.

[@Frank-zf9yl]

@@StockmanOriginal thanks!