How to Remove Wood Fibers From a Tree to Make Cordage

As human societies have progressed and evolved with technology, primitive skills -- once common knowledge to man -- have largely been lost to time. Making tools, clothing and many other items needed for daily life was once done by hand with available materials foraged from the land. Cordage was need for a variety of uses and was traditionally made from many items such as trees, plants, hide and sinew. Methods for making cordage varied between cultures, but gathering the material was predominantly a universal process. Gathering wood fibers from trees to make cordage can still be done in the traditional way.

Things You'll Need

  • Axe or saw
  • Knife
  • Water
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Instructions

    • 1

      Locate trees with noticeably supple bark. Such trees that were traditionally used to make cordage are basswood, young pine, alder, birch, willow and spruce.

    • 2

      Cut a branch off of the tree using an axe or saw. You can use the bark from the trunk, but this can cause the tree to develop disease and die.

    • 3

      Strip the bark off of the tree branch using a sharp knife. Cut the bark into thin, long strips.

    • 4

      Soak the bark in a bowl of water for 24 hours. Peel the interior, soft, fibrous layer away from the outer, hard layer of bark with your fingers.

    • 5

      Carefully pull the soft fibers apart in long strips. Set the fibers out to dry for 24 to 48 hours -- depending on the humidity level of where you're located. Once the fibers are dry, they can be twisted and braided together to form cordage.