Birch bark handle material

kancler

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Mar 21, 2005
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Guys,

a lot of you have our knives with birch bark handles.

SO what do you think? Advantages and disadvantages?

I was always getting a lot of question about birch bark and question number one is -"It is cork handle?", question number two - "will knife float in water" :)

So I will post some historical materials and also going to show you "authentic" Russian way of birch bark handle treatment with natural bee wax
 
Birch bark (“Beresta” in Russian language) is a top layer of the bark - white on one side and golden-yellow on another. Birch bark is a unique natural material. It is gentle, beautiful, soft and velvety, easily processing . From times of ancient Russia it was used for making various things, such as fishing boats, boxes, caskets, storage boxes for salt, groats, flour, grain, berries and more.

beresta.jpg

In specially made birch bark boxes people used to store a lot of things: liquids - milk, sour cream, cedar oil, various animal fat, honey, salty fish. All these products could stay fresh for long time, because birch bark has magnificent bactericidal properties. This is why in birch wood forest the air is sterile, as in the surgical room.

beresta2.jpg
Birch bark collection starts in the end of May or beginning of June. At this time of a year it is easy to take it off and it has a beautiful golden color. Often birch bark is called a warm tree. Even in a cold weather it feels very warm . During birch bark processing we do not use any harmful substances, solvents or varnishes.

These two things from my house:
beresta5.jpg
beresta6.jpg

We have a lot of models with birch bark handle for sale. Check them out here: http://rusknives.com
 
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