[fenland]

I have this nice piece to turn into a shillelagh when it is seasoned. Should I take the bark off now or wait. Plus what is the best way to remove the bark?

 

[LilysDad]

All the She . . . yeah, that, I have ever seen had the bark on. It was sanded smooth and oiled.

 

[cobalt]

I would just leave it to season before I did anything bit of a twisted top offers lots of choices

 

[CV3]

I agree with leaving the bark on for seasoning. On a small stick I use a rorbater sander with 80 grit paper to clean of the bark.most of the time.

 

[Rodney]

Another leave the bark on for seasoning. If wood dries too fast you can get splitting at the ends. The bark helps slow it down.

The general rule of thumb is let it cure a year per inch of thickness. Sometimes you can get by with less. Depends on the stick.

Put it in a cool dry place and forget about it for a while.

I usually just use a pocket knife or utility knife to peel the bark when I don't want to keep it on.

Rodney