Bast fiber backing.

[Chris3kilo]

I'm having real trouble debarking my hazel staves. I'm really nervous about violating the back grains.. too many bows has cracked on my tillering stick allready.
So while spending all this time on pulling and scraping long fibers off the stave I read a thread here about backing bows with hemp fibers, and I can't help to wonder how that's different from leaving the bast fibers on?  Anyone do that?

[Del the cat]

IMO the bast fibres have no merit in themselves other than stopping you messing up the back, which is still a pretty good reason for leaving them, or even the bark in place.
Del

[Pat B]

adding a backing is different from utilizing the existing bark. In many cases the bark will crack because it is tension poor and that crack can run into the wood. There are many materials you can use for backing from heavy brown paper to silk, linen, rawhide and sinew. Hemp and raw flax work also but be aware of the tensile strength of the backing so you don't overpower the belly wood.

[Chris3kilo]

I'm not talking about bark. Bast fibers. The long fibers under the bark.
I won't use all that energi on removing it then Del.
Especially since i don't care how the bow looks, only how it shoots.