SPLIT BAMBOO EODMAKING 185 



Next file all the knots on the outside of the 

 canes, smoothing them down even with the 

 enamel. You will find a cane or part of a cane 

 now and then in which the wood curves down 

 from the knot, so that it is difficult to obtain 

 anything like a plane surface at that point. 

 Mark such points with a blue pencil, and dis- 

 card the strips carrying them after splitting. 

 Such strips may be straightened by heating 

 over an alcohol lamp and bending or clamping 

 in a vise, but they are better out of the way. 



On the inside of each half cane place such 

 marks as will show on every strip taken from 

 it, so that in matching strips you can surely 

 identify each one as coming from a certain 

 cane. 



It is generally possible to split each half- 

 cane into three strips, each of good width, but 

 if the cane splits off to one side, as sometimes 

 happens, do not attempt to force matters, but 

 let it go at that, for it is always better to plane 

 a thick piece down to size than to try to split 

 to that size. 



With canes that are well seasoned it is only 

 necessary to start the knife with a smart blow, 

 then push it down, the cane opening nicely far 

 ahead of the blade and in a fairly straight line. 

 But if it splits badly, going off at a tangent 



