Bark Spud

A bark spud, also called a peeling iron, peeler bar or peeling spud, is an implement used to remove bark from felled timber. Most have a steel head on a wooden handle, usually hickory or ash, with the head either curved to a single cutting edge or shaped like a dish sharpened on three sides. The tool works by sliding its sharpened edge between the bark and the wood and peeling the bark off in a number of strips, which lets it strip the bark without damaging the wood beneath.