Armor for picking blackberries

[Okanagan]

Boots, micro spikes, tall gaiters, knee pads, leather gloves with finger tips cut off, plastic gauntlets from wrist to elbow, homemade picking tool.

These little trailing blackberries are delish, but usually hidden in thorny brush and weeds and stinging nettles.  Their thorns are tiny compared to big Himalaya blackberries, but they are painful.  My grandkids named these "chainsaw berries" when they were little because the long vines wrap around legs and slide along ankles for 15 or 20 feet of walking, sawing on ankles like a chain or thorny parachute cord.



A better look at the picking comb below.  It triples my picking speed in good berries, always doubles it. 

[nastygunz]

You Need to patent that Berry picking device!

[pitw]

Way better being prepared than the way I'd do it.

[Okanagan]

You Need to patent that Berry picking device!

That picker is a hair styling comb and a tall measuring cup with a side handle.  Slightly modified...

The idea started when I bought a commercially made huckleberry picking rake, which works well on huckleberries.  I tried it on the little Cascade/Trailing blackberries and it does not work at all.  Too big and clumsy.  But the idea of a rake/comb for berries is good so I mentally designed a blackberry picker and then walked through a Dollar Store looking for components with which to build one.  Comb and cup.

Cut the rat tail/handle off of the comb, then heat the tip ends of the comb teeth gently over a kitchen range burner till soft.  Then press the tips of the comb teeth against something like a cutting board and bend all of the teeth tips an equal amount in one move.  Bend the entire row of teeth over about 30-45 degrees some 3/8 of an inch from the tips.  Then warm/heat the entire comb till it is soft enough to bend and wrap the comb spine around the measuring cup, with bent teeth pointing in. 

Then I epoxied the now circular comb to the lip of the cup, with a few wooden shims to fill in gaps.  Position the teeth opposite to the cup handle.  Then I put duct tape around the assembly of comb and cup, pulling it tight over the still soft epoxy.  After it hardens trim anything that looks like it needs it, and go picking. 

I've made half a dozen of these and given a few to close friends who are fanatics for wild blackberry pie.  They like the picker.


Pitw, unsolicited advice for bare hand blackberry pickers:    after about 36-48 hours the tiny thorns fester and are easier to get out.   

The forearm plastic shields are custom fitted Dollar Store roll up cutting boards.  With those on my arms, I can make a leather gloved fist and push aside stinging nettles and thorns to scoop the best clusters of berries under a shady layer of pain.

You know, those berries are REALLY good to go through that much trouble to pick them!