harvesting outer bark without harming the tree

Outer bark is sometimes used for natural medicines and natural dyeing. I have a pear tree that I want to harvest some outer bark from, but want to do it in a way so as to not cause problems. There must be a way. Suggestions?

Could you prune it a bit and harvest bark of the bit you cut off?

I like Burra`s suggestion.

I feel like a little sample size would not hurt the tree.

We have deer that rub the bark off trees in a small space and the trees are not hurt.

My first worry about bark harvesting would be to introduce an area of injury that would eventually kill my tree.

I wonder if the bark is harvested usually around the same time you would prune? The branches you prune off would then be harvested and the 'injury' to the tree is minimized.

I'd love to know more from an experienced person.

Those are all my concerns too. When I harvest white oak bark for herbal tinctures, I take bark off of trees my husband has thinned out of the woods for firewood. The pear tree is different because we don't have very many of them. But pear bark is said to dye fiber pinkish and pinkish purple. I'd really like to try that.

After reading the comments here, I went to take a closer look at it. The tree about 14 years old. And it appears like the outer bark is peeling off naturally anyway. I'm thinking I could carefully removed some of this. It looks like if I could do that, it wouldn't harm the tree.

I think you should be OK as long as bark is removed in vertical strips.   Avoid ring-barking (may be known as 'girdling?) at all costs, as this is a sure fire way to kill a tree.   First Nations peoples have cut bark canoes vertically from large trees and the trees are still with us.    I've cut bark from apricot tree prunings to use for dye  - sort of pink - and found it best to use a box cutter.    And mind your fingers!