Learn how to prevent grain cracking on barktans with expert tanning techniques. Learn definitions and anatomy to understand the techniques. Understand how to tan the hide thoroughly, dry the leather slowly, roll the leather as it dries, and oil the grain side before it is dry.

Learn how to soften buckskin with expert tanning techniques. Understand how to conserve energy, use a frame, and use hand tools.

Learn how to plan your bark-liquoring schedule for hide tanning with expert tanning techniques. Understand what bark liquor is, the breakdown of steps by day, and what to do with spent bark tan solution

Learn how to make bark liquor. Understand what it is, the proper ingredients, and how to prepare your materials. Learn the steps to make bark liquor using the folk method and the tannery method.

Learn how to work hides in the heat with expert tanning techniques. Understand the risks of bacteria, drying out, singeing, and heat exhaustion and how to handle them.

Learn how to prevent hair slippage in hides with expert tanning techniques. Understand the role of bacteria and moisture, and master preservation methods.

Discover how brains—and their alternatives like egg yolks, liver, lecithin, and soap—are used to tan hides naturally. This post dives into the science of fat-liquoring and traditional hide tanning methods

Explore flexible timing in hide tanning. This guide identifies key “pause points” during bucking, acidifying, smoking, and alum-tawing so you can stop and resume with confidence.

Before tanning, salted hides must be properly rinsed. This guide walks you through de-salination techniques and offers tips for disposing of salt responsibly.

Preserving hides with salt is the first step in natural tanning. Learn how salting prevents rot, buys you time, and sets the stage for later hide tanning work.

Marine oils like fish and seal fat speed up hide tanning through natural oxidation. Discover how these fats transform hides and support ancestral tanning methods.

Need hides for tanning? This guide explains how to find quality hides from game processors, farms, and hunters—and how to build trust through exchange.

Bark tanning often dyes wool, but it doesn’t have to. This post explains how to avoid unwanted pigment in hair-on rugs or sheepskins through simple, proven techniques.

Is lime a chemical? What about chrome? This post unpacks the truth behind “chem-tanning” and explores how traditional and industrial tanning methods differ.

Even natural hide tanning comes with health risks. This guide covers dangers from smoke, alum, and lye to parasites—and offers safety tips for each stage.

Bucking transforms hides through alkalinity—but timing, temperature, and technique all matter. Learn how to get better results with lime, lye, and simple refinements.

Ethical tannin harvesting supports both your hide tanning and the ecosystem. Learn how to gather bark and plant materials responsibly—from storm salvage to forest restoration.

The right hide tanning tool makes all the difference. Learn how to choose a scraper that fits your body, suits the task, and matches the hide you’re working on.

Don’t let cold weather stop your tanning. Learn winter hide tanning techniques like freeze-thaw softening, frost-scraping, and how to keep working indoors by the fire.