Hide Tanning 101 - How to make Leather from Animal Skins, NATURALY

[@SkillCult]

Looks good! I'm impressed you processed enough of that old fir bark to get a good tan. As a long time bark tanner, I have some suggestions for new tanners re: this video. Use fresh materials if you can. Old bark that has been rained on is typically low in tannin and you will need a lot more of it. Rain takes the water soluble tannins just like cooking does. Fresh barks that have not died and then been rained on are best. It already takes a lot of material,, even using fresh stuff. I don't mean green, it is better to dry it once before cooking to break down the cell structure. Iv'e seen a lot of mistakes and the mistake nearly everyone makes at first is not using enough tanning material and soaking in weak liquors. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJvOnpKrgJWrlc0si=3Dy0aGTL_MrAMAFl Another thing is that if you are going to end up cutting large hides in half anyway, do it before tanning. Large hides are a lot more work and inconvenience to handle. Half hides are easier to find containers for and easier at every single step. I typically split anything big like elk and cattle down the middle. I will only do a large one if I need a huge piece of leather or it is going to be left whole permanently. The process of rolling to soften can be done by drying the oils into the skin in the shade, then damping the hide back. Damping back puts a low and even moisture through the skin fiber and will dry much quicker while still allowing plenty of working time and softenability. The real work is done when the skin reaches a damp state. Working very wet skins really does not do much anyway, so you skip all that drying part when using damping back. Wrap the skin in towels that are wetted and then wrung out as much as possible and allow to sit overnight in a plastic bag. If you want stiff, smooth leather for sheaths and such, you can just nail it out and dry the oils in. One last advice, start with a squirrel, not an elk! Seriously, cut your teeth on a smaller project to test the process, your tools and tanning materials. If you just have a large skin, you can cut off a leg or two and run those through first. Here is my tanning video playlist. Caution, rabbithole ahead... playlist kzbin.info/aero/PL60FnyEY-eJA7D2FJhI5AvWVx7oqjb4xX&si=b9fFBZYNyZQh0M8D

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thanks for the tips. Pinned for the benefit of others.

[@timothylongmore7325]

I'm going to be bending your ear soon. I got another steer hide to do. The last one I cut into strips to bark tan before I found skillcult and made myself about 250 feet of dark colored rawhide strips. With your replys to my questions we figured out where I went wrong. I was able to salvage that leather but want to do a proper procedure next time.

[@galetalon3133]

​@@clayhayeshunter Appreciate you pinning thus. I haven't tanned anything since I was a runt and had forgotten a lot. This gives me a quick brush up list to go through.

[@CameronRay24]

Thank you!!! All this education for a new homesteader is fantastic

[@LabGecko]

Upvoted just for the tip of starting small (squirrel) before trying something big. Bonus kudos for all the other tips! Edit: It seemed like Clay put the hide in the lime solution just after mixing it with water. Doesn't that release a lot of heat? What temperature is good for soaking in the lime water?

[@frankhoffman3566]

I never realized traditional hide preparation and tanning was so complicated, long and labor intensive. I have a new appreciation for those frontier skills.

[@CCBrady-nj5dv]

Those skills were learned from original native americans.

[@frankhoffman3566]

@@CCBrady-nj5dv ... I'm sure some of those skills were learned that way. Leather tanning though is pretty widespread around the world.

[@JaredaSohn]

​@@CCBrady-nj5dvnot this style, they would have brain tanned. This method of tanning (bark tanning) would have been brought over from the old world. As such if any tribes did employ it (bark tanning), they would have learned it from the settlers, not the other way around.

[@huntrezz01]

Be grateful on what you wearing

[@CCBrady-nj5dv]

Always the possessive ones, just have to put the claims to everything! Get off my land! Stay out of my country! My, my my, mine. All mine! Everything is mine!

[@justingrant4860]

I genuinely love the fact that there isnt music playing and the sounds of the process are .....great video

[@superazmed3246]

Thank you for saying this!

[@justingrant4860]

@superazmed3246 👍🏾👍🏾

[@ToxykRL]

Well all the birds chirping are added in

[@3passa]

Wow. Where´d you learn all that! So here´s a man who goes into the forest and brings back a piece of wood and makes a bow and hunts and kills an elk and processes the meat and tans the hide and makes a pair of boots and puts them on and goes into the forest... Love your style. Looking forward to the boots. Kudos! And congrats to 400.000!

[@clayhayeshunter]

Many thanks

[@tomeverett6938]

E

[@សុីសៀង-ព6ន]

😮😮😮

[@សុីសៀង-ព6ន]

😮😮

[@Mario_95-5]

​@@clayhayeshunterwhen will you make the boots???

[@Colton1776]

This is the most to the point instruction on making leather I’ve seen after some years. Thank you!

[@ANXIETOR]

Wow. Now picture all these tasks without bins, barrels, and cans. Primitive folks were pure badass. Really good video.

[@clayhayeshunter]

You got that right!

[@jkcbrah4708]

Straight up man, not to mention the quality of buckskin & bark tanner leather they were able to achieve without all the modern luxuries, was unbelievable.

[@kdc71425]

I was thinking the same thing as he dumped that big white barrel...did they hollow out trees to make vats like this? Or did a black smith need a make a massive pot? The everyday person couldn't afford a giant pot though. Fascinating stuff

[@elimg.3684]

Probably a wooden tub, or just a hole in the ground!

[@johnrobichaud130]

Clay vessels

[@gu1016]

I live in the Adirondack Mts, hemlock bark was stripped by loggers and stacked in the would for tanneries, up until 30 years ago or so I would still find a stack of bark in the woods that was never picked up for one reason or another. Always made me feel a connection to the past when I found one, I'm 67.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Very cool

[@joshtegg1763]

This was by far the best tanning video i have ever seen thanks for not talking our ears off about irrelevant info

[@mohammedprodhan8385]

Truly a teacher and a library of deep seed knowledge thru which humans have thrived thus far. Respect and love for you…

[@donphillips7329]

I almost cried when you split it right through the best part😢...time we'll spent...tks much !!!

[@clayhayeshunter]

I sure thought about it before I made that cut! But I've got plans for this one and it'll work out just fine.

[@HahnsAtelier]

Wow.. I will have to treat leather with more gratitude in the future... I was blown away by your hard work. Thank you so much. 👍

[@clayhayeshunter]

Many thanks

[@АлександрДмитриев-я2м]

Good day to you Clay. I am a Russian hunter. I live in Thailand now. I watch your video with nostalgia. It's nice to see when a person treats his craft with respect.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thanks 👍

[@jackherbic6048]

I did this for the first time a few years ago, I really respect anyone who tries this out its a very long and arduous process. I think everyone who hunts should try to use at least one skin even if they just buy the chemical tanning solution. It is so cool to have a material that you made from an animal you killed.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Agreed

[@timothylongmore7325]

watch out though. It's like eating potato chips. I've done every hide of deer I've killed and a few I didn't. And yes ,it is hard work.

[@jackherbic6048]

@@timothylongmore7325 Bark tanning is especially hard, comparatively the bottles are easy. The hardest part in my opinion is getting material unless you have large amounts of land with a plant that is known to be good for tanning.

[@zoechloe]

Thanks for the extremely detailed vid❤

[@adamschwientek7061]

Well this video proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that I really had no idea how leather was made. This was awesome!

[@clayhayeshunter]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Meow-io3dh]

I’m so impressed with people who have these skills. People who can make their own lye for their homemade soap. People who dry dandelion stems to use to make baskets. People who can grow their own wheat and know how to process it and grind it into flour and make their own bread. My grand mother used to sheer sheep, wash the yarn, card it, spin it (on a wheel my grandfather made by hand) dye it in a natural dye solution she made herself from leaves, weave it, and make entire outfits all by hand. I can make excel spreadsheets and that’s about it….I’m trying though. Made my own bone broth the other day. Baby steps 😭

[@clayhayeshunter]

Just keep at it, make it a goal to learn something new each day.

[@timharris3125]

That is awesome! We started making our own broth probably 7 years ago. Now we grow out our own chickens, butcher, process, and have a 2 or 3 day broth making/canning “party” once or twice a year. I guess all of that is to say that bone broth is a great starting place, and I hope you continue and find as much pride and happiness in it as we do.

[@pgoff0000]

i took 8 or 10 of my deer to a tanner.. i had no idea of the amount of work they put into it. wow.. thanks for educating us.

[@koogle612]

Living naturally without all the stress with goals & tasks that keep you healthy, satisfied, at peace, & content. To a lesser degree this was the direction of my childhood - making things, trapping & fishing, all of the familiar sounds & smells of the woods & the seasons. Looking back I marvel at how peaceful it all was. Just watching this work & listening to the sounds is so relaxing & gratifying. Thank you for sharing.

[@walden6272]

Excellent video! We should all get back to producing our own stuff instead of relying on buying them from the store. Self-reliance is so important.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Absolutely!

[@billbearback2591]

absolutely a great presentation , i never stopped to think how much was involved in old school leather production

[@Cody_Buck]

Man thank you for this great content. I'm in the process of becoming more of what I call a "woodsman". I'd love to learn this skill and make my own leather products from game that I harvest. And to top it off, it's sustainable. God bless you, sir.

[@roncalvert6149]

I'd love to spend a year with this guy thru all 4 seasons in the wilderness.

[@renierbadenhorst5882]

So far the best video I’ve seen on the tube about this method. Lots of little tips and things that makes a huge difference in quality. ❤

[@clayhayeshunter]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Cjxtreme66]

I'm so glad that the things I heard about tanning weren't the end all be all. Bark tannins is much more sanitary than other methods I've heard of....

[@Speckled_Butterfly7206]

This is something I want to truly learn to do. I just need to get my farmhouse property. I want to have the right space to do it and build the things I would need. I have so many projects & skills I want to learn. I am glad I found your channel. Thank you so much for taking the time to make this videos.❤

[@orbitalstitch]

Fascinating process and a well made video. This is the Primitive Technology style done right: Clear steps, staying put on your actions so we can see how it's physically done, nothing unnecessary, and just the pure sound of the work and the surrounding environment.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Many thanks

[@MrsFitzus]

I've always been interested in this kind of thing. Don't waste anything. Keep it natural. I never grew up hunting, but I did used to make bows and arrows as a kid playing in the woods. Now my husband has just started hunting (he didn’t grow up doing it either, though he grew up in the woods down the street from me) and I'd like to do this with whatever he brings home. Thank you for passing on this knowledge and helping to ensure that it doesnt die out.

[@mylife6453]

Nice bark tanned elk. As to the oil, I use Protal from McKinzie's tanning supplies, as it works way better than tallow and olive oil. I have tanned hundreds of deer and elk using Lutan, chrome, brain, oak bark with hair on or hair and grain off and they all have their distinct characteristics. Bark tanned leather makes great moccasins, belts, bags.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thanks for the tip!

[@kraabol.mp4]

What a beautiful end result! Ive been working with leather for a while and have started my own business. i always appreciate a bark tanned hide over the chrome crap, just more you can do with a natural product, simplistic. Your finished hide is gorgeous and I'm excited to see what you make from it! Shoe and boots are tricky but nothing beats bespoke footware, gonna be nice to have those on the next hunt! Cheers for making this high quality content, time to learn more about the olden days!

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thank you very much!

[@kraabol.mp4]

Glad to see this video has absolutely taken off

[@Diego-m3g6g]

When you find a super interesting video, but you are already subscribed

[@clayhayeshunter]

🍻

[@CharlieBaker4470]

I would love to see a video on making some of those boots. Great video!

[@clayhayeshunter]

Coming soon!

[@thedavidfield1]

Amazing! As a leathersmith I fully appreciate this tutorial and the craftsman ship to make such a beautiful hide. 🎉❤

[@clayhayeshunter]

Glad you like it!

[@azzastube9220]

This is really well shot, no fuss and very informative. Much appreciated thank you.

[@timothylongmore7325]

I've always used wood ash. Probably never will again , unless it's a shtf situation. I've learned why half the time it doesn't work but lye or lime seems much easier. Also learned why my bark tanning experiments didn't work, lol. I've got a whole steer hide cut into belts for adirondack pack baskets that are a great dark color but not tanned. Deer season is on me again and here I am watching tanning videos again. This definately the way to go for big hides. Hope you do a video on brain tanning too. That's how I like to do my deer hides.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Yep, I'll do a brain tanning vid. Hopefully this fall.

[@nickgeorgie1957]

Artist. Real man! Survivor. Teacher. Respect.

[@makhuvelelazarus2345]

I don’t know whether to say you are a hardworking man or a dedicated man 👏👏👏👏

[@shaywood2011]

That was completely awesome to see it transform right in front of the eyes.

[@Spushed]

I belive it's walnut shells (the husk actually) have HUGE amounts of tannins and will give you a very dark brown color. May help you from having to change out the tannin water so much.

[@danielfloyd1679]

Yes! I recently tanned some deer hide with the fur still on. It tanned it all thru a beautiful dark chocolate color and left the fur unstained!

[@danielfloyd1679]

With black walnut hulls

[@drasiella]

Thank you so much for not talking. I deeply enjoy watching people work in silence.

[@anvilsbane]

I have a nephew(wife’s side) named Clay Hayes. You ain't him! But I will share this with him, as he's a taxidermist. Beautiful, HARD work. Thanks for sharing.

[@hunterevans1217]

Great video Clay and awesome looking hide! This year I tried my hand at fleshing a whitetail hide my buddy gave me. Cathartic experience and hard work, but worth every second. Still gotta finish the tanning. Gonna sand it down, brain tan and smoke the hide. Excited to see how it turns out!

[@bertcremers3134]

Clay, tis is a verry good video, no talking, reducing text to the most essential and verry well filmed. Also a beautifull lesson in tanning hides old skool with no modern things, acually bushcraft style. Needles to mention that I subscribed.

[@keza3250]

This method is as old as time Most European people's tanned animal and cow hides this way Bark tanning a hide was done for atleast 8 to 9 months in a tub or barrel The bark is better grinned up to a powder for tanning an every fortnight a fresh bucket of bark powder was added to the tanning bath Australia has one of the world's best bark tree's for tanning, east coast blue gum bark is the best This vid gets a thumbs up from me 👍

[@yorgosbertinoudis2329]

Exceptional work. We use either oak acorns and bark or olive tree leaves.The latter, there is abundant olive trees and leaves a gray-green hue. Greetings from Greece

[@salder70]

Wow. I didn't realize how much effort goes into the tanning process. I have been wanting to tan some deer hides for several years now.

[@clayhayeshunter]

You can do it!

[@milesrupert4815]

What an experience! Man, this is truly some fine work. You are a perfectionist. Appreciate you sharing this!

[@nohillforahighstepper]

Bark-tanned leather will accept tooling and carving. IDK, maybe somebody has figured a way to tool brain-tanned, but I've never had any success with it. I use brain-tanned for garmets and bark-tanned for things that require structure, like belts, bags, shoes, etc. I never knew tanning with bark was so uncomplicated though. Thanks for the vid! 😊😊😊

[@clayhayeshunter]

No problem!

[@journeyman7189]

Excellent tutorial Clay. Amazing how involved and that took 3+months but the end result is fantastic. Looking forward to see the boots you make and that ever else. Thanks Nate

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thanks a ton!

[@Pygex]

Excellent video. I really liked the simple descriptions while showing the steps in action. This method actually looks like something I am willing to give a go, not that many tools and materials needed.

[@OntheTrailwithDale]

Wow, I really like the color that elk hide ended up with. I might have to give this method a try with one of my deer hides. See if I can achieve that same warm brown color you got. I have a ton of acorns in my area, I can probably use them instead of bark. I’ve brain/egg tanned a couple deer hides before, but this video has got me interested in trying this. Thanks for posting!

[@ericwang1988]

Such a longetive method. Respect your patience.

[@gallopingg1]

SERIOUS AMOUNT OF WORK! AMAZING JOB YOU HAVE DONE, UK

[@Flies_the_limit]

Love this channel. Inspires me to focus on having property to do these things. Really love your methods and thank you for sharing your knowledge free of charge.

[@rorynelson7548]

Clay, I've found that if you take the bark off a tree in log form, the barks pieces will be pretty tiny and you won't have to chop the bark up. I put my deer sled under the log as I'm using my draw knife to debark the log and it catches the bark.

[@johnfinbarr1160]

I believe there’s only one bark tannery left in England. Jfj baker in colyton. I was surprised to see that a guy is doing it in Carballo, Galicia in Spain near where I now live Curtidos Sofán. Amazing to see this gentleman doing it at home. I’m surprised the leather isn’t marked and scratched from the process though. I find I even have to tape over my well cut finger nails to stop scratches ( on finished leather - I’ve never bark tanned) when I’m sewing. Marvellous video. Thank you.

[@angryshrub1]

I’ve never heard of a woman doing a video without saying anything, weird. Was that an elk hide? Is that more suitable for boots? I’ve only had experience with deer hide. You’re a natural instructor, you make it look easy. Thanks.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Yes this is elk. It’s much heavier then a deer hide

[@davidbailey991]

Really enjoying the new content! Looking forward to more tanning videos. Would whitetail be too thin of a hide for leather?

[@clayhayeshunter]

No, I’ve got a whitetail hide soaking now.

[@notconcerningyou9487]

A couple questions because i would love to do this. It would be great if you can get to this so thank you tons! 1. Do you change the wood tannins solution everytime it gets translucent during those 3 months or did you only change it that one time? 2. Do you stir it every other day during those 3 months or just the start it? 3. Do you squeegee it out every few days or just that first time to start it? 4. Do you rub oil and use the wood scrapper both sides? 5. What oils can you use? Is the bision and olive oil just your preference? 6. What exactly does the oil do for it? 7. Is this water proofed by the end or does it require a compound? Sorry for the dumb questions but id really appreciate it to help my further understand. Thank you

[@clayhayeshunter]

I changed the solution every time it got pale in color. Stir it every day or two and squeegee as often as possible. oil both sides but more on the grain side. Lots of different oils can be used. the oil makes if softer and more durable. You'd need to oil it more to waterproof. Good luck with the project. ch

[@notconcerningyou9487]

@@clayhayeshunter thank you for the reply and answers. I am looking forward to seeing what you make! What other oils can I use? I assume I'd keep applying oil or is there a different oil solution I'd use? Also since your here how big is your post you do all your scrapping on?

[@МирзоШоев-и6ч]

Жаль что не по руский

[@АлександрТомский-о3и]

​@@МирзоШоев-и6чтакже провод можно нажать. Сам учусь делать кожу.

[@micdal22]

Thanks much for a fantastic video. Very educational. One suggestion: Can you leave the text on screen a little longer to give us time to read it without having to pause?

[@wilko89]

Never seen that process before really cool to see!

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thanks

[@johnd0e25]

Really cool video, I had no clue bark tanning was a thing.

[@Contraltissimo]

Ahahahaaaa I gaped and died a little bit when you cut it in half because of how much effort goes into preparing such a piece! This was really cool and really informative! Thank you! ^_^

[@josephbrendanfeliciano6331]

I'm so impressed by the natural process and that it's a real natural leather. By the way I'm new leather crafter philippines

[@Amanda-vs1lg]

Best video I’ve found yet on tanning your hide at home, question can I skip the lime soak and leave the hair on? Or will the long period of time soaked in bark tea cause the hair to fall out?

[@kennyjuengel2488]

I like the simplicity and the fact that resources are easy to obtain in the field. I do have a question ❓❓ Can your time (3 months) be sped up by let's say a stronger bark tea bath? Or perhaps letting the hide dry to a rawhide stage before soaking to encourage maximum intake of the bark tea?

[@clayhayeshunter]

Maybe but I’m not sure. Temperature has a lot to do with how fast the tannins penetrate

[@j.mahoney1178]

Very good video, but something tells me after all that work and effort you put in, If you calculated the overall time and labour costs it would cost a lot less to buy one already tanned.

[@Maqs282]

Brilliantly done. A lot of hard labour and patience needed but the end result is amazing. Two questions.. after cleaning the hair, did you just leave in water and how long did it take for tannins to be through.

[@AustinMuellerHandmade]

So cool, this process seems like it would be much healthier when the leather is on your skin, than industrial processes for tanning.

[@luimackjohnson302]

Amazing! Thank you for sharing. Greetings from Madang, Papua New Guinea!

[@TheLasombra077]

Very nice. Aside from the soaking time being so much, it’s overall less complicated than I thought it’d be

[@DuxLindy]

final product looks incredible

[@ItAintMeBabe99]

How did anyone, in the past, figure all that out ? Incredible !

[@SvlvadorCreates]

Amazing video. Educational and we all know that we wanted to know how to make leather in case of a survival situation lol, but yes great video and great simple explanation

[@vitaluna1568]

Thank you brother, that was a truly a wonderful thing to watch from start to finish.

[@Onur-xv2os]

Gerçek bir zanaatkarsın. iyi bir ustasın senin gibisi kolay kolay bulunmaz.kendi el emeginle şahane bir deri elde ettin. tebrik ederim.

[@michelebouvet8074]

Looks like its true to the old days. What a beautiful skill to pass down thru generations.

[@lukewagner8871]

Some leather is called slink or slunk leather, and it is known as the very softest, most supple leather available. This leather is made from the skin of an unborn baby cow. These babies come from mother cows who are sent to a slaughterhouse while pregnant, sometimes days off birthing. In my youth, I gutted beef in the slaughterhouse. The first slunk that I ran into was when I open a cow, and I cut open the placenta and a rather large dead calf came out, scared the heck out of me.

[@zerograus3812]

Sou moçambicano na zona sudoeste de África . Gostei de seu trabalho , parabens

[@lukelofgren4108]

This was a great video Clay! I'm looking forward to seeing you make yourself a pair of boots. I've been wanting to make a pair of work boots myself because they wear out in the same spots every time. Keep up the informative videos like this. Thank you

[@Mitalayeka]

wow, this is impressive man, thanks for sharing.

[@snappers_antique_firearms]

Great video. Not going to lie hunting, skinning the turning the hide into leather. To make a pair of boots sounds amazing and extremely Rewarding. Not very many people can say they have done that.....now i want to do it.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Get after it 😉

[@stihl888]

Outstanding CH, cant wait for the boots!

[@richardkatzman1215]

Very nice job! You have a lot of patience my friend. I do leather work and a hide like you tanned would cost a lot of money. You didn’t mention how thick the finished leather was. It looked like 8-9 oz completed. Please make another video of you making the boots. If you figure how much the leather would cost to buy and the amount of money the boots would cost, you saved a lot of money! Best regards, Richard

[@chrismackay8314]

Thanks for sharing. So much work - makes me value leather more.

[@jancovanderwesthuizen8070]

That’s some movie villain type hunting cabin you have there - nice!

[@BeADad2447]

This has to be one of the most incredible videos I've seen! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

[@clayhayeshunter]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@rrssmooth6643]

I have wanted to know how to do that for years, nice video, well explained in detail.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thanks

[@craigmurrayauthor]

This was just fascinating and well done, thank you for no dopey music. If you didn't have Lye, what could you do?

[@clayhayeshunter]

Lye is found naturally in the ashes of hardwoods.

[@craigmurrayauthor]

@@clayhayeshunter thank you sir.

[@levanamcneillylittle9902]

i will probably never get the chance to do this, but i love the video!

[@threeriversforge1997]

Takes me back! I've never tried bark tanning, but I've brained more hides than I care to think about! The one thing I'd suggest changing in your beam set up is to raise it up at the far end so it's more horizontal. You want a little angle for drainage, but not much. If you watch your body, you spend a ton of time bent over at the waist, and that's really bad for your back.... w/o any real return on the investment since your arms and shoulders are still doing all the work. The tradition of the short beam comes from a time when folks were either dirt poor or nomadic, and a shorter beam was easier to carry around, etc. Today, we can put our understanding of science to work for us, relieving a ton of ache in the back, by simply raising the beam up a foot or two and propping it against something solid.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Thanks for the tip

[@threeriversforge1997]

@@clayhayeshunter Glad to help. Another thing I came up with, talking about ergonomics, was the Belly Board. It makes things so much easier and more comfortable, you wonder why everyone's not using them when they are at the beam!

[@DJRevan]

Thank you for this truly fascinating video. I love working with leather, and wearing leather products. I will appreciate every piece of item I've got even more from now on.

[@clayhayeshunter]

Wonderful!

[@randomcdude4430]

Oh man. I'm looking forward to seeing the boots you make with that.

[@AssistantLeaflet]

Using a rounded wooden stake stuck in the ground to be glided and stretched across while the leather is being fatted and dried and also smoking the leather carefully and lightly over a smokey ember campfire really helps in making it softer but is really time consuming. I don’t know if that’s understandable or helpful.

[@deanframe9095]

Just ordered his book! Surviving alone! I’m so excited to get my signed copy and read it! I don’t have a lot of $$ so I’ll get the bow books next month I hope! Thanks!

[@coryburnett9470]

Hello clay, i wanted to start off by saying how much i appreciate your videos. Youve made the learning curve much less painful. I do have a question though. When using the tree bark, if its just the tannins you're after, would coffee/tea work as well? Or walnut husks? I think those are super high in tannins, let me know if you can, or if youve done it, what were the results. Hope this finds its way to you

[@thatcrazyguy1971]

Very nice video, thanks. Question: for the drying process, how do you go about it? Flat on that board, full sun, several days? How many times do you apply oil to it while it dries? (Sorry if I missed it)

[@archiehendricks6093]

This was exactly the type leather i wanted to get. Great video.

[@jjpenny1]

this is my favorite leather tanning videos

[@jthepickle7]

Amazing that tanned hide is not through-the-roof expensive!

[@SamGleesh]

You’re a legend, keep kicking ass!

[@axis5519]

Damn, I had no idea you have to soak it for 3 months! Great video

[@TheAcceleratorMagazine]

I have a sling pouch over 200 years old and the leather has help up amazingly well. The powder horn has some small holes from bugs. Brass telescope is in great condition. Whoever had the scope was like their Special Forces. Everything was with a long, heavy muzzle loader that i inherited. It has a set trigger so guess the users, my ancestors, were snipers also.