How to bark tan furs. Easy way traditional hide tanning using tree bark. 

In 1968 I tanned a Javalina hide with the help of an Apache man in Tucson Arizona. He told me to soak the hide in the ground in horse manure and urine. Waiting 2 days then I started working it over the hitching post daily till it became white and very soft. It worked.

This channel is ridiculously underrated

Bug nerd here: tannins in general are used for insect repellent, but gall-forming insects actually really like having tannins around them because it increases protection from fungus! They produce hormonal secretions that drive the tree to make the galls, and it boosts the tree’s immune system reaction to fungi in and around the area, which might otherwise eat the midge’s food source! You see something similar in a lot of wasp galls- my local area has these oak gall wasps that create big ball shaped galls, and they only tend to start rotting after a lot of the tannins have leached out. The comparison between gall’s tannins, when leached out, and bile, is where “gallbladder” and other such words came from. As a side note, some of the midges and wasps make their host plant produce nectar on the gall, to help attract ants that drive off predators and parasites of the wasp or midge! It’s free syrup, albeit in tiny amounts.

At 72I almost feel like I've wasted my life not paying attention to my dad's old time ways. I could be like this guy and feel more confident about what could be, and soon to come, maybe, but my grandkids will be interested and introduced to these ways. Thanks so much

I feel like this could be part of a larger process. You could strip willow bark for making cordage, boil it to remove the outer bark layers, use the willow branches to build a frame or baskets if they're young, and the tannins you could use for tanning. It's just a great way to make sure all parts in the process get used.

I read a book called " the bendan voyage" author forgotten. But they used oak tannin to make a boat and sailed it to America. Thus I discovered tannin. A wire brush. Try a wire brush. A gift to you. Fir the gift you gave to me. I am amazed at how much you know. This is the FIRST time ive seen someone explain tannin hides .

I love this channel!! Its like finding gold.

Researching for my book which features a mountain man. This is the most helpful video I've found so far. Thank you, brother.

I absolutely love your personality and explanation. I pray protection and peace over your life and work of educating the world. Thank you so much for your service. You're doing something very important! ❤

now i have a good excuse to run around and chew bark

Putting time stamps in your Video is some peak YouTubing. 10/10 channel

So cool! I learned how to bark tan using hemlock inner and outer bark in the Appalachians . Also red oak. I love this video and channel thank you for sharing .

Why have I not discovered yor channel earlier? It's a gold mine of knowledge! 👍

Native Americans on the west coast used tanoak or tanbark oak for tanning.

You are a wealth if information. Thank you so much for sharing 🙏💚

Nice video man, really enjoyed it. You did a nice job of explaining everything along the way. That finished mink is beautiful. Ben

I believe the willow you are using is called Heartleaf willow (Salix rigida) it is extremely prone to insect gauls.

Should have put this full video at the top of the playlist 😅

Excellent work! Tanning hides is one of my bucket list activities.

Keep spreading the knowledge my dude

Rewatching and just noticed that tip on the traps! Nice 👏🏻

Yours is the most informative, best presentation of primitive technology and knowledge on RU-vid all around exceptional videos

Love your channel, you are super informative.

Such great detail. This was one of the best instructional videos I’ve ever seen! Please keep sharing your knowledge.

Best content I've found in a while. Ordering your knife. Your the Matt Blackburn of old knowledge. Thanks for making vids. Now all you need is a Woodfired water bath float tank to relax after a full day of work I think you could really utilize CLO2 for an antibitic for livestock, water sanitation, laundry detergent, Colloidal silver and copper are nice to know. And oregano, wormwood, raw pumpkin. Amazing. But a heavy hitter like ozone therapy, or chlorine dioxide make water sanitation so easy, and work so well our ancestors would have traded alot to obtain a small amount. Thanks again for your service.

Damn good information and presentation. Learn more each time. Thanks for the trap blackening tip...!!! 😎👍👍

Love your channel brother.

Good demonstration. Thanks for sharing 😊

What a gorgeous hide! This is such a great, informative video.

Tannins from the charred wood barrels also make dark liquor hangovers worse than clear alcohol beverage hangovers. 😊 Also if your going to plant a garden. Do not plant it down hill from or in the soil nut bearing trees have dropped their nuts. Those very same tannins in the rotting shells will stunt the growth of the vegetables that are produced. I did not know this and planted a very sizable garden. 3 150' long rows of corn 4 same length rows of snap peas, squash ,cucumber , watermelons and potatoes. My ears of corn though fully mature, were never longer than 7 inches the squash were 4 to 5 inches the cucumber were not much bigger than the large dill pickle variety and the mellows though ripe and sweet were a little larger than say a softball and a half. The peas seemed fine though Idk why. My potatoes that I'd cut potatoes in half and planted they were only the size of the half I planted. I learned by accident that winter about the tannins from the rotting nuts shells causing this stunted growth. Plant it at least an acre away and never down hill from soil nuts have rotted. The shell of in this case pecans did this. I also though well away had black walnut trees. Though the hulls make an awesome and easy to make wood stain. My house built in 1870 has the stairs and rails also some of the wood trim made from the very trees on the land. Muskrat he has look like furry squid. Umm mantels?.. Their heads top nots or noggins 😊

Absolutely a great video. Thank you so much for making it.

Another great video brother!

Hey seth my name is Keith I’ve been watching you for a while you are pretty much the only video on RU-vid that shows how to bark tan I tried for the first time and I failed the skin lost its hair I made a video and I’m trying a second time

I would be thrilled to see a traditional approach to smithing, maybe a rundown of your forge setup? Where to get anvils? Any other basics that would be needed to get started on a homestead would be appreciated 😄

Just want to say thank you for sharing your knowledge and skills with us.. Have a blessed day!

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Who wouldn't want to do the deep dive?!

Thank you so much for this video especially the tannin black iron oxide and the oiling tanned leather info much appreciated

Hi you spoke about your knife. Could you please post a video on how to keep your knife sharp and the best way to do it? Perhaps there are various ways that I do not know about.

thanx

I got some nice Osage orange bow staves last year and there are done curing in about a month good to know I can use the bark and shavings.

Just appreciate your content so very much bro

I'd recommend upping your decibels on the video a little to closer match Ads. I had to max out the volume to hear the instructions, but then would absolutely blast my eardrums out with my eardrums out when ads unexpectedly pop in.

Can you do a series on urban survival, like sheltering and self sufficiency at home?

That tip about boiling your traps!!! Wow

Im so excited to start my hides! Ive got 3 deer salted and one fox i skinned yesterday

My grandfather had 12 children, so he tanned hides often. He always used hickory.

I am literally in the middle of tanning two hides right now! Your shorts series was really helpful. Excited to watch this one. I’ve got two hides strung up drying and two 5 gallon buckets full of tannin tea. One from oak leaves the other from elm leaves. They’re super dark. But it’s a test to see if there’s enough tannins. I have access to the coyote willow but couldn’t figure out a way to debark it efficiently. I did use it to make my stretch hoops. I was wondering tho, is it necessary to stretch and dry the hide? Why not just put it right into the tanning solution after de-fleshing?

This man will survive civilizations collapse. No doubt.

Another great video, I watched your rabbit dispatch and processing video and was about to comment that I would love to see what you do with the hides from that point. Checked your channel and what do you know, you’re already ahead of me. Thanks for making these videos! I’m in the early stages of getting rabbits, prepping the pen now but we have tons of wild rabbits around that I’m anxious to try your methods on. Thanks again!

You COULD tan with mimosa, or smoke it for the hardest trip ever...

Subscribed! Man this is excellent, thank you so much!

About a week ago i rust blued a kukri (my first time) in just boiling distilled water. I’m definitely not an expert, but I think you could just boil the rusty traps without the tannins.

So interesting to this city dude... God bless

Can you do this same method on ground hog hides? Also love the content ❤

If the active portion of the solution is the tannic acid, then i wonder if acorns could be used?

Thank you!

Every animal has enough brain to tan it's own hide.

I'd be curious to see if adding iron to the tanning solution would dye the hide a different color with the otherwise same result.

Awesome share thanks

Do you have to salt the hides in the drying process using the bark method?

👍👍 "Rodent of unusual size."👍👍 😄

Do you think you could tan a hide with the juices from black walnut fruit? I know it was used as a cloth dye in the past.

could you actually use a wide Gear Shaped Roller that loosely mesh together to break the hides?

You can also use freshly dropped walnuts

A musk rat video would be pretty cool to see 👀

I wonder if you can use persimmons

I had an odd idea when watchong you rub the mink on your saw horse. How would you go with stuffing a whole hide like that with like... teddy bear stuffing. To make a natural soft like... teddy mink? I know strange

Acorns have lots of tanning in them. Could you collect lots of acorns , boil them to pull out the tannin and use it to tan hides??? Then you could finished processing the acorns into flour.

nice oxidise method !

So with this method, could you tan a deer, elk, moose, Buffalo hide, etc?

Thankss

Any advice for getting the face off intact? I also raise rabbits.

So much better than gross brain tanning. I’m so glad you made this video.

Can you use fish oil? For the end

if it is the tannins then you should be able to use hardwood tree leaves, when you see oak leaves in water it leaches out to turn the water tea colored. isnt that the tanic acid needed to change the pH of the hide??

I bet black walnut would be great for tanning

Curious to what you're going to do with the mink

When youre leaching out acorns, could that solution be used to tan hides?

Do you know if it is possible to make oil in the forest ?if yes could you make a video with it and try it tan leather

So what you are saying about the drying of your tongue from chewing willow is like what alum does to you?

So it needs air daily to tan properly. So you wouldnt want to make an air tight seal on the container with the tanning solution? No anaerobics here? Or does it matter?

Maybe I'm too late for questions, but do you then hang these hides and stretch them? Or is that not a necessary step?

Gracias amigo

can you use older bark to tan hides like from a large oak tree, or would it not be as effective?

I know acorns have a lot of tannins. Can you team his with crushed acorns??

Can I use persimmon fruit as a tanning solution? I have deer around me and plan on raising meat rabbits as well. We have plenty of persimmons in our yard and I know theyre high in tannins depending on when you harvest them. Is that something you could elaborate on or do you think it would work?

The other day I had to throw out nearly half a buffalo hide. Left it stored in what used to be a safe area for a few years. It technically was just fine, had no mold or issues with the hair falling apart, but it pulled out a mildew smell from things condensating around it and I could not clean out the smell. So basically it ended up useless. If I could have put it in a giant vacuum sealed bag I would have but they don't make them that big. Thankfully I didn't lose any money on it since it was given to me but it still pisses me off that it was ruined by smell. If you know how to remove that smell I would very much appreciate the information. I don't want to have to throw out another hide if this happens again, unless I absolutely have to.

Do u generally flesh and salt the hides rolled up (flesh side in) then most tanning methods call for one pound or so salt per gallon of water mixture..then do u add bark solution? I wouldn't think hides would tan without salt.

How soon after skinning the rabbit do you need to do this? Can you process your rabbits, put the hides in the freezer and do this a week or so later?

Could you show us how to make a rabbit snare out of natural materials?

If you have already done 1 egg tan/ working on a bear hide, could you potentially bark tan it still? Would the egg solution hinder the bark tan process?

Do you have to tan..

Where do you sell you rabbit pelts?

What kind of tree bark brother I got a snake skin to do

Thanks for the info. Unrelated question, how do all your neighbors feel about raising and butchering rabbits next door to them?

What do you do with the tanned hides?

What happens if pouring the solution in the iron bucket?

Did you make your hat?

What if you use a pressure washer to 'scrape' the hides?