Whether you are a DIY tanner or a large-scale commercial tannery, the basic steps of tanning are the same, just on different scales.
Tanning is the process of turning a raw hide or skin into leather. Hides typically have coarse, often hollow, hair and are from larger mammals, such as deer, elk, moose, buffalo, etc. Skins have fur and are from smaller thinned skinned mammals such as rabbit, squirrel, fox, coyote, beaver, raccoon, etc.
There are also skins from snakes and other reptiles with scales. The terms overlap and are often used interchangeably. For this article we use the term hide, but it also refers to skins.
Tanning can be performed with the hair on or hair-off, known as buckskin tanning. This produces a hairless leather on both sides.
There is more to a well tanned hide than just the tanning product used. Other important factors include: a properly taken care of hide from the start, process completed in a timely manner, the type of hide, the region it is from, time of year it is harvested, the age, and possible diseases.
*Note the biggest enemy and highest cause of failure in tanning is bacteria. The above factors play a key role as well as following the recommended product directions (especially with regards to timing) to mitigating this threat.
Squirrel with Hair Slippage
The information in this article is an overview to help the tanner better understand the chemicals and procedures used to help produce the highest quality tanned hide.
Our warehouse team member Staci, learning about tanning a Burmese Python.
Commercial tannery, Mountain West Tannery
Commercial tannery Zebra in tan bath, Mountain West Tannery
The Tanning Process
Turning a raw skin into leather is a multi-step process. Note that each step builds on the previous one and each plays an important role in the tanning process. Once the process is started, you will have the best results by continuing through each step from start to finish without stopping. Some steps take longer than others; stay tuned for our newest video on How Long Does it Take to Tan a Hide? | DIY Deer Hide Tanning Timeline Explained to get an idea of the time involved for this popular hide (video coming to our Youtube channel soon).
Tanning Steps
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Skinning and Field Care
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Fleshing
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Curing/Salting
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Rehydrating
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Degreasing
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Pickling
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Shaving/Thinning
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Tanning
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Oiling
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Drying/Breaking
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Finishing – making it look pretty
Skinning and Field Care
Once an animal is harvested, bacteria will immediately start to grow in the body and the hide. See our article on Proper Handling of Raw Hides. For this reason, the hide should be removed from the animal as soon as possible. See our article and guide on Proper Field Care for an in-depth explanation including how to skin for taxidermy and flat skin tanning.
Fleshing
What: Fleshing is the first step in the tanning process and it is the method of removing the meat, fat and membrane. Generally, just minimal fleshing can be done in the field. So, once you are ready to start the tanning process, a more thorough fleshing can be done using a fleshing beam and fleshing tool.
For more, check out our video on fleshing a tube skinned raccoon.
Why: Only 30% of a hide or skin is tannable, so the rest of the “non-tannable” substances, or “proteins” must be removed. There are several methods used to do this: fleshing, salting, degreasing and pickling.
Fleshing removes the meat, fat and membrane, down to the “smooth” or hypodermis area, of the hide. A clean hide will allow the salt to penetrate deeper.
Curing
What: Curing a raw hide is the process of taking away the environment for bacteria and providing a means of storing the hide (if needed) prior to tanning. It is important that this process be done as soon as possible.
There are two methods used to cure:
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Air Dry: This is common for fur skins (typically tube skinned) where they are stretched on wire frames to dry.
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Salting: This is the process of applying a heavy layer of dry salt to the fleshed hide.
See these videos about Salting:
Why: Bacteria action in the hide is stopped when the moisture content is reduced to below 15-20%. Salt dehydrates the hide, pulling moisture out. It also adheres to the non-tannable proteins, including blood, and separates it from the skin fibers – for this reason, do not re-use salt. Pulling these proteins out will make rehydrating easier.
Also, the chloride in salt has an antibacterial effect, helping to control bacteria growth.
Rehydrating
What: This is the process of rewetting and relaxing the dry, cured hides.
Why: Rehydrating dry hides relaxes them and opens up the pores to accept the pickle. The rehydration bath also washes off the salt and helps clean the hides. See our video on rehydrating a dry salted hide.
Deer Hide in Rehydrating Bath
Degreasing
What: Hides and skins have natural fats and degreasing is the process of removing these fats. Hides such as antelope, deer, elk, and moose require very little degreasing and generally can be degreased by adding a degreaser, see D-Solv 60, to the rehydration and pickle baths. However, fur skins such as bear, beaver, raccoon pigs, sheep and predators, may require a separate degreasing step.
Why: Fat and grease left in the skin, will harden and prevent the tan from fully penetrating. Grease will also leave the tanned hide stiff and not pliable in some areas.
Degreasing Bath
Pickling
What: Pickling a hide is the process of lowering the pH and prepping the hide for the tanning process. A pickle bath typically consists of water, salt and an acid. A degreaser and cleaner can also be added.
Why: There are several reasons a hide is pickled:
- Helps to set the hair by stopping bacteria growth
- It firms the hide making shaving easier
- Pickling swells the hide and opens up the fibers to provide more tanning sites
- Allows the tan to penetrate more evenly
Pickle Bath
Shaving/Thinning
What: This is the process of thinning the thicker areas of the flesh side of hides. Typically, small game, such as squirrel, rabbit, fox, coyote, etc. do not need thinning, but only in some areas. The neck and rump area in most larger mammals is heavier and should be thinned.
Why: Hides are made up of intertwining, continuous collagen fibers. These fibers are tightly woven on the hide’s surface grain and must be thinned to achieve quality leather. By shaving this layer, the fibers are cut, resulting in loose ends which give more stretch and softness to the leather and reduces shrinkage.
Having a thin hide will help the tan to penetrate better. These attributes are important for taxidermy tanning.
Commercial tanneries typically use fleshing/shaving wheels to thin hides
DIY shaving can be done with a sharp tool working at 45 degree angle
DIY shaving can also be done using an angle grinder
Tanning
What: “Tanning is the process of converting the tannable protein of a hide in the raw state into a flexible and stable material that is not susceptible to putrefaction.” - Dale Knobloch
In short, it turns raw hides and skins into leather.
Why: Tanning the hide prevents it from rotting and decaying. It produces a long-lasting, usable hide that is flexible, soft and can be used for taxidermy, or "soft tanning" for rugs, clothing and crafts. Hides can be tanned with hair-on or hair-off.
Deer hide being tanned with NuTan
A deer buckskin hide being tanned in a Pickle Tan A-21 tan bath
Oiling
What: Oiling a tanned hide, often called “swabbing”, is the process of applying a “swab oil” that softens the hide. This is done after tanning with a commercial tanning agent like Pickle Tan A-21 or TanX AL-6, which is an altered alum formulated specifically to prevent acid rot.
Why: Oils keep tanned leather soft and pliable. The type of oils Advanced Tanning Solutions offers will penetrate the hide and fix (not migrate) to the leather fibers to prevent them from washing out. This makes it ideal for taxidermy tanning.
*Note: NuTan is a tan and oil in one, so it only needs to be applied in one step.
Applying Hide Oil to a tanned deer hide
Drying/Breaking
What: After the oil has fully penetrated into the hide, it is hung to dry. At this point, the hide is fully tanned.
Why: “Breaking” a hide is done to prevent it from drying hard and stiff. Manually or mechanically (in a large circular drum with saw chips) breaks the fibers to keep the hide soft and pliable.
Bear skins after drumming
Hand breaking an elk hide
Finishing
What: This is the final step where the hide is made to look “pretty”.
Finishing includes:
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Grooming: Manually brushing or combing out to detangle
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Trimming: Cleaning up jagged edges with a scalpel or scissors
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Air blowing: Removes debris and fluffs the hair
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Conditioning: Adds a shine to dull hair, see Hair Gloss
Grooming a raccoon skin
Conclusion
Tanning is a process that requires time, patience, and careful attention at every step, from field care to finishing. With the right products and techniques, you can turn a raw hide into a soft, durable piece of leather for use with taxidermy or flat skin tanning. Whether you’re a first-time DIY tanner or running a full commercial operation, understanding and using the right process and tools makes all the difference.
"Finish the hunt, save the hide"!
Contact us with questions or guidance.