Oak Bark

Tan Oak bark is an excellent source of tannins that we harvest ourselves from trees that are slated to be logged. This is what we use in our own tannery, but there is so much available (and otherwise going to waste) that we are making this available to other tanners. Oak barks are a very typical and traditional source of tannin throughout the world and using our oak bark will give you an excellent understanding of how these barks work, even if your goal is to ultimately harvest your own local material. Tan Oak bark is 90% hydrolyzable tannins (easily water soluble, tan/buff colors) and 10% condensed tannins (red, requires heating to extract), giving you an excellent range of color possibilities. Slower to penetrate than Mimosa, but yielding really soft quality leather, tan oak bark was historically the basis for the entire tanning industry in the western United States.

• Expect 3-7 days to tan deer hides through.
• You’ll need 1 to 2 lbs. bark for every pound of hide you want to tan (an average deer hide is about 6 lbs. though they can range anywhere from 2 to 12 lbs.).
• 1 1/2 lb. bark to 1 pound hide works well if you are tanning several hides in a series (i.e. reusing your tannin solution).
• 2 lbs. per pound of hide if just tanning 1 hide.