The Tanning Spirit DVD

A video by Mel Beattie, 45 minutes

See how to do the major steps

• Recommended if you don’t have access to hands-on instruction
• Helps you see how to do each step of the wet-scrape process
• Valuable learning tool, but lacks the detail to be used as your only guide

If you don’t have the opportunity to take a class or work with someone more experienced, watching this video will show you what a book can’t. Mel’s hides are so even, soft and beautiful, that they inspired a whole generation to switch to the wet-scrape method.

His depiction of braining and softening wet-scrapes is over-simplified (through no fault of his, he was actually doing something to the hides that he wasn’t aware was greatly affecting them — which he doesn’t show in the video. If you take a fresh hide, and tan it exactly the way he shows it will not normally come out soft — though now Mel includes an info sheet that fills in the blanks). Despite this, it is very helpful to look over the shoulders of this master tanner and see the motions of scraping, wringing, softening etc. Get this video with Deerskins into Buckskins or Wet-scrape Braintanned Buckskin.