Unlike virtually any other tannery, we’ll tell you exactly how we tan sheepskins and goat hides, as well as every ingredient used. In fact, we’ll gladly teach you how to tan just like we do in our monthly zoom classes — it’s quite satisfying. Other tanneries will tell you that they are natural and sustainable, but won’t disclose all of their ingredients. Read about how to identify tanning truth from fiction on our FAQs page.
The complete list.
Tannin from Mimosa or Tan Oak Bark
Acacia mearnsii or Notholithocarpus densiflorus for you plant nerds.
Natural Oils
Either an emulsion of organic egg yolks and organic olive oil for our certified organic customers, or fish oil.
Citric Acid
Non-GMO citric acid is added to the tannin solution as a pH adjuster.
Salt
Used in the tanning process but there is no salt in the finished skins.
Vinegar
A vinegar and water solution is used as a conditioner for combing the hair.
Sprinkle in over 35 years of experience and that’s it! And because we are a certified organic tannery — which may or may not be important to you — we keep strict records and are subject to random audits.
We hand harvest local tan oak bark in areas that are scheduled to be logged in cooperation with the Mendocino Redwood Company.
We soak the ground bark in our own spring water to extract the tannin tea.
For white wooled hides, we use naturally produced mimosa extract because it keeps the white wool whiter.
The hides are paddled in a tannin tea for about a week until the tannin has penetrated all the way through the skin. The tannin is really the magic in this tanning method. It combines with the proteins in the skin to make a new substance: leather. We know how to use it in such a way that the leather comes out very soft and supple.
We hand apply a natural oil emulsion to the skin side of the hide.
The hides dry in our custom built drying room.
We tumble them soft in our 8-foot-tall wooden drum.
Lastly, we groom the hair with a combing machine that we built ourselves and do the detail work by hand.
Ashland, OR 97520 • customerservice@braintan.com