Finishing bark or vegetable-tanned leather is an art unto itself typically done by entirely separate craft houses from the tanners. Modern leathercrafters use modern chemicals, but this class will focus on using natural, familiar materials to bring out and enhance your leather’s natural beauty, its degree of waterproofing, softness, or how well it will stay clean. Students will explore how to even out the grain surface in preparation for finishing with oxalic acid, baking soda, and other scours, sumaching, dyeing, types and application strategies of oils and waxes, natural pigment paints, glazes such as egg whites and hide glue, hand work such as boarding, sleeking, and setting out, and how all of this differs between different types of hides. There will be a variety of materials for students to experiment with and take home. Class will be a mix of hands-on practice, presentation, and discussion, so that students learn the principles both tactilely and conceptually.

Required Tools

• Knife or scissors

Optional Tools

• Feel free to bring your own bark or veg tanned leathers to work on too.

This course is part of Hide Week 2026. Plan to arrive early for the Tanner’s Conference Day on Friday, May 15, which features demonstrations, speakers, and community gatherings offered as a benefit to students enrolled in Hide Week coursework. Full schedule available online in winter 2026.