Making Leather - Start to Finish

 

The course objectives are for you to learn the process involved, practice the technical skills required and leave with enough knowledge for you to set up your own small scale tannery.

This weekend course located in a stunning Dartmoor valley not far from Scorriton.  You will meet a recently culled wild Dartmoor roe deer: head, feet - everything bar the intestines! Using hand tools you will be shown how to remove its skin skillfully in one piece.

 

Tanning is the process used to preserve the skin by transforming it into leather. The active ingredient is tannin found in plentiful supply in the bark of certain trees. Using these natural tannins you will  start the skin on its process to become leather. 

Making leather the traditional way takes several weeks so for the purpose of this course you will work with several skins each at a different point in the process. You will fully engage with every stage to help you understand how to replicate this remarkable transformation.

 

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It must be stressed that this is craft tanning. Its not manufacturing to defined quality standards. The process replicates broadly that used in modern manufacture but without strictly controlled ph, temperature and modern machinery totally predictable results cannot be guaranteed.  Dont take this as a negative - its not.  These uncontrollable factors and zero investment in machinery are what make this type of tanning so interesting.

This is pre-1800's leather manufacture!

After a hard days work you will have earned the tender venison from your own skinned deer slowly cooked on the open fire. 

The Sunday session will be in the workshop creating a simple but special piece from home tanned wild roe deer to take home and treasure. Simple patterns, tools and support will be provided. No previous experience of leatherwork is necessary.

 

The Location

The venue for this weekend course is in Dartmoor deer country. Its a wild landscape offering a wonderful and totally appropriate environment for our weekend. The deer roam freely close-by and there will be time to walk out from the farm and up the wooded Mardle valley to observe them.

 


 Course Tutors 

The course is led by John Hagger. He has been developing his tanning skills over the last 10 years. His research has led him to explore methods of tanning from different indiginous cultures notably Sami and Native American traditions as well as our own traditional techniques. 

He makes beautiful hand made leathergoods enjoying the unusual mix of hand made rustic leather and modern design


Hugh Bourne runs Deer Force 10 a company principally involved with the sustainable management of deer populations. This is centred around an organic deer park set in beautiful surroundings on the south eastern slopes of Dartmoor. His qualifications include an MSc in Wildlife management and a PGCE in teaching. Hugh aims to pass on skills that encourage self reliance and an understanding of the connection between, for example, the live deer and the products that we can respectfully derive from that animal.  

 

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