Traditional Tanners, Ashland, OR (2026)

04/28/2026

Hey humans. There is a fantastic international hide week happening in Minnesota next month at . This is the largest and most thorough traditional tanning event we’ve seen in North America, with brain tanning, bark tanning, smoked moose tanning, Scandinavian fish skin tanning, moccasin making, beadwork, leathercraft etc. North House is bringing over from Sweden, Anishinaabe tanners from Canada, this guy Matt from Oregon and a lot of local talent like

There’s classes but there is also conference style presentations and talks in the evenings and a free conference day. Mostly this sold out very early on but they just released a couple spots in most classes that they had reserved.

I’m teaching a couple of new classes. One on leather finishing and another on chemistry and science of traditional tanning. Lots of people have taken basic brain or bark tanning courses over the years so I wanted to offer something new for you more experienced tanners so we can all up our game (and to get you to come 😃). I’m also giving a talk on what I don’t know (so much) and how there is just so much more to discover and rediscover in this craft.

So come on out, learn things, teach me some things, meet great people and we’ll jump in the lake.

04/15/2026

Learn easier and totally natural ways to tan hides using tannin from plants 🪴 hair-on & hair-off.

It’s quite easy and fun to tan along from your own kitchen using the provided materials kit. Join people from all over the world 🌎 for 4 or 5 one hour zoom sessions or follow along
on your own schedule using the recordings.

Courses range from $162 to $178 and you’ll receive expert state of the art instruction with Matt Richards, tanner for 36 years. Tan deer 🦌 goat 🐐 sheep 🐑 rabbit 🐇 or just about anything into beautiful leather or hair-on hides.

Participants range from novices to tannery professionals, ranchers, homeschoolers, wild shepherdesses, survivalists, leathercrafters, hobbyists and people who teach tanning in their own communities. Over 1000 students from dozens of countries and six continents have joined us so far. Nobody from Antarctica yet (sad!)

Start with “Basics” as it’s the pre-requisite for “Hair-on”, , a
building block, and significantly different than what you’ll find elsewhere. Next round is at 6 pm pacific time starting May 4th 2026. Classes are structured so that they are novice friendly but also valuable for experienced tanners.

There are so many hides going to waste! Learn the magical transformative art of hide tanning and turn them into beauty that honors the animals. Links for registration in bio.

03/11/2026

Keep that money 💰 for yourself.

03/05/2026

Learn easier and totally natural ways to tan hides using tannin from plants 🪴 hair-on & hair-off.

It’s quite easy and fun to tan along from your own kitchen using the provided materials kit. Join people from all over the world 🌎 for 4 or 5 one hour zoom sessions or follow along
on your own schedule using the recordings.

Courses range from $158 to $178 and you’ll receive expert state of the art instruction with Matt Richards, tanner for 36 years. Tan deer 🦌 goat 🐐 sheep 🐑 rabbit 🐇 or just about
anything into beautiful leather or hair-on hides.

Participants range from novices to tannery professionals, ranchers, homeschoolers, wild shepherdesses, survivalists, leathercrafters, hobbyists and people who teach tanning in their own communities. Over 1000 students from dozens of countries and six continents have joined us so far. Nobody from Antarctica yet (sad!)

Start with “Basics” as it’s the pre-requisite for “Hair-on”, a building block, and significantly different than what you’ll find elsewhere. Next round is at 6 pm pacific time starting May 4th 2026. Classes are structured so that they are novice friendly but also valuable for experienced tanners. Taken Basics? Then join us for Soft vs Dense in April and take your skills to another level.

There are so many hides going to waste! Learn the magical transformative art of hide tanning and turn them into beauty that honors the animals. Links for registration in bio.

02/11/2026

UPS cut us a deal and we are passing it along. Cause you all have been ordering so much tannin, tanning supplies, sheepskins and buffalo robes, and we were shipping with FedEx discounted rates, they were like, we are going to massively undercut them, and we’re like, okay! We’re okay with that.

I think locally harvesting your own materials is the ideal, but not everyone can do that, and even for those that can, it can make sense to supplement with materials that are known to work, especially when you are learning, as then you have something to compare to.

Anyways, I’m all about making natural tanning materials just as available and reasonably priced as the chemicals, as that is what is going to make natural tanning more widespread. And shipping costs have definitely been a deterrent. So yay, fight for our business big shipping companies!
😁

02/11/2026

UPS cut us a deal and we are passing it along. Cause you all have been ordering so much tannin, tanning supplies, sheepskins and buffalo robes, and we were shipping with our FedEx discounted rates, they were like, we are going to massively undercut them, and we’re like, okay! We’re okay with that.

I think locally harvesting your own materials is the ideal, but not everyone can do that, and even for those that can, it can make sense to supplement with materials that are known to work, especially when you are learning, as then you have something to compare to.

Anyways, I’m all about making natural tanning materials just as available and reasonably priced as the chemicals, that is what is going to make natural tanning more widespread. And shipping costs have definitely been a deterrent. So yeah, fight for our business big shipping companies! 😁

02/11/2026

UPS cut us a deal and we are passing it along. Cause you all have been ordering so much tannin, tanning supplies, sheepskins and buffalo robes, and we were shipping with our FedEx discounted rates, they were like, we are going to massively undercut them, and we’re like, okay! We’re okay with that.

I think locally harvesting your own materials is the ideal, but not everyone can do that, and even for those that can, it can make sense to supplement with materials that are known to work, especially when you are learning, as then you have something to compare to.

Anyways, I’m all about making natural tanning materials just as available and reasonably priced as the chemicals, as that is what is going to make natural tanning more widespread. And shipping costs have definitely been a deterrent for some people. So yay, fight for our business big shipping companies! 😁 Fight away!

01/07/2026

Learn easier and totally natural ways to tan hides using tannin from plants 🪴 hair-on & hair-off.

It’s quite easy and fun to tan along from your own kitchen using the provided materials kit. Join people from all over the world 🌎 for 4 or 5 one hour zoom sessions or follow along
on your own schedule using the recordings.

Courses range from $158 to $175 and you’ll receive expert state of the art instruction with Matt Richards, tanner for 36 years. Tan deer 🦌 goat 🐐 sheep 🐑 cow 🐄 rabbit 🐇 or just about anything into beautiful leather or hair-on hides.

Participants range from novices to tannery professionals, ranchers, homeschoolers, wild shepherdesses, survivalists, leathercrafters, hobbyists and people who teach tanning in their own communities. Over 1000 students from dozens of countries and six continents have joined us so far. Nobody from Antarctica yet (sad!)

Start with “Basics” as it’s the pre-requisite for “Hair-on”, a building block, and significantly different than what you’ll find elsewhere. Next round is at 11 am pacific time (evening in Europe) starting February 2nd 2026. Classes are structured so that they are novice friendly but also valuable for experienced tanners. Taken Basics? Then join us for “Hair-on” in March and Soft vs Dense in April and take your skills to another level.

There are so many hides going to waste! Learn the magical transformative art of hide tanning and turn them into beauty that honors the animals. Links for registration in bio.

10/25/2025

Realized I have duplicates. Tell me in the comments why you would want these and I’ll send them to whoever seems like they’d be most helpful to. You pay shipping ($8 in US).

Tanning Chemistry by Covington : the current standard for leather chemistry (there is a newer edition). Lots of good stuff. Reasonably understandable. Disregard the cod oil tanning section as he mis-cites Sharphouse’s studies and provides exactly the opposite conclusion as a result.

“Application of Oils and Greases to Leather” written in 1919. Written when memory of how to make a variety of leathers without chrome still existed (though chrome was dominant). small but good. Even application to deer hides is a challenge and I’ve found many good ideas to pursue and test.

“The Manufacture of Leather” 1885. Written before chrome tanning had really taken over. An 800 page potpourri of recipes and methods.

08/06/2025

Be ready for tanning season! September, October and November Zoom course dates open for sign up.

Learn easier and totally natural ways to tan hides using tannin from plants 🪴 hair-on & hair-off. It’s quite easy and fun to tan along from your own kitchen using the provided materials kit. Join people from all over the world 🌎 for 4 or
5 one hour zoom sessions or follow along on your own schedule using the recordings.

Courses range from $150 to $175 and you’ll receive expert state of the art instruction with Matt Richards, tanner for 36 years. Tan deer 🦌 goat 🐐 sheep 🐑 cow 🐄 rabbit 🐇 or just about anything into beautiful leather or hair-on hides.

Participants range from novices to tannery professionals, ranchers, homeschoolers, wild shepherdesses, survivalists, leathercrafters, hobbyists and people who teach tanning in their own communities. Over 750 students from dozens of countries and six continents have joined us so far. Nobody from Antarctica yet (soon though, I can feel it).

Start with “Basics” as it’s the pre-requisite for “Hair-on”, a building block, and significantly different than what you’ll find elsewhere. Next one starts November 3rd. Classes are structured so that they are novice friendly but also valuable for experienced tanners. If you’ve already taken “Basics” you can join Hair-on in September and Soft vs Dense in October, and if you haven’t these classes will be offered again in the following months.

There are so many hides going to waste! Learn the magical transformative art of hide tanning and turn them into beauty that honors the animals. Links for registration in bio.

05/22/2025

June and August Zoom course dates open for sign up.

Learn easier and totally natural ways to tan hides using tannin from plants 🪴 : hair-on & hair-off. It’s quite easy and fun to tan along from your own kitchen using the provided materials kit. Join people from all over the 🌎 for 4 or 5 one hour zoom sessions or follow along on your own schedule using the recordings.

Courses range from $150 to $175 and you’ll receive expert state of the art instruction with Matt Richards, tanner for 36 years. Tan deer 🦌 goat 🐐 sheep 🐑 cow 🐄 rabbit 🐇 or just about anything into beautiful leather or hair-on hides.

Participants range from novices to tannery professionals, ranchers, homeschoolers, wild shepherdesses, survivalists, leathercrafters, hobbyists and people who teach tanning in their own communities. Over 750 students from dozens of countries and six continents have joined us so far. Nobody from Antarctica yet (soon though, I can feel it).

Start with “Basics” as it’s the pre-requisite for the “Hair-on”, a building block, and significantly different than what you’ll find elsewhere. Next one starts August 4th. Classes are structured so that they are novice friendly but also valuable for experienced tanners.

There are so many hides going to waste! Learn the magical transformative art of hide tanning and turn them into beauty that honors the animals. Links for registration in bio.

Traditional Tanners

04/28/2026

04/15/2026

03/11/2026

03/05/2026

02/11/2026

02/11/2026

02/11/2026

01/07/2026

10/25/2025

08/06/2025

05/22/2025

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