Home Tanning of Leather and Small Fur Skins is an illustrated USDA reference on turning hides into useful leather and preparing small fur skins. Revised by J. S. Rogers and I. D. Clarke, this version of Farmers’ Bulletin No. 1334 was slightly revised in February 1962.
The booklet connects tanning with practical farm needs: harness, straps, laces, soles, and other serviceable leather. It also explains why doing the work at home is not always the most economical choice. Rather than promising easy results, it considers the equipment, labor, judgment, and finishing needed to produce a usable material.
Book details
- Title: Home Tanning of Leather and Small Fur Skins
- Revised by: J. S. Rogers and I. D. Clarke
- Original edition authors: R. W. Frey, F. P. Veitch, and I. D. Clarke
- Series: Farmers’ Bulletin No. 1334
- Issuing body: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
- Revision: Revised February 1954; slightly revised February 1962
- Printing: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1962
- Language: English
- Length: 29 PDF pages, including covers and preliminary material; main text numbered 1–25
- Format: Illustrated scanned PDF with searchable text
- File size: 1.29 MB
Choosing between home tanning and professional work
The opening pages examine having hides tanned professionally and buying leather by the side. These sections are useful for understanding the relationship between a raw hide and the finished material needed for a particular job. Not every hide is suitable for every kind of leather.
The bulletin distinguishes heavy sole and harness leather from lighter products, and discusses the practical information a tanner would need about a hide. It also explains purchasing terms such as sides, backs, and bends. Its prices and shipping arrangements belong to the period, but the broader comparison of materials, labor, and expected results helps frame the rest of the booklet.
Preparing hides and understanding the tools
The home-tanning section begins with preparation and equipment. It stresses having supplies ready before starting and matching the process to the size and condition of the hide. This matters because tanning is a sequence of operations rather than a single treatment that instantly produces finished leather.
Preliminary operations include soaking, fleshing, and preparing the hide for the chosen tanning method. Drawings show implements such as a fleshing knife, drawing knife, slickers, and a stake. These illustrations give readers a clearer picture of the handwork described in the text and the difference between removing unwanted tissue and working the leather toward its final condition.
Three approaches to leather
A substantial section covers bark-tanned sole and harness leather. It follows the treatment through tanning and finishing, connecting the choice of material with the heavy, durable leather used for farm purposes. Readers interested in traditional vegetable tanning can use this chapter to study the terminology and sequence of the method.
The chrome-tanned leather section provides a contrasting process. Its discussion extends beyond the tanning bath to later operations, including neutralizing, coloring, oiling, and finishing. This makes the booklet useful for seeing how different treatments relate to the flexibility and intended use of the finished leather.
A shorter section addresses alum-tanned lace leather. Together, these chapters show that “leather” is not one uniform product: a strap, a lace, and a sole impose different demands. The bulletin is especially valuable as a compact comparison of historical approaches to producing those materials.
Small fur skins and finishing work
The final major section concerns small fur skins, especially skins of low market value. It cautions inexperienced workers against beginning with valuable skins or large hides intended for coats, robes, or rugs. It also emphasizes that different skins vary in thickness, grease content, and tolerance for handling.
Subjects include soaking and fleshing, combination tannage, salt-alum tannage, and salt-acid tannage. The finishing discussion explains the importance of working and softening a skin as it dries. This gives readers a useful understanding of why a chemically treated skin may still need considerable mechanical work before it becomes soft and flexible.
Who will find this useful?
This reference suits readers studying traditional material skills, farm history, leather production, and the work behind household or workshop supplies. It complements the practical references in Ardbark’s homesteading collection and self-sufficiency collection. Its illustrations and compact organization make it approachable as an introduction to the vocabulary of tanning.
Reading this historical bulletin
The PDF preserves the original illustrated cover, library markings, and printed pages. Searchable text contains recognition errors, so check the page images for names, quantities, and technical wording. The recipes include historical chemical and solvent practices, including gasoline use, that should not be treated as current handling instructions. Study the processes in their historical context and consult current chemical-handling and disposal guidance before practical work.
Read Home Tanning of Leather and Small Fur Skins
The complete illustrated bulletin is available in the 1.29 MB PDF below.
