Bark-tanned Sheepskin Rug
Our Hide Club season has a built-in 18-day schedule for bark-liquoring. At just over three weeks, this is enough time to tan a sheep skin into leather with most tannins, at consistent heat + with consistent stirring. Some tannins are slower (Oak) and others are fast (Mimosa extract). It is important to know that your hide has become leather before taking it out of the bark-liquor (ie don’t assume; measure).
The finishing tests for bark-tanned leather:
Cut a piece of hide away at the neck and haunches + look at the cross section of each piece.
1.The first thing to look for is dye through + through the entirety of the hide. If you see a white or very light-coloured line int he middle, the hide is not leather yet.
2. The second thing to look for is a leathery texture. Dye will travel first, before tannins. Once tannins travel into the hide, they will react with proteins + turn the hide leathery. If you see an evenly-coloured hide but parts of have a ‘skin’ look to them, the hide is not leather yet.
3. If your hide passes the two above tests, the third test is to let that piece of leather dry (which may take overnight). Bend and twist it once it is dry. If it is flexible + easy to stretch, rather than stiff like rawhide, it is leather.