BUCKSKIN TANNING

Having worked in a Dutch tannery for seven years, leather and skin is something that fascinates me. Tanning hides and turning them into leather is an ancient practice that dates back thousands of years.

My work experience in the leather industry taught me the principles of making leather on an industrial scale. The hides have been in many people’s hands before it is even turned into leather. Leather is a commodity and still today many people have no idea where it comes from. Dairy cows, primarily raised for milk production, must bear calves to lactate effectively. Once the calves are born, they become a by-product of the dairy process and are subsequently utilised in the meat industry. The hides from these animals, in turn, become another by-product of the meat industry, contributing to the leather production chain.

But what if we make our own leather? I wanted to find out if it was possible to make my own leather from local animals. Under very strict circumstances hunting is allowed, because of population management. The deer go to the butcher and the hides are usually thrown away. Only a few people still use these hides. I came in contact with Thijmen Apswoude who is a bush crafter, specialized in traditional tanning. I joined one of his courses on traditional buckskin tanning.

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Traditionally buckskin is used for clothing and is still used for this in bushcraft. The ‘rules’ say that it is too thin for shoes. Since my inspiration was a one piece material shoe, I decided to make something similar. What is interesting to see is that after wearing the shoe for a day, the footprint became visible at the bottom. This shows that it is almost a barefoot experience walking on these shoes!

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