Traditional Tanners

At Traditional Tanners we use totally natural methods to transform sheep and goat hides into super soft and washable heirlooms that help farmers make additional income reselling their hides through farmer’s markets, websites and social media. People love getting their hides from someone that they know raised the animals in a good way, and having them naturally tanned really completes the picture. And hides we tan are valued significantly more. We’ve helped many farmers do this and are consistently told how successful it’s been. We help people understand how to preserve hides for tanning (its easy), ship cost effectively and then provide placards and re-sale support after tanning. We also buy raw skins of jacob, icelandic, churro, and other interesting breeds.

We started in 1989 with a vision to make garments from something totally local and natural. Finding out that hides were frequently just thrown away, we dove into the art of tanning, focusing for many years on making buckskin from deer. In 2007 we became certified organic for tanning sheep and goat skins and in recent years started to offer a tan and return service for farmers. We partner with the Mendocino Redwood Company to harvest tannin rich Tan Oak bark from areas that are slated to be logged in place of hack and squirt treatment. Tan Oak was the main source of tannin in northern California before chemical tanning took over, makes fantastic leather and is another piece of completing the circle of production in the fibershed. We also provide tanning education to help re-establish tanning on a more natural and sustainable model in fibersheds throughout the world, so that less hides go to waste and our waterways stay clean. We do this through online classes, in person classes, internships, consulting, instructional guides and continuous research and development.