Tanning Game - Traditional Nordic Tanning Methods for Leather and Furs

Nordic Methods of Leather and Hide Tanning

Tanning Game: Traditional Nordic Tanning Methods for Leather and Furs is a comprehensive guide to the art of traditional tanning, using age-old techniques and all-natural materials. With clear, step-by-step instructions and a wealth of photographs, this book explores a wide range of traditional methods, tools, and resources for transforming game animal hides into durable leather and beautiful pelts.

The book covers the tanning of a wide variety of game animal hides and furs, with a focus on species commonly found in the Northern Hemisphere and Scandinavia. It provides detailed guidance on tanning cervids such as moose, white-tailed deer, roe deer, fallow deer, European mouflon, and reindeer. Additionally, it offers tips for handling the pelts of large carnivores like bear, wolf, and lynx, as well as processing the hides of smaller carnivores, including fox, raccoon dog, European pine marten, badger, stoat, American mink, and European polecat.

Praised by Experts, Great For Beginners

Whether you're a beginner starting your tanning journey or an experienced crafter looking for expert tips, Tanning Game is an invaluable resource. Praised by tanners worldwide as one of the finest guides to the craft, this second edition features a refined translation for enhanced clarity and flow.

A Sustainable Craft 

Traditional tanning is an ancient, hands-on craft that relies entirely on natural processes—free from industrial methods and toxic chemicals. All the necessary materials can be sourced from the local environment, and the process requires no expensive tools or complex workspaces—just time, curiosity, and a willingness to engage with nature hands-on! 

The book explores a variety of tanning techniques, including vegetable tanning, which uses bark from local trees and shrubs to create a tanning solution. Traditional methods such as fat tanning and brain tanning are also thoroughly discussed, along with an assessment of combining these techniques. Tanning Game equips tanners with the knowledge of various methods, allowing them to choose the most suitable approach for creating beautiful, durable leather and fur products using only natural, locally sourced materials.

Keeping the Tradition Alive

Modern hunters are taught to make full use of their game, yet skins are often neglected and discarded despite their incredible value as raw material. Our ancestors understood the importance of using every part of an animal, but the knowledge of how to reclaim and process hides is at risk of being lost.

The book features fascinating interviews with hunters and tanners who specialize in particular types of game, such as wild boar, seal, beaver, European hare, and mountain hare. An in-depth interview with an expert in the traditional Sámi methods of working with reindeer skins provides an unprecedented insight into these ancient techniques, which are still practiced today. 

This book seeks to preserve and pass down traditional tanning techniques to a new generation. Reviving these skills is essential for sustainable hunting practices and for keeping the craft of natural tanning alive.

About the Author

Hanna Nore is a master tanner, artisan, and teacher of traditional tanning methods from Finland, Kimito Island. She has distilled her extensive knowledge and decades of hands-on experience into this thorough and engaging guide. 

Product Details

• Book title: Tanning Game - Traditional Nordic Tanning Methods for Leather and Furs
  
• Author: Hanna Nore
• Publisher: Rödmossa Oy, Kimito, Finland (March, 2025)
• ISBN: 978-952-88-0171-9
• Language: English
• Perfect bound: 304 pages