The processing of hides and skins is one of the oldest known crafts and cultural techniques. Today, tanning is done primarily with chemicals, but traditional tanning was done with fat, smoke, and plant extracts to make the hides durable and soft.  This book teaches you the centuries-old art of easy-to-do, natural, inexpensive fat tanning with a few simple tools and limited space. Tanning with pure natural products leads to wonderful leather products that anyone can make themselves at home without any prior experience or knowledge.  The step-by-step illustrations show in detail how the self-tanned skins and skins are processed, as well as how to turn raw pelts and furs into leather gloves, moccasins, hats, capes, jackets, and other simple everyday leather objects. Explore different tanning methods like the "Open Method" and the "Tube Method" and learn associated skills like salting, freezing, and drying your homemade leather.