DEER SKIN TANNING

Step back in time at the beautiful Foteviken Viking Museum and learn to transform a raw hide into beautiful, usable leather

Over three information-packed days, you'll discover the ancient, non-toxic craft of brain tanning. Come and experience the whole progression of this remarkable process, surrounded by the inspiring history and scenery of an authentic Viking village.

Before the advent of modern tanning agents, humans were turning raw skin into usable leather products using very basic techniques and materials. Learn to produce incredibly soft, strong, and durable leather from raw animal skin using one of humankind’s earliest tanning technologies! Utilizing materials readily available in the surrounding environment, we will walk through the steps of this transformation.

This class will focus on tanning Deer Skin with a variation of fat tanning using lecithin as the dressing agent. Whilst not for the squeamish, the end product is worth the work! The class will cover desalinating preserved skins, de-fleshing, de-hairing, de-graining, and softening the skins, as well as smoking them so they can be easily washed.

Note: To maintain the authentic atmosphere of the Foteviken Viking Museum, all participants are required to wear Viking attire.

If you don't have your own, just let me know, and I'll arrange to borrow a set for you from the museum.

In addition to enthusiastic instruction, I provide comfortable, easy-to-use tools and detailed handouts covering the tanning process, as well as ethnographic anecdotes and a list of helpful literature for those who wish to further their knowledge of tanning! So, please join me for a course sure to contain plenty of memorable moments, lots of practical information, and, if you put in the work**, one that will see you heading home with a beautiful, unique, and usable traditionally tanned skin!

* Using brains or egg yolks as an alternative dressing agent will be covered.

** Please be aware that a reasonable amount of fitness is required for this course. I will provide instruction on good technique and timing with the skins, but you will need to be on your feet and active for 6 to 8 hours per day. 

Any serious injuries must be discussed with me before booking the course.

Additional Information:

Payment: You can pay by credit card, use one of our gift cards, or pay over time with PayPal Pay Later.

Duration: 3 days (Wednesday 10:00 am - Friday 4:00 pm)

Max number of participants: 12

Prerequisites: None

Venue and location: 

Situated on a beautiful bay in southern Sweden, the Foteviken Viking Museum is a truly stunning and immersive location for our workshop. Conveniently located just a short 20-minute drive from Malmö, the journey itself is a treat, as you'll follow the scenic coastline with its unique white, sandy beaches before arriving at the authentic Viking village.

Catering: This course is self-catered. I am many things, but a good cook is not one of them!

Accommodation: Free camping is available on site. The museum's restaurant serves lunch and dinner (BBQ), and a kiosk offers lighter options like hot dogs, toasties, and ice cream. In addition to camping, you'll find a variety of hotels and Airbnbs conveniently located within walking distance of the venue.

Included: All course materials, coffee, and tea.

Not included: Off-site Accommodation and food.

A bit about me:

I'm an avid practitioner of traditional living skills and of all kinds of primitive technology. My interest came in part from growing up in the USA's Rocky Mountains, where backpacking, hunting, and fishing are deeply rooted in the culture. This passion led me to the academic field of Experimental Archaeology, where I earned a PhD from the University of Exeter in the UK.

My work has been featured in both documentaries and popular TV shows, including Alone Season 8 and Surviving the Stone Age. I've been tanning skins using traditional methods for over 30 years. Learning to tan was a natural offshoot of my desire to use as much of an animal as possible, and it had the added bonus of producing a beautiful end product.

In my instruction, I share a wide range of information—from the intricate details of skin morphology to helpful tips for dealing with the numerous, frustrating problems often encountered when you're first learning to tan.