Here are some images from hide tanning workshops from Diderot's Encyclopedia, 1769 that I found interesting as a leather worker and occasional hide tanner. If you have done any hide tanning you'll recognize the tools of the trade. Not much changes for the small-time home tanner. I suspect this is some hot and smelly work … Continue reading Hide Tanning 1769
Some things never really change... While looking through my image archive I came upon some leather working illustrations dated to the early 15th century. All but one of the images below is from the extremely informative Mendel manuscript dated 1425 created at Nuremberg, in what is now Germany. Creating leather from animal hides has been … Continue reading Leatherworking Images from the Middle Ages
Fleshing a hide on a beam. A familiar site to only a few of us these days but a common one for most of our history. Source: Turkestanskii al’bom, chast’ promyslovai︠a︡, 1871-1872, part 3, p. 26.
Some craftsmanship seen at Winter Count 2014. Moving a little closer to a hand-made life, one skill at a time. Hand made pottery made by artisans who collect the raw clays, slips, and paints make for greatly loved cookware and cups. Wood turned on a foot-powered lathe from cleared alder trees make for intimate dinnerware. … Continue reading Handcrafts
