Editing Tanning (leather) (section)

== Preparation ==
[[File:Rabbit pelt tanned.jpg|thumb|Tanned rabbit pelt. The fur has been left on, apart from small patches exposing leather.]]

The tanning process begins with obtaining an animal skin. When an animal skin is to be tanned, the animal is killed and skinned before the body heat leaves the tissues.<ref>{{cite web|title=What is Vegetable Tanned Leather?|url=https://thewalletshoppe.com/vegetable-tanned-leather/ |publisher=The Wallet Shoppe|date=2018-03-07 }}</ref> This can be done by the tanner, or by obtaining a skin at a slaughterhouse, farm, or local fur trader.

Before tanning, the skins are often dehaired, then have fat, meat and connective tissue removed. They are then washed and soaked in water with various compounds, and prepared to receive a tanning agent. They are then soaked, stretched, dried, and sometimes smoked.

=== Curing ===
Preparing hides begins by [[Curing (food preservation)|curing]] them with salt to prevent putrefaction of the collagen from bacterial growth during the time lag from procuring the hide to when it is processed. Curing removes water from the hides and skins using a difference in osmotic pressure. The moisture content of hides and skins is greatly reduced, and osmotic pressure increased, to the point that bacteria are unable to grow. In wet-salting, the hides are heavily salted, then pressed into packs for about 30 days. In [[brine]]-curing, the hides are agitated in a saltwater bath for about 16 hours. Curing can also be accomplished by preserving the hides and skins at very low temperatures.