RustyNumbat Posted March 14, 2017 (edited) G'day all, Can anyone direct me to what plants I could extract tannin for the tanning of leather with? So far I've read that soaking black wattle provides a good solution, anything else anyone knows about? I'm in south west WA. I'm hoping to learn how to skin and prepare my own leather using "primitive" low tech techniques. (I'll try anything once, also got a furnace in the works to smelt some copper ore from the north west using primitive charcoal smelting!) My old man thought red gum also was used, though whether this was diluted in water or what I don't know. Edited March 14, 2017 by RustyNumbat Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RustyNumbat Posted March 19, 2017 Well looks like I have a good friend in " Medicinal Plants in Australia Volume 2: Gums, Resins, Tannin and Essential Oils " but I have to locate a copy to buy! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterboy 2.0 Posted March 19, 2017 (edited) https://books.google.com.au/books?id=qc9UAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA186&lpg=PA186&dq=australian+plants+for+tannin&source=bl&ots=zXHMAI_zI5&sig=gFwCekeY9uqmWIthBGBsS3-ZNXA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjnhY2boeLSAhWGLpQKHYuNASs4ChDoAQhJMA0#v=onepage&q=australian plants for tannin&f=false might help above, can't find volume 2 as a digital full copy.....can find volume 1,2, and 4...lol I've used Acacia melanoxylon and A.mearnsii .A.mearnsii is the Black Wattle of tannin fame, and is now a global weed due to being exported as a high tanin yielding crop. Tanning with brains is also a viable option (bit of work though) which is the preferred primitive tech for many cultures.Also worth looking into if not familiar. Edited March 19, 2017 by waterboy 2.0 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RustyNumbat Posted March 19, 2017 It certainly looks like black wattle is the go. I'm also keen to give marri gum a try, as apparently the bloodwood gums were used by the natives for making waterskins. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
