THE LIFE OF A TANNER
Oh, hello, my name is Jack. I am a tanner. I take animal skins and turn them into leather. It takes a long time to tan leather and it is very smelly. Everyday, I have to put the animal skins
in a large vat with tannic acid. I have to hang the leather hide up to dry. I sell my leather to many people. One person is the famous saddle maker.
First, I go to the Trapper’s shop and buy an animal skin. Then I bring the hide back to my
shop. I put it on a half table called a beam and get this big knife called an unhairer. It scrapes all
the hair off the hide. This is the hardest part of my job. I feel tired from scraping the hair off – it
is hard work!
I then put the hide into a big, long bucket filled with tannic acid. The tannic acid helps clean
the hide. I wait three hours. I take a vat hook that grabs the leather and pulls it out of the tannic
acid. The hook helps me so I don’t get the chemicals on my hands. That would really hurt after
awhile. Then I hang the leather on a frame with hooks. Once it its dry, I smooth it again with
brains. Yes, brains! I know it is gross, but it keeps the leather soft.
I use something called a sleeker to smooth the leather by rubbing it on the leather. At the end,
I rub the hide with another piece of leather called a buffer to make the leather even shinier.
My job is very important because there are many uses for leather. Leather is used to make
saddles. Leather aprons are used by blacksmiths so that the embers from the fires don’t burn
them. Shoes can be made of leather, it makes them strong and they last longer. People make
pouches out of leather and even the cover of books can be made of leather.
Sorry, I have to get back to work or my master will get really mad! Good day to you!!
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