Medieval: Tanning and Leather

Natural Leather Tanning: Collecting Tan Oak Bark for Vegetable Tanning Skins, bark tan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX8g0Yt0ZmI

"Testing a Bunch of Natural Leather Tanning Materials- leaves, barks, roots, acorn caps, etc."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox3NcfQz7us

Notholithocarpus densiflorus, commonly known as the tanoak or tanbark-oak, is an evergreen tree in the beech family (Fagaceae), native to the western United States.

Tanbark-oak was recently moved into a new genus, Notholithocarpus (from Lithocarpus), based on multiple lines of evidence. It is most closely related to the north temperate oaks, Quercus, and not as closely related to the Asian tropical stone oaks, Lithocarpus (where it was previously placed), but instead is an example of convergent morphological evolution.

Some California Native Americans prefer this nut to those of many Quercus acorns because it stores well due to the comparatively high tannin content. The Concow tribe call the nut hä’-hä (Konkow language). The Hupa people use the acorns to make meal, from which they would make mush, bread, biscuits, pancakes, and cakes. They also roast the acorns and eat them. Roasted, the seeds can be used as a coffee substitute.

The name tanoak refers to its tannin-rich bark, a type of tanbark, used in the past for tanning leather before the use of modern synthetic tannins. By 1907 the use of tanoak for tannin was subsiding due to the scarcity of large tanoak trees. There weren't enough trees around for a worthwhile economic return. By the early 1960s there were only a few natural tannin operations left in California. The industry was beginning to switch to a synthetic alternative. A mulch made from the leaves of the plant can repel grubs and slugs.

Tanoak tannin has been used as an astringent.

Tanoak is sometimes used as lumber, but isn't currently harvested commercially.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notholithocarpus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX8g0Yt0ZmI&list=PL60FnyEY-eJA7D2FJhI5AvWVx7oqjb4xX&index=1

Medieval tanning pits - Birmingham ~1300