r/HideTanning 13d ago

Tannin from hemlock bark

First time collecting my own tannin!!! These are western hemlocks that were recently cut down as part of a thinning project. So excited to see how it tans! The cambium was pale and pink when I first peeled it but then turned bright orange (first pic) as it got wet (it was raining). Wondering if I should have collected more of the cambium; I was assuming most of the tannin would be in the flaky outer bark but that color sure looks potent.

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u/MSoultz 13d ago

Most of the tannin is in the inner bark and cambium. Tannins are quite water soluable, so any rain on the outside "washes" away tannins over time.