Description
You can already register for the upcoming course. Please note that the registration fee is non-refundable. The amount is later deducted from the course fee./Du kan redan nu anmäla dig till kommande kurs. Observera att anmälningsavgift återbetalas ej. Beloppet dras senare från kursavgiften.
(International customers contact me by mail: tobias@craftbykarlsson.se for payment with Paypal or banktransfer.)
This course is taught in English
Price: 5000 Sek, register now for 500 Sek to be sure to get an spot.
Dates: 4-6th of July 2025
Duration: 3 days (Friday 10:00 am – Sunday ± 17:00 pm)
Prerequisites: None
Location: Craft by Karlsson in Hällekis-Götene. Link to google maps:
https://goo.gl/maps/3SMNP5iL9FvUXHum9
Venue Information:
There is plenty of room for campsites where one can relax and enjoy nature. It is also possible to set up a tarp or hammock in the nearby forest or a tent in the meadow. Water for cooking and more is available on site and there is access to simpler bajamaja and outhouse.
There is a lovely bathing area in Lake Vänern within walking distance of the course site!
If you would prefer a bit more luxury there are Airbnb’s in nearby Kinnekulle. Keep in mind that these places fill quickly in the summer so you may need to book them well in advance.
Additional Information:
Catering: This course is self-catered. Please bring your own food
Included: All course materials, coffee/tea
Not included: offsite Accommodation
Course Description:
Before the advent of modern tanning agents, humans were turning raw skin into usable leather products using very basic techniques and materials. Come learn to produce incredibly soft, strong and durable leather from raw animal skin using humankind’s earliest tanning technologies! We will utilise materials readily available in the surrounding environment as we walk through the steps of this transformation. You will learn the progression of this process from raw skin to beautiful, usable, finished leather or fur!
This course will focus on tanning Fox furs and Fish skins over the course of 3 (very) full days! We will tan beautiful Red Fox furs with a variety of fat tanning which uses Lecithin and oil* as the dressing agent. Then we will switch it up a bit with the fish skins and vegetable tan them using oak bark.
Whilst not for the squeamish the end product is worth the work!
The class will cover removing the meat and fat from the inner skin surface (flesh side) of both fish and furs, removing the scales (for fish), applying the tanning agents, then softening the skins. The final day will cover smoking the Fox furs to increase their washability.
In addition to enthusiastic instruction, I provide comfortable, easy to use tools and detailed handouts covering the tanning process, as well as ethnographic anecdotes and a list of helpful literature for those who wish to further their own knowledge of tanning!
Please join me for a course sure to contain plenty of memorable moments, lots of practical information and, provided you put in the work **, one that will see you heading home with 3 uniquely beautiful, traditionally tanned skins!
* The use of brains or egg yolks as an alternative dressing agent will be covered.
** Please be aware that a reasonable amount of fitness is required for this course. I will provide instruction on good technique and timing with the skins, but you will need to be able to be on your feet and active for 6 to 8 hours per day.
***Any serious injuries need to be discussed with me prior to attending the course please!
About the Instructor:
Theresa is an avid practitioner of traditional living skills and primitive technology of all kinds. An interest which came in part from growing up in the Rocky Mountains in the USA, where backpacking, hunting, and fishing were part of the culture. She has followed this interest into the academic field of Experimental Archaeology in which she holds a PhD from the University of Exeter in the UK. Theresa has been tanning skins using traditional technologies for over 30 years. Learning to tan was a natural offshoot of the attempt to use as much of the animal as possible and had the additional bonus of producing a beautiful end product. She includes in her instruction a diverse range of information, from skin morphology to helpful hints in dealing with the numerous and frustrating problems which are often encountered when first learning to tan.
(Please note minor changes may occur depending on for example the availability of materials)
Svenska/Swedish
Nu har du möjlighet att gå skinngarvningskurs med Fil. Dr. Theresa Emmerich
Unik möjlighet att garva skinn från räv och även fisk. Kursen präglas av djuplodande kunskap i traditionell teknik som är vetenskapligt förankrad som lärs ut med utmärkt pedagogik. Utöver detta kan jag garantera många skratt och trevliga stunder.
Du behöver inga förkunskaper. Kursen ges på engelska. Räkna med heldagar och bitvis fysiskt lite krävande.
Kursen hålls i natursköna Kinnekulle vid en 100 år gammal banvaktarstuga intill Gammelriket ett naturreservat med de äldsta ekarna i området.
Boende: I eget tält eller liknande. 15 min promenad till egen sandstrand vid Vänern för bad. Tillgång till vatten och utedass.
Plats: Craft by Karlsson i Hällekis-Götene. Länk google maps:https://goo.gl/maps/3SMNP5iL9FvUXHum9
Mat: Deltagare står själva för mat
Pris: 5000 Sek
Tid: 4-6 juli. Kursstart kl 10:00 på fredagen och avslut vid 16-17-tiden på söndag. Det går bra att komma på torsdag kväll.
Kursbrev: I god tid innan utbildningen kommer du få ett kursbrev med kompletterande information.
(Observera att små ändringar kan ske pga tillgång på material)
