proper way to care for the raw cow hides

[Hilly]

My husband's cousin owns a large dairy farm in the midwest, and they butcher a few cows each year. They have no use for the hides, and just toss them. I'm wondering if there isn't a place I can send those hides to have them made into tooling leather, and what the cost involved would be? Would it be cheaper to send in my own hides and get them tanned as opposed to buying from a middleman such as Tandy? It just bothers me that the hides could be used in some way, and not just tossed like garbage.

I've sent many deer hides into W.B.Place in the past, and had them made into leather, but I don't think they deal in cow hides.

Also, if I can find a tannery to process the hides for a reasonable price, I'd need to know the proper way to care for the raw cow hides. With the deer hides, we rubbed salt into them for a few days, then we rolled them up, and sent them to the tannery.

[Randy Cornelius]

There are only 2 tanneries left in the US that tan veg tan leather like you would need for tooling leather, Wickett & Craig in Penn. and the other is Herman Oak in St. Louis.

I don't know if they would or not.

Randy

[ClayB]

I always wondered that when we used to butcher too. We could usually sell the hide to a fur buyer for $10 to $20 bucks so we didn't just throw them away, but it sure didn't seem like much when you considered what it would cost to buy back the 2 sides of leather they got made into. I really doubt a big tannery would be interested in trying to keep track of any one persons cow hide as they ran them through the process of tanning, or that you would get the leather back any cheaper. Just the cost of transporting a fresh hide to a tannery would be fairly expensive. I think you would have to find someone that did it small time and I dont know if there are any places that do that.

[abn]

This is pretty much off-topic (--please excuse me--) , but since Hermann Oak and Wickett & Craig are both mentioned here, I was wondering if either gave tours to leatherworkers curious about how tanning is done...

[Randy Cornelius]

This is pretty much off-topic (--please excuse me--) , but since Hermann Oak and Wickett & Craig are both mentioned here, I was wondering if either gave tours to leatherworkers curious about how tanning is done...

Yes, I have talked to both and they will give tours if you give them notice as to when you will be there....

Randy

[Jordan]

Foxvalleyleather.com in North Salt Lake. I have not dealt with them but it looks like the tann small quanities. When I get a chance I will make a visit.

[Cowboy Crafts Online]

Hilly,

I am sorry to say, but your not going to save any money getting your own hides tanned. I know its a waste, there is a guy around here that goes to the slaughter houses and buys up all the hides and then hauls them to a tannery, I think he hauls several hundred at a time. One time he bought me a couple of straps that he used to hold them down to fix. He had not even cleaned them. I didnt even let them in my shop. I just got a flyer the other day from Wickett and Craig they are selling off an over stock of SP 12 to 15 oz skirting for 122.00 a side untill they run out. That might intrest you.

Ashley

[nomi]

Foxvalleyleather.com in North Salt Lake. I have not dealt with them but it looks like the tann small quanities. When I get a chance I will make a visit.

I had a chance to stop by Fox Valley Leather today, and they said they are no longer doing in house tanning. It was too problematic with OSHA issues.

So they are sending out all the hides they receive to another tannery, and the hides are taking aprox 6 months before return.

- Noel

[Jordan]

Good to know,thanks