- If I was in a colonial time I would be a Tanner.A Tanner made hide in to leather,and the process is a long,smelly,and hard job.Being a Tanner wasn’t a nice job to work at.When a Tanner got a hide he put the initials on them.They soaked the hides in a put called a vat,and were in rows for the Tanner to walk. The pits were underground.The hides that were heavier were soaked,stirred,and washed,with pits that has a stronger ooze,a mixture of certain barks from certain trees.Black Oak and Hemlock trees have tannins in bark that is used to cure leather from rotting.A good Tanner knew when it was finished by touch.When the leather was almost done it was called currying.