From Moose to Moccasins: A Step-by-Step Guide to Traditional Hide-Tanning by Jeff Coleclough Published by Kakwa Publishing Review by Keith Foster $17.50 ISBN 978-0-9781555-5-1 For those interested in traditional hide-tanning, From Moose to Moccasins: A Step-by-Step Guide to Traditional Hide-Tanning is the place to start. Jeff Coleclough’s 37-page, coil-bound manual is geared to a very specific audience – those who want to try their hand at turning a raw moose hide into a smoke-tanned piece of leather – and first-timers will likely be very happy this book exists. Sometimes all a person needs to start is knowing where to start, then how to keep going. Unlike instructions in so many owners’ manuals, Coleclough’s step-by step guide to tanning is easy to understand and follow. He takes readers through the stages of framing, fleshing, scraping and de-hairing, greasing, braining, softening, and smoking the hide. Since one step requires mashing the brains of the animal, this aspect may not appeal to those with weak stomachs. Coleclough recommends starting with quality materials, and moose hide as one of the best for making moccasins. “The grain is tighter, the leather wears like iron, and the thickness is excellent for cushioning the feet on rough…

This is a children’s story, yes, with age-appropriate language and credible characters – it was realistic and delightful how often friends and extended family were visiting the grandparents to work together on a mossbag, for example, or help fix an old truck — but it also deals with the “grown-up” issue of traditional vs. contemporary life.