Specialties
At Merlin's Hide Out each hide is treated individually from beginning to end. This way we have complete control of the quality. We only get buffalo hides that are in their prime. This limits the time frame to about 30 days per year. When we receive a buffalo hide it is immediately inspected for any imperfections. Then the process starts. It takes approximately 45 days to complete the process from the inspection to when the hide is ready to ship. During this time it is, fleshed, salted, rehydrated, shaved (twice), tanned, oiled, dried, tumbled, brushed, tumbled again, brushed again, inspected, sized and graded. Only one person is in charge of the final inspections, sizing and grading which allows us to provide you with the consistency of a great product that our customers have come to expect.
History
Established in 1999.
Merlin grew up in Thermopolis, Wyoming, and has been an avid hunter all of his life. He had a passion for sewing leather since a youngster in 4-H and FFA. In 1997 he started learning how to tan hair on hides. His first project took place in our spare bedroom when he decided, in the middle of a Wyoming winter, to tan a couple of beaver hides to make a new pair of gators for himself. As it often happens, "a couple" beaver hides turned into "many". The following winter when a good friend asked him to tan a buffalo hide, I put my foot down and said not in the spare bedroom! Our first tannery building consisted of a 9' X 15" log shed that he could work in during the cold Wyoming winters.
Meet the Business Owner: Merlin H.
Merlin grew up in Thermopolis, Wyoming, and has been an avid hunter all of his life. He had a passion for sewing leather since a youngster in 4-H and FFA. In 1997 he started learning how to tan hair on hides. His first project took place in our spare bedroom when he decided, in the middle of a Wyoming winter, to tan a couple of beaver hides to make a new pair of gators for himself. As it often happens, "a couple" beaver hides turned into "many". The following winter when a good friend asked him to tan a buffalo hide, I put my foot down and said not in the spare bedroom! Our first tannery building consisted of a 9' X 15" log shed that he could work in during the cold Wyoming winters.
