 The hides were then soaked for many weeks in a ‘bating’ solution, a foul-smelling mixture of water, salt, and manure that neutralized any remaining lime and also altered the chemical structure of the skin to make it more flexible.Next came the actual tanning step of immersing the hides in a vat filled with tanbark and its rich ‘liquor’ extra for six to twelve months.Afterwards the leather was beaten or fulled to make it more pliable and then carefully dried.