Klaus De Geyter (he/him)
Klaus De Geyter is a Belgian traditional tanner and instructor dedicated to preserving and passing on ancestral tanning knowledge through hands-on practice and teaching.
From a young age, Klaus preferred being outdoors rather than indoors. This pull toward nature led him to spend a period living in Norway, far from city life, where he experienced a more untamed landscape and gradually immersed himself in bushcraft and primitive wilderness skills. It was there that his respect for natural processes, materials, and traditional knowledge truly took shape.
During his search for wilderness techniques he came across buckskin and he was “bitten by the traditional tanning bug”, and began following tanning courses in several countries, learning a wide range of techniques from different masters. Over the years, he has tanned many different species and worked with multiple forms of leather developing a deep understanding of both the material and the craft behind it.
His work focuses on low-impact, traditional tanning methods such as fish leather tanning, fur-on hides, bark tanning, and other ancestral techniques that predate industrial chemistry. For Klaus, tanning is not just about producing leather, but about honouring the animal, making full use of available resources, and reconnecting people with slower, more conscious ways of working.
Since 2022, Klaus has been officially teaching tanning through his company Villmark Adventures, where he guides participants through the complete tanning process while sharing the cultural, historical, and ecological context behind the craft. His teaching style is practical, grounded, and immersive, aiming not only to transfer skills, but also to inspire a more natural, respectful relationship with materials and the living world. His courses invite participants to slow down, work with their hands, and experience leather not as a product, but as a living process.
Klaus speaks English & Dutch
Website: villmarkadventures.be/over
Instagram: @villmarkadventures