To finish their pack baskets, folks have decided to make custom leather harnesses out of bark tanned leather. We didn’t tan it ourselves, but students are sizing it and using copper rivets to fasten the strip ends together. We had discussed using the braintanned hides everyone now has, but the thicker, full-grain leather is more appealing to them. My friend Don Merchant of Pole And Paddle Canoe made a set of leather straps for me years ago, and as a result everyone who makes a basket here wants to get or make something similar. (Check out the custom leather packbasket harnesses that Don offers.) The harnesses will be a functional and beautiful finish to a time-consuming project.  But as soon as people are wearing their new baskets, they’ll all tell you it was worth every minute spent making them.