Step 3: DressingFurs can now be produced in an extraordinary range of colors and textures. Once they leave the auction house, furs are sent to tanneries or fur "dressers" where the furs are treated, softened and preserved before being sent to the craftspeople that make coats, hats and other goods. Tanning is one of humankind's oldest crafts. Among Canadian Aboriginal people, one traditional way of softening pelts was to chew on them for hours. This method, though effective, was extremely time-consuming. Over the generations, modern tanning and fur dressing techniques have been greatly improved by research, providing many beautiful new ways to use fur.