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It is hard to visualize the value of lightly bark tanning a hide and softening it without any oils. There would obviously be some affects from the tannin, but what qualities does it give the hide in that relatively short period of time that differs enough from rawhide to bother doing it? 

In the overnight examples of the Eskimo and Chukchee, the hides certainly aren't getting 'bark tanned' by any traditional sense of the term. But it does highlight the fact that you can do just about any degree of bark tanning and get some of the effects of tannin. Another example is when you dye brain tanned skins with tannins. Normal dye soaks are anywhere from ten minutes to overnight, and within those short periods of time, the tannin noticeably affects the hides. They contract and get a tighter feeling...more so the longer and stronger the tannin treatment. 

Trying to really pin down when something is officially "bark tanned" may have some value, but a more important consideration is at what point has enough tannin bonded to enough proteins to get the effect that you, the tanner, are after.

To me, the main attraction of doing a grain-on soft bark tan is that the grain is simply beautiful and more water repellent than fibrously surfaced leathers. I would also guess, that the more bark tanned a hide is, the better it can be oiled and waxed to make it water-resistant. Tannin is a valuable tool in the tanners tool chest, and knowing exactly how bark tanned or not a hide should be in order to get certain qualities, is part of the ongoing experiments....

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