Bit of an old thread but rather than start a new one...I have recently undertaken fish skin leather making as a project so I thought I'd share what I found out. My first attempt was with three foot Salmon leviathans!
Fish skin
- Thread starter hardr004
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Thank you very much for stopping so often to take progress pictures.
If there was no easy ice, I've been told over and over that Inuit used fish skin for light windows replacing a snow block in an Igloolik (snow house).
Otherwise pretty dark but for the light from the kudlik.
Question = How transparent is your finished fish leather?
If there was no easy ice, I've been told over and over that Inuit used fish skin for light windows replacing a snow block in an Igloolik (snow house).
Otherwise pretty dark but for the light from the kudlik.
Question = How transparent is your finished fish leather?
The little bit I made had been steeped in strong tea - my job was working in masses of baby oil ...a stinking, exhausting boring task that lasted a good working day and produced about 6"x3" of usable leather!
Very nice leather - but not something I will be making again in a hurry...
Very nice leather - but not something I will be making again in a hurry...
Salmon skins where often used to back bows. Not done so myself yet but it might be worth a play.
Glad you liked it, I decided to take copious pictures so that I have a future reference guide and if it's helps anyone else then all's good. You can see diamond shapes of brown coloured light if you hold it up but perhaps they scraped it a little thinner and I'd guess they didn't bark tan?
Ah. Thank you. Vast empty countryside of tundra and polar desert. No trees. No shrubs.
The only bark they get is from the dogs.
Might it also depend on the species of fish, I suppose?
The only bark they get is from the dogs.
Might it also depend on the species of fish, I suppose?
Skin from Skates, rays and such were used to cover sabre ( + swords and daggers?) handles to prevent slipping.
Has a knobbly surface.
I think they used urine in tree poor areas? Plus brains?
Has a knobbly surface.
I think they used urine in tree poor areas? Plus brains?
I took a picture of the sunlight through the fish leather I've made. 
As a follow up to the fish skin leather blog I posted earlier in the thread I decided to film my latest salmon skin leather 'adventure'-All the hits and misses, poops and giggles.
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