leather top tip (tanning)

[lannyman8]

just been watching Human Planet on the TV, some of the best leather in the world is treated with wild pidgeon poo...

they add it to water and let it soak for 3 days, the enzimes work on the leather and make it softer than any chemical treated leather...... according to the TV....

just thought some might like to know and maybe even be of use.......

regards...

chris.

 

[Calurix]

I would recommend not collecting without respitory equipment.

I sometimes have to work in areas that are covered in pigeon poop and now will not enter unless I have at least a dust mask on due to the health problems dry bird poop can cause.

Now I will need to see the episode of Human Planet to see how they use it.

 

[dave53]

hi lannyman8 great program innit i recorded it for later regards dave

 

[Toddy]

Second Calurix's concerns....look up pigeon fanciers lung...absolutely dreadful.

The safest, softest and least smelly method I know of, for leather tanning, uses powdered acacia bark. Totally organic, and leaves a product so soft and safe that the sheep and deerskins are used for baby mats

cheers,
M

 

[Shewie]

If anyone wants some dry pigeon poop there's a great big pile of it under the bridge where I park my car at work

 

[rancid badger]

I recently bought the series on dvd and one of the "special features" is the Fez tannery shoot.

They go into a bit more detail and cover the actual hide market, where the tannery buyers get the raw skins.

It's a very interesting and thought provoking series


R.B.

 

[EdS]

It is the uric acid in the bird droppings that is the active compund in the tanning process. You could just save your own uring, rather than mmessa bout with bird droppings.

 

[John Fenna]

I the old days an enzym from dogs digestive tracts was used in tanning.
This was collected and used in the form of dog poo.
The process was called "puer-ing"
I belive that is pronounced "Poo....ergh!"
Tanning was not a nice smelling job (or jobbie) at all!
Nick of Nik Wax fame wrote a great paper on the subject....

 

[lannyman8]

a very intresting program, urine hey, hhmmmmm works for salt peter i suppose......