"tanning" fish skin

[mountainm]

I've just been sent an Eel skin in a trade with Biker and wondered if there's a way of treating it. At the moment it's a bit stiff (like dried fish skin funnily enough). Can I treat or "tan" it using household chemicals to achieve a more supple finish? My google fu revealed talk of tea and then oil of some description but it was all a bit vague.

thanks

Mike

 

[Toddy]

Forestwalker very kindly sent a Swedish book over to us. It's a how to of tanning fish skins.
HWMBLT did a scan and a translation......it's huge and it's on a file on our home network thingie.

The Book is on a passaround, and if you would like I'll put you on the list of folks to get a read at it.
The illustrations are really clear and very useful.
The translation however doesn't have those. It really needs both to be fully clear.

I can have HWMBLT pm you with the address to download the translation if that would help?

It's a brilliant book and at times like this I *really* miss the rep system.

cheers,
M

 

[mountainm]

Forestwalker very kindly sent a Swedish book over to us. It's a how to of tanning fish skins.
HWMBLT did a scan and a translation......it's huge and it's on a file on our home network thingie.

The Book is on a passaround, and if you would like I'll put you on the list of folks to get a read at it.
The illustrations are really clear and very useful.
The translation however doesn't have those. It really needs both to be fully clear.

I can have HWMBLT pm you with the address to download the translation if that would help?

It's a brilliant book and at times like this I *really* miss the rep system.

cheers,
M

That would be most kind, thankyou!

 

[wasteoid]

Toddy,

I would love a link to the translation please? I picked up a "leather Fish" skin on a beach in Sri Lanka, that I would love to do something with.

Cheers

Chris

 

[Biker]

Hey Mike, that eel skin is treated" i.e. It's been hung in Roger's shed/garage for the past 10 year air drying. So withthat in mind I'd say it's pretty stablised now. Why not try wet forming it about something and letting it dry in the airing cupboard or something.

just a thought.

If the horn arrived today at Mum's house I missed it. I had to travel back to France today and got here at 7.30pm. I'm sure she'll let me know once it arrives and will send it on to me here.

 

[mountainm]

sorry about you and the horn missing each other. It really should be there by now.

I was wondering if there was.a treatment to get the skin more supple - at the mo it's a bit stiff and reading up on apparently it's possible to get them very soft.

 

[Bucketosudz]

Forestwalker very kindly sent a Swedish book over to us. It's a how to of tanning fish skins.
HWMBLT did a scan and a translation......it's huge and it's on a file on our home network thingie.

The Book is on a passaround, and if you would like I'll put you on the list of folks to get a read at it.
The illustrations are really clear and very useful.
The translation however doesn't have those. It really needs both to be fully clear.

I can have HWMBLT pm you with the address to download the translation if that would help?

It's a brilliant book and at times like this I *really* miss the rep system.

cheers,
M

Toddy, would this book you speak of be titled: Leather: Preparation and Tanning by Traditional Methods by Lotta Rahme by chance?
[h=2][/h]

 

[Toddy]

If you add in Fischskinn somewhere in the title, it is indeed

It wasn't available here, and even in Sweden it's *very* expensive. It wouldn't be fair to have the lady fiddled out of her copyright or due fees though, so the translation is just a help with some of the instructions; the book itself is really clearly illustrated.

There's a big Swedish population in America though, so maybe the publishers have a batch out there

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Bucketosudz]

Thanks Toddy. I had found the following website on the book a couple of years ago and wondered if it might be the one you were referring to. I have not tried to order it, but the price seemed reasonable for the information it shared, barring that it is even available?

http://www.braintan.com/reviews/lotta.html