fish-skin-tan-msg - 12/15/14

Info on Icelandic fish skin tanning.

NOTE: See also the files: lea-tanning-msg, lea-bladders-msg, Iceland-msg, fd-Iceland-msg, fish-msg, stockfish-msg, fishing-msg, eels-msg.

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    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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From: Nanna_Rognvaldardottir <nannar at ISHOLF.IS>
To: <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] 13th Century Icelandic Fish Skin Tanning Techniques
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 02:12:44 -0000

Drakey asked:
> Does anyone have any info on 13th Century Icelandic Fish Skin Tanning
> Techniques?

I might be able to find something but not tonight, as I'm working 15-hour
days at present. Are you just interested in shark skin, or any fish skin?

The shark would have been Greenland shark. The thick skin was used for shoes
but I'm not sure about other uses. Ropes, maybe. It wouldn't slip since it
is so rough - like "h=E1karlsskr=E1pur" (sharkskin) we still say when we want to
describe something that has a really rough and scratchy surface.

The skin of some other types of fish, especially ocean catfish, was used too
for shoes but only when nothing better was available, as these shoes didn't
last long on the rocky Icelandic roads - mountain trails were even measured
or graded by how many pairs of fish skin shoes you were likely to wear out
by walking them. "Sex ro=F0skoa lei=F0" meant you needed at least six pairs of
fish skin shoes if you are going that way and back again, as you were likely
to wear out five pairs. You can see a drawing of such shoes, worn with leg
wrappings of skate skin, here:

http://www1.icetourist.is/domino/umm/ummlist.nsf/Leit/8195D37D71D43988002566
7B004E4B83

Tanned fish skins are currently being made in my old hometown in the north
of Iceland but they are certainly not using traditional methods there. I’ll
try to see if I can find anything. I know how ocean catfish skin was treated
in the 19th century, however. No actual tanning was involved - you tore the
skin off dried fish, ate the fish and soaked the skin until pliable. Then it
was cut and made into shoes. And when the shoes were worn out, you could
wash them, boil them and eat them. I'm not making this up.

Ocean catfish skin was also used for wrapping butter and such.

Nanna


Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2011 23:32:09 +1000
From: Raymond Wickham <insidious565 at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Lochac] Fish skins and drums
To: <lochac at lochac.sca.org>

An instructive video on stretching fish skins onto ceramic doumbek bases.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jolRH6aVo_g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmUaHZellzE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ8-vxSF7Rg&feature=related

Damocles


Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2011 14:16:49 +1000
From: "Roy Worrall" <royworrall1953 at optusnet.com.au>
Subject: [Lochac] Tanned fish skins
To: <lochac at lochac.sca.org>

It just so happens I have some examples of tanned barramundi skins in my collection. They are dyed the same as cow leather - in whatever colour you wish!

They are fairly hardy, though I wouldn't make shoe soles out of them (no pun intended).

Don't see why you can't make other things like pouches, shirts, hats, etc out of them, they would need a lot of stitching together, that's all.

Robin of Twyford


Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2011 14:31:46 +1000
From: Marie Alessi <madmender at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Lochac] Tanned fish skins
To: "The Shambles: the SCA Lochac mailing list"
	<lochac at lochac.sca.org>

Birdsalls in Sydney sell tanned fish skins. In an absolute plethoral rainbow of colours!

Thyri

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