We now have more refined approaches such as brine curing. In the Middle Ages, old urine was used to process animal skin. Interested in hanging a fish skin on the wall? How about making a wallet or a fancy belt? Let’s first briefly review how animal skins are tanned before proceeding to fish.

Other Columbia River tribes had a similar practice that involved bags of cattail leaves lined with salmon skin. The Yakama Tribe of Washington State lined hemp baskets containing pulverized salmon meat with dried fish skin to keep them air-tight. However, fish skins were used as a kind of “saran wrap” for preserving dried salmon. Shoes and clothing of North American tribes were mainly constructed from animal or bird skin. Natives line them with grass to keep the feet warm. Boots made of fish skin are reportedly light and waterproof. Fish skins are also used for making sails and window drapes. In the winter, traditional headgear might include ear muffs made of fish skin. One tribe wears vests and shirts made of fish skin lined with cotton. In Siberia, fish skins continue to be used for many purposes. The final step was to hang the skin above a hearth and smoke it for up to two weeks. After the skin dried for several hours, it was unrolled and stretched. They next rolled the skin around a wormwood stick (this shrub contains the licorice-flavored liqueur absinthe) and soaked it in water. I found one article describing how women from the Amur River in Siberia left salmon skins to dry in the shade before beating them out flat with a mallet. In fact, fish “leather” is reported to be the second strongest leather known to man. The use of fish skin for clothing has been around for a long time. Each product is unique and is purported to have no fishy odor. Skins used for shoes are processed with a layer of polyurethane or “glaze” to protect against scratches and stains. A final step in commercial processing includes cleaning with water and dirt-repellent chemicals. Sea Leather Wear (reported using a 30-day chemical and mechanical process that included churning, soaking and vacuum drying. I found that many companies first treated skins with water-resistant fats and oils. While specifics from fish leather companies are considered trade secrets, general tanning methods are similar to those used for animals.

My favorite, a golf glove with fish leather inserts, was a bargain at $17.75. Wallets ranged from $50 to $70, belts from $35 to $85, and shoes $300 and up. The most innovative ones include a hip flask, a hurling ball, golf gloves, and even a bikini! Items made from fish skin were not cheap. Standard items offered by leather companies include belts, wallets, watch bands, and shoes. The range of products that can be made from fish leather is astounding. Products were available in both glazed and suede leather, as well as being dyed in a range of colors. However, I soon found out that my idea was not original.Ī brief search of the internet identified several companies that tan fish leather. Its skin was sufficiently thick that tanning its hide was not a stretch of the imagination. The idea of fish leather came to me after dulling my filet knife on a large Chinook salmon. There were endless choices: lizard skin, snake skin, elephant skin, buffalo skin and the standard cowhide version. I recently went shopping for a new pair of cowboy boots.

Oil for tanning hides