The Challenge
Answering a petition by Peter Verheyen, of the BookArts group, one of my projects this summer was to showcase the versatility of the material of fish skin, through experimental research. The BookArts Bind-O-Rama project was to craft fish parchment or fish leather and make something out of it. By doing this project, it gave me practical insights into the techniques and methodologies used by early modern and modern bookbinders while still using materials that are easily accessible to current audiences. As a preservationist working remotely, I had found it difficult to continue my practical skills away from library materials. This project gave me the basis for improving my skills and gaining some new ones which I could then translate into better serving the library materials I repair at the University of Arkansas.
I spent 20+ hours researching the history, techniques, supplies, and methodologies behind the use and tanning of fish skin. I was fascinated by what I found to be a rather simple process compared to the process of mammal hide tanning, to the limited extent that I knew. I took notes primarily from Peter’s demonstration and a series of Youtube videos by Canadian artist, Janey Chang. Another important source of inspiration was Xavier from the Sustainability Living Project. Both Xavier and Janey mention learning a lot from the Swedish artist Lotte Rahme. These artists take their research from the many historical cultures like the Sami, Ainu, and Native Americans from the Pacific Coast that utilized fish skin leather for clothing, art, and other practical materials. They and others argue that perhaps there is a sustainable future for the otherwise trashed skins of fish in our modern world.
After this research, I felt compelled to try it for myself. This is the process of converting fish skin to leather and then crafting the leather to create the covers of a book. More on that process in another post.
Prepping the Skin
After attempting to commandeer some ‘trash’ skins from local markets or sushi restaurants, I ended up buying a really nice sized fillet from a local shop that I could turn into a few different meals, one being a salmon wellington which was especially good, if I can say so myself.
First, I took the salmon and slowly attempted to peel the skin off the flesh which was actually easier than expected with my sharp, lightly serrated knife. Next came scraping off the bits of flesh and membrane that was left over, trying to create as smooth of a surface as possible. I put the skin on a small cutting board inside a large tray that I conveniently had from other projects. Taking Peter’s advice, I used the blunt side of a small knife, and it worked rather well. At first I was hesitant to scrap so deeply, but ultimately, I only tore the skin at the tail in one spot, otherwise the skin was very hearty and durable. Periodically, I’d rinse the skin in very cold, soapy water and go back to scraping till it appeared that only the skin itself remained. Using cold water ensured that the fibers in the skin stayed intact. Supposedly, although I have not seen myself, hot water will cause the skin to separate and break down.
The fish skin is amazing to look at up close, on the flesh side specifically, you can see the texture of the fibers and how they weave together to create the tensile strength of the skin. Next step was to deal with the scales, I thought at first that I wanted them to remain, but I realized that as I had been scraping the flesh side, a lot of the scales had come loose. I figured I’d rather deal with them all at once instead of multiple times throughout the process. I might not end up with any staying attached anyway. Again, using the blunt side of the knife, I scraped the skin in the opposite direction of the scales and they popped out very easily. (If trying this yourself, do not put scales down the sink. It’s not sustainable for your plumbing or the filtration systems at your waste water facilities.)
Tanning with Tea
With the skin prepped, it was time to make tea! No, I didn’t drink it. The tannin in the black tea actually tan the skin slowly. I started by brewing an intense 2 cups with 5 tea bags and cooled it with cold water and ice to cover the skin. Placing the skin in the solution, I left it to marinate, occasionally turning it and adding a 3-5 more tea bags every other day. On the hotter days, I did put the marinade jar in our fridge to keep the solution cold, but only for a few hours before putting it back on the counter.
By the end of 10 days, I realized the solution was very cloudy, and the skin didn’t appear to be gaining anymore color or change in texture. Going back to my notes, I replaced the tannin solution completely with a much more intense tannin solution: 10 tea bags having been boiled in 3 cups of water till the solution was very dark and did not water it down at all. After 4 more days in this tannin solution, the skin appeared very similar to the leather that I was familiar with. It had a rigidity and stiffness that I hadn’t seen yet so I knew it was ready to go to the next step.
“It was time to get messy!“
After the skin has been tanning for 14 days it has a tendency to be really dry. By adding the fish skin to a solution of two egg yolks, a tsp of liquid soap, and a cup of cold water, it reinvigorates the skin with the right moisture amount and suppleness as well as removes the last of the natural fish oil that can spoil. I had to manipulate the skin with my hands and twenty minutes later, I wrung the skin out and ‘pasted’ it to the glass window in my kitchen, as per Janey’s technique, to dry out. With the skin side against the window, the goal was to allow the egg solution to really dry into the skin and create a kind of glow in the skin side that will ultimately be the cover of my book!
Two hours later and the skin is mostly dry with a slight dampness to it. It was amazingly smooth and I felt sad to change the texture by softening it, but I knew it would be easier to manipulate if it was stretched and softened. I sat outside in the summer air and began the long process of softening the skin by hand. Using coconut oil, I massaged, stretched, and manipulated the skin in all directions. I even used the metal arm of my patio chair to help stretch and pull and skin. I was amazed and how durable the skin was at this point. An hour and a half and about a tablespoon of oil later, the skin was uniformly pliable, so I left it to dry overnight.
And that’s how you make salmon skin into fish leather! It’s a fascinating process, and I can’t wait to see how it looks on a finished book! While I didn’t finish my project in time for the annual competition, you can see other fabulous entries on the Bind-O-Rama page.
