Violin Forum/Message Board

actonern · Super Member Joined: 15 Aug 2007 Posts: 444

Does anyone know of a source for commercially prepared dogfish skins?

I'd llike to give them a try...

E

Chet Bishop · Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 9:14 am Post subject:

Perhaps you could get the same overall effect by rubbing a little fish-oil on the front of your work apron, and then using some 3600 Micromesh.
Smile

(Sorry. Can't help, so I had to heckle.)

Why the dogfish skin? Just curious about its effectiveness?

When I was a child, a neighbor caught a pacific blue shark at Depoe Bay (Oregon), and brought it home. I was impressed by how much the skin felt like, say, 220-grit sandpaper, only damp and leathery-feeling...like a hard-rubber pad with abrasive grit bonded to its surface.

I imagine it would work, but I doubt it would work as well as progressively finer grits of micromesh.
_________________
Chet Bishop
https://bluefiddles.com
https://fivestringfiddles.com

actonern · Super Member Joined: 15 Aug 2007 Posts: 444

Hi Chet:

I have little idea how it would work out... I'm interested, only because historical research suggests that the golden period guys may have used it, like they used "horse tail" grass as abrasives. The little bits I've read about dogfish, is that it tends to "cut" the wood, unlike most abrasives that scratch it. The result is supposedly a higher level of reflectivity in the wood surface.

I use micromesh a lot too, so this is really more in the line of experimentation.

R Mac · Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 3:07 pm Post subject:

Actonern,

I wonder how much preparation the skin really requires if you are going to use it as an abrasive. It might work just fine as a "raw hide". You would have to soak it for a while to make it pliable enough to use, and let it dry when you were not using it. I have no idea if it would rot before it wore out, or wear out before it rotted.

Keep us posted!
Mac

R Mac · Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 3:20 pm Post subject:

....here's a discussion about tanning fish skins.
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47151

...and here is where the Maestri discuss it, including a link to a Mythbuster video.
http://www.maestronet.com/forum/index.php?/topic/326193-shark-skin-vs-sandpaper-mythbusters/

Mac

kjb · Super Member Joined: 06 Feb 2013 Posts: 385

they were fairly common on the east coast, but they have been over-fished and no they are somewhat protected, minimum of 54" U believe.
I have caught many of them in the past and released as I am not so keen on killing things. They are sand papery for sure don't know how they would last.