Great White sharkskin

[schatzperson]

Yes, we get whites here, same as hammerhead, porbeagle, blues etc.
Yet there are very very few recorded attacks.
By far the most aggressive is the blue; just as well they dont grow as big as the whites, rarely over 12 ft. They keep to the deep waters off the south coast, so no need to worry about sharks in the beach shallows.
If you dive, snorkel or whatever in these parts, poisionous skorpion fish and moray eel present a far more probable nasty encounter.

Anyways, from first impressions this particular skin seems to be extremely strong and tough. This piece might be too short to be anything but cosmetic as a backing; But I am not experienced in this field.

The tanning method has a lot to do with elasticity; Dont forget that sinew and rawhide are essentially cured not tanned.

I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has used sharkskin or similar for backing. I'll try to get in touch with that Ferrett fella.

[gwynn]

His web page is FerretsArcheryWebPage@groups.msn.com some good pix on there, nice to see how they do it over the pond.
Couple of nice pix WHICH SHOW THE SKIN OF A DEAD SNAKE BEING USED AS A BOW BACKING, there's your warning..........

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f6.../snakebow2.jpg
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f6.../snakebow1.jpg

[steve58]

Originally Posted by gwynn

His web page is FerretsArcheryWebPage@groups.msn.com some good pix on there, nice to see how they do it over the pond.
Couple of nice pix WHICH SHOW THE SKIN OF A DEAD SNAKE BEING USED AS A BOW BACKING, there's your warning..........

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f6.../snakebow2.jpg
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f6.../snakebow1.jpg

The bow looks pretty backed like that, but does the backing have a practical purpose? Does it increase cast? Forgive my ignorance, but this is a new concept!

[schatzperson]

Yes, very handsome bows!
Dont know if it does anything to the cast though.
Animal material like sinew improves cast becuse of its elasticity and energy transfer efficiency; Rawhide backing works similar but I doubt if it increases cast much, I guess its more that it resists tension better than wood so prevents breakages.
The case for snakeskin might be different.
I know for a fact that hide or skin, tanned or raw can have very variable properties.
Different tanning processes impart different dynamics in the material.
Generally mineral tanning produces, leather more elastic than vegetable tanning.

From my practical experience with skins and leather of marine animals (sharks and moray eels), their rawhides can be extremely strong and elastic,
but I have never tried them on a bow,( have not built many bows that worked in any case!). Tanned skins will be different in some way.

Within the next month, I should be able to conduct some primitive tests in this regard. I am getting a very nice Moray next monday (Murena Helena).
The processing will take weeks of course, but I will post before and after pictures.......with the appropriate warning of course.

Vincent

[NeilvZ]

Gwynn, I'm from a dark corner in Africa somewhere. Vince, the skin looks good. It would be interesting to learn how supple you got it. Let us know how the meat tasted. I've only had shark once, don't know which species, and it was very nice. The Moray skin sounds very interesting. Do they change colour a lot when they've been processed, as they're not wet any more and there's no blood behind them etc?

[schatzperson]

Great White has fantastic meat!
I've tried it marinated in white wine, garlic and rosemary, wrapped in foil and it went a tender, tuna like oven yummy dish.
I also had it poached with potatoes, dark olives, blanched tomatoes and bay leaves. All good.
Morays change colour slightly when dead. The ones I have seen underwater, I never saw dead so I cannot really say to what extent. However when alive the colour contrasts are heavier.
Morays usually are coloured for best camoflage; We get them mostly a dark brown with yellow or green spots (oceloted).
The one I skinned yesterday, still has a very nice contrasty skin pattern. The yellow spots still bright.
Now that you mention it Neil, I am at odds how to process this piece for fear of loosing the colours.
In fact I might sacrifice a couple of tiny bits and put then in different tanning liquors to test the result.
The problem is that meanwhile the skin has to be either frozen ( not good for leather), or cured/salted which will stink my fridge some more.
My girlfriend hardly opens the fridge anymore now; I hope that the creatures that lurk in my icebox wont send her off back to Cologne :-)

This morning I put the moray skin in the freezer; As soon as I am about to start the sample processing , I will photograph it and post the pic.

[gwynn]

Originally Posted by NeilvZ

Gwynn, I'm from a dark corner in Africa somewhere...

Aren't all the best people?
Me, I'm a hairy-back Rhodie, as is my partner [thankfully without the hairy back]

[the badger]

Re the fish piccies........personally, I've seen more gore on a fishmongers slab in Tesco's..

[NeilvZ]

So, Vince.

How did your Moray experiments go? Have you decided what you're going to do with the Great White skin yet?