• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
People all asking the same thing as woman shows how she makes 'fish leather'

Home> News

Published 17:36 15 Mar 2024 GMT

People all asking the same thing as woman shows how she makes 'fish leather'

It's supposed to be 10 times stronger than calf leather

Bec Oakes

Bec Oakes

In an increasingly eco-conscious world, we're always looking for alternatives to traditional leather.

One woman thinks 'fish leather' could be the answer, but everyone's asking her the same question.

In a TikTok video by @fishtokisab, fashion designer Isabelle shows viewers how she makes the material.

After donning protective overalls and glasses, she takes cuts of fish skin from a freezer and rinses them with cold water.

Then, she uses a blunt tool to scrape all the meat, fat and membrane off.

Advert

After a brief interlude from the fishy business to grab a snack (because obviously), Isabelle returns to the office where she soaks the skins in soapy water.

This is the preparation stage of making fish leather.

After this, the fish skins go through tanning and drying processes to make the material strong and resistant to wear.

Once tanned, it functions much like the tanned cowhide we're more accustomed to and is actually said to be 10 times stronger than calf leather, due to its natural cross-fibre structure.

Everyone had the same question when fashion designer Isabelle showed TikTok how she makes 'fish leather.'
TikTok/@fishtokisab

Advert

While not frequently used, fish leather is actually a great alternative to traditional cowhide.

It is a by-product of the seafood industry meaning no extra energy is required in terms of production to provide the material.

Fish leather is also environmentally friendly as none of the products used involve endangered animals and it doesn't leave the carbon footprint associated with raising cattle.

But, there's a potentially smelly elephant (or fish) in the room and it's a question that flooded the comment section of Isabelle's video.

Does fish leather smell? After all, nobody wants to smell like a fish and chip shop whenever they put their new shoes on.

Advert

One user wrote: "I can smell it from here," while another said: "Can I ask about the smell?"

Isabelle explains that the tanning of the fish leather changes it structurally, leaving it odourless.
TikTok/@fishtokisab

As it turns out, the tanning process removes the fish smell, leaving the material smelling like any other leather.

In a follow-up video, Isabelle explains: "When I acquire the skins, they have been smoked. They are literally smoked salmon skin.

"Imagine smoked salmon in your fridge. Are you gagging from the smell or does it smell like smoked salmon which is actually kind of making you hungry?"

Advert

Explaining that the skin doesn't smell as strongly as the meat of the fish, she says that you're just left with a faint salmon smell.

She added: "And then, once you've turned it to leather, it's odourless.

"You have to tan the skin to turn it into leather and tannings actually structurally change the skin. It's just like cow leather."

Featured Image Credit: TikTok/@fishtokisab

Topics: TikTok, Fashion, Weird

Bec Oakes
Bec Oakes

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

9 hours ago
  • 9 hours ago

    Man who killed twisted murderer Jeffrey Dahmer explains why he did it

    The notorious serial killer was killed in 1994

    News
  • 9 hours ago

    Elon Musk forms his 'own political party' after fallout with Trump

    Looks like the tech billionaire isn't done with politics after all

    News
  • 9 hours ago

    Woman who lives in underground bunker with no windows reveals how much she saves on rent

    At least she's ready for the apocalypse

    News
  • 9 hours ago

    Man who chose to live underwater for 100 days to see what would happen to his body reveals shocking impact it had

    Dr Joseph Dituri spent 100 days at sea in 2023

    News
  • Woman who sold all her possessions to live on cruise reveals how she feels about huge decision
  • Woman who was abandoned as a baby reveals how she found her father 24 years later
  • Katy Perry leaves people asking common question as new footage shows stunt she did in space
  • Everyone is asking the same thing about photo of unexpected celebrities together as kids