Anyone know anything about it or how it’s done? Also, I have heard that urine tanned hides are waterproof, yet don’t expand/contract in response to wetness the way rawhide does. Does anyone know if this is true or not? Thanks.
sorry, a bit off topic, but I just read this when reading about washing wool sweaters…
Fulling or tucking or walking ("waulking" in Scotland) is a step in woollen clothmaking which involves the cleansing of cloth (particularly wool) to eliminate oils, dirt, and other impurities, and making it thicker.In Roman times, fulling was conducted by slaves standing ankle deep in tubs of human urine and cloth. Urine was so important to the fulling business that urine was taxed. Urine, known as ‘wash’, was a source of ammonium salts and assisted in cleansing the cloth.
craziness
From Nansens “Eskimolife” (translated to english by me):
“When the sealskin is to be used for shoes, fat and meat is scraped of with a ulo … When the skin is thinned by scraping it is put in a bucket of old urine for one day, or until the hairs come off easily. Then the skin is stretched on the ground to dry. Afterwards it is worked soft.”
This is just one recipe. If you look in books about artic people, you should find plenty of information on this and other interesting subjects.
I remember reading somewhere that kids urine where used rather than adults.