Found someone on the TRAPPERMAN.COM/Forums claiming there is an 'old Eskimo' tanning method that uses only flour and water. He saw it on a fly fishing program where they use this method to 'tan' hair, fur and feather skins for fly tying material. First, if it's an 'old' method, where did Eskimos get flour. Method: Flesh and scrape skin, salt heavily until dry. Scrape some more then mix flour and water to the consistancy of pancake batter and spread on the skin. Let it harden then scrape it off. Work the skin to soften it some what. I have my doubts unless there is some magical power in flour. Also, if it were true then Pillsburry would be one of the leading tanneries in the country. What say you Mr. Rittel?
Glenn
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As far as the Eskimos are concerned - they used their sourdough mix to do it. Of course, they didnt have any such thing until the Gold miners came North looking for the end of the rainbow.
The so-called tan itself isnt unique! It has been used in many of the Mid East countries like India and Pakistan for centuries - but notice I said "so-called"!
The sour dough mix at least had some Lactic Acid in it as a by product of fermentation that helped a little to preserve the skin temporarily - but the Mid East flour and Water idea had no tanning qualities whatsoever - it simply "filled" the leather temporarily until it finally began to break down. These were not tans! They both simply "filled" the leather. There was no chemical bond involved in rubbing such mixtures into the flesh.
They had the best of all worlds. One mixture, they could tan with it, glue it to the mannikin with it, and then use it as a batter to fry the meat in, huh?