Posted: 27 July 2012 at 1:54am | IP Logged

You say what can be done at the finishing stages, I am more approching the problem from the buying of the raw material point of view, which in India is generally the the responsibility of the brother-in-law of the owner, and the poor suffering technitian is told that he needs to solve a technical  (impossible) problem!  Indian tanners perform miracles!  The fact that the usual matrial there is (dry and old!) wet-blue makes things very difficult for all, even for the goat himself!  Thanks Kane for introducing your usual sannity into this discussion.

Someone like Waldo has a great problem in handling such a situation and by saying I speak only for the USA, is stating I will not get involved in the discussion, but that is part of his gad-fly approach to the wonderful forum which does also make him an expert on flies!  Please do think of the case of heavier skins as well, where the arteries are thicker and do rot because of the nutrients present in blood as well as how complicated it is to wring-out with a press some fluids from the salted hide, and in the dark apply it to what will soon be precious gelatin covered photographic film, to see the difficoulty of positivelly proving the case to Waldo!

Posted: 24 August 2012 at 10:06pm | IP Logged

Oportune use of salt will delay bacterial damage that often causes grain distress from ruined enamel to Nubouk effect and even holes!  This protection consists in slowing down activity but not stopping it. Given enough time even in a salted state  (1-2years) serious hide damage will ocurr but a few weeks up to one month would probably not carry bad consquences.  The storage temperature is obviously relevant as well.  Salt curing should involve proper bactericide as well, but the fact that often catlle nutrition salt is employed for salting hides, makes the use of a prepared curing salt too dangerous for salt producers, that in many countries might be a government agency!

Vein marks should be regarded as equivalent to "scar-tissue" in the sence that it is not at all reversible through the use of some amazing chemical during processing and just about all one can do is not aiding it to get worse!