I had an interesting observation while hosting a dinner party last weekend.  I grilled salmon on a cedar plank (wonderful by the way).      Well, when going after leftovers the next day, I noticed the salmon was stuck to the plate like glue, and my grill set had chunks that I had to chisel off.

My question is, has anyone here ever rendered their own glue out of fish skins, and if so, how?  This stuff seemed as strong as any hide glue I have ever used, including knox.

Dan, the Chinese, Japanese and Koreans all made fish glue and used it for binding fletching and points and plant fiber wrapping. I am not particularly fond of fish (I make an exception for cod)so I have never personally attempted fish glue.

Chris actually, but that's ok, I've been called worse than Dan, haha.

The reason I wondered, is with hide glue, we all know how water affects it.  When I was cleaning up, this stuff seemed impervious to water.

Dang I knew it was Chris, I got messed up with your Defeat Autism Now thingy. That happens a lot when you get old like me. Sorry.

Hey CHRIS, next batch of that pink smelly fish you get why not try and make some up and see how it works and let us know  

Will do.

Actually, you might even like that pink smelly stuff....just tell your self it tastes like chicken, haha.

You'll find fish glue for sale at places like Lee Valley tools, etc. It's been a staple adhesive for woodworking and other applications for a long, long time. Pretty strong stuff.

This is from Pictorial Korea ,march 2005 magazine.From an article entitled "Korean Bow", ann talks about the bow and a Korean bowyer named,Kim Bak-Yeong.
"The glue made from the air bladders of croakers determines the life and soul of a bow.The glue is made the same way ancient Koreans made it and the technique has been passed down for generatyions.To make the glue, the air bladder of croakers are boiled for several days."

Gil

Saxton Pope records Ishi using fish glue to adhere the rawhide backing to his bow, in Hunting with the Bow & Arrow. He made his by boiling Salmon skins too.

I wonder if this is how it was discovered?

The Lapp people of Northern Scandinavia used
glue made from fish skin (Perch) to laminate
bows hundreds of years ago. Carl von Linne`
wrote it down in the 17. hundreds.
Bue--.

See Chris you're walking in the footsteps of hunters from centuries before in more ways than just the bow.  Kind of neat, huh?