BS: Care of sealskin kayak

Subject: BS: Care of sealskin kayak
From: Kampervan
Date: 31 May 15 - 03:06 PM

Hi there

I have a model kayak, about 21" long, that I bought in Greenland some years ago. It is covered with sealskin which is paper thin and beginning to look at little bit dry.

Does anyone know (without guessing!) what I need to do to stop it cracking up and disintegrating?

I guess it needs some sort of oil or maybe lanolin, but I don't want to risk putting anything on it until I know that it's the right thing to do.

It's a beautiful model, made by an Inuit craftsman from wood, bone, leather and sealskin complete with harpoons and flotation bladder and I would hate to see it spoiled.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers

K/van

Subject: RE: BS: Care of sealskin kayak
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 31 May 15 - 03:53 PM

You do realise you must never light a fire in the kayak, no matter how cold it is, don't you? One poor bloke tried it once, set the kayak on fire and drowned. Just goes to show you cannot have your kayak and heat it...

Subject: RE: BS: Care of sealskin kayak
From: Kampervan
Date: 31 May 15 - 04:06 PM

Groan.

Thank you Dave T G

Moving on.......

Subject: RE: BS: Care of sealskin kayak
From: GUEST
Date: 31 May 15 - 04:41 PM

Seal or whale blubber ? Maybe rendered down somehow beforehand.

Subject: RE: BS: Care of sealskin kayak
From: GUEST
Date: 31 May 15 - 05:05 PM

What would the Inuit use?

Subject: RE: BS: Care of sealskin kayak
From: GUEST
Date: 31 May 15 - 05:37 PM

Possibly, as suggested above, something that neither your nor they would want in the house

Subject: RE: BS: Care of sealskin kayak
From: Greg F.
Date: 31 May 15 - 05:40 PM

Well, this has been used for decades to treat leather:


BRITISH MUSEUM LEATHER DRESSING TREATMENT (BML)

    200 gm (7 oz) anhydrous lanolin
    30 ml (1 oz) cedarwood oil (acts as a fungicide)
    15 gm (½ oz) beeswax (optional)
    350 ml diethyl ether (B.P. 15-25°C) or 330 ml of hexane
    [Sometimes 60% of the lanolin is replaced by neatsfoot oil]

But on the other hand, there's THIS

Subject: RE: BS: Care of sealskin kayak
From: Ebbie
Date: 31 May 15 - 05:58 PM

Lots of information here but I didn't find maintenance. But at least there are dozens of other links one can click:

http://www.seawolfkayak.com/skin-on-frame-kayak

Subject: RE: BS: Care of sealskin kayak
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 31 May 15 - 06:15 PM

Strange....21 inch kayak? Not 21 foot?

Whatever....use a premium "boot dressing."

Neatsfoot oil is the old standard..

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Logger's boots (otto white boot company Spokan, Washington) use a "Swedish Oil" which includes neatsfoot, lanolin, whale oil...when purchasing a 470 USD pair of boots from a "RedWing" distributor you are permitted "free access" to the boot-oil pot in their shop.

Subject: RE: BS: Care of sealskin kayak
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 31 May 15 - 06:41 PM

Bring your artifact into an "industrial" boot store.

Otto White....find your closest distributor (we are looking at US Forest Service "smoke jumper") Red Wing Store is common.

With you, the shop keepers, will marvel, enjoy, allow you to slather the aritifact with ensential oils, and then send you home with a teaspoon dribble that will last until your heirs wonder, ....

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

wonder.....why was grandpa collecting sperm samples?

Subject: RE: BS: Care of sealskin kayak
From: GUEST,kampervan
Date: 31 May 15 - 08:03 PM

Hi Gargoyle

As I said, it's a model kayak and it sits on my study desk. Yup, it's 21" long and I'm living in the UK, Kent to be exact.

But I'll check out the link from Ebbie and see how I get on.

Cheers

K/van

Subject: RE: BS: Care of sealskin kayak
From: Greg F.
Date: 31 May 15 - 08:08 PM

Hello - please, for the sake of the kayak, also check the link I posted.

All best,

Greg.

Subject: RE: BS: Care of sealskin kayak
From: GUEST,K/van
Date: 31 May 15 - 08:13 PM

Hi Greg

Yes, just checked that out and its very scary! If the museums have being doing it wrong all this time then I don't think that I'm going to do anything until get some positive information.


Its just that the sealskin seems so dry and fragile at the moment, but at least its not mouldy! Maybe I just get it out of a dry atmosphere and in to somewhere outdoors but sheltered.

Cheers
K/van

Subject: RE: BS: Care of sealskin kayak
From: maeve
Date: 01 Jun 15 - 06:52 AM

Good link, Greg F.

kampervan- What about a basic wood and glass case to stabilize conditions? Use a humidity gauge to keep track of things.

Subject: RE: BS: Care of sealskin kayak
From: GUEST,Kampervan
Date: 01 Jun 15 - 07:26 AM

Hi Maeve

Having read through a report from the Alaskan museum which, basically, says that you shouldn't treat skin/leather with anything, I think that your idea is probably about as good as I will get.

Although it does look very fragile the kayak is still intact and tear free, so stabilising the atmosphere around it is a good idea both to prevent further drying out and also to stop mechanical damage.

I'll give it a go and see if I can create a virtually hermetically sealed glass box to control the rH keep it somewhere cool.

Thanks for the ideas.

Cheers
K/van

Subject: RE: BS: Care of sealskin kayak
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Jun 15 - 07:55 AM

All things must pass

I have a 45 year old East Greenland seaskin that the moths finally found. Back in the day it was good for getting Greenpeace supporters of the 1970's to think things through more carefully.