Carp Skins for Backing?

[Ippus]

Common carp are fun to catch and plentiful in some of the waters around here... They grow big quickly, so you almost never catch a small one, either, which means they provide skin with decent-sized patches.

Consequently, I was looking into ways to tan fish leather (thinking about handle wraps, initially) and found some threads on PA about using "green" fish skin to back a bow (similar to how you would with snake skin). Thinking that would look pretty awesome, if nothing else.

My question is: For anyone who's done this, would it add to the strength/poundage of the bow the way sinew might (sub-question: Does rawhide do that, too; I've never been clear on that) or is it largely decorative?

Also, anybody ever tried making a quiver out of fish leather?

[PEARL DRUMS]

It adds nothing in the way of performance, maybe a slight bit of security. You don't want fish over 16-18" long. The skin gets too thick and the scales too big after that length. Skin them, scrub the crap out of them with Dawn and let dry between sheets of paper towel. And, each scale has to be pulled out with needle nose. Not fun.

[Ippus]

Thanks Pearl.

The ones we get around here tend to be "mirror" carp, which are a genetic variant with a few large scales, mostly along the back, so at least that part is a lot easier. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror_carp

So, where thicker skin might make for better leather, you're saying it's less desirable for bow backing?

[PEARL DRUMS]

Exactly. You don't want that heavy, thick skin slowing your limbs down. I should say, I wouldn't want it on my own. Performance may not be a concern for you. And that's cool by me. The heavier/thicker the skin the harder it is to lay flat and conform to the bows back. I have some salmon skin leather, its cool. Zero stretch, but still cool. I'm sure a bigger carp would make some nice leather.

[Springbuck]

Pearl, how thick IS the stuff?  I don't have one to look at right now and I have never used it.   I believe in letting the wood carry the bow, I'm just curious.

 I skin carp now and then and it is definitely kind of a thick, rubbery skin compared to most other fish.  But even from huge old girls it's not thicker than 1/8", and I would think it would be thinner after stretching and drying, right? 

Perhaps the few times I used regular rawhide it was thicker than I thought or needed, and that's my frame of reference.

[Danzn Bar]

I think carp skins, and " sturgeon " skins, even though they look great, takes away from the performance from the bow.  I do not like putting anything heavy (fish skins, rawhide etc.) on the back of the bow unless it is necessary for a suspect area on the limb for insurance. It provides no performance enhancements  only dead weight.

I think a quiver would be the very best application for this material. 
Lets see some fish skins quivers you guys!!!! Never seen one of these.............
DBar

[Eric Krewson]

I have seen some mighty fine looking bows with grass carp skins on the backs.

I think you guys are over thinking the "adding" weight to a bow stuff. I have skinned bows with huge (60") timber rattler skins and not seen any drop in performance.

[timmyd]

anytime you add anything to the limbs, you will lose speed but in my opinion, the minimal of speed you lose is made up by the pure pleasure of looking at your bow. I don't have any carp near me that I know of but I love snake skins on a bow. That was a standard application for me before they jumped in price lol. I used to get a set of nice diamondbacks for $40...now they are almost $80.

I remember a guy who used to post pics of his osage bows with carp skin backings and I would take that little loss in speed any day. Like one bowyer told me and its true. Make your bow as nice looking as you can. after all, your going to be looking at it hours on end while hunting LOL. so true

[PEARL DRUMS]

I used them twice. Both times the fish live didn't exceed 16-18" long. The scales were about the size of large peas and the skin was as thick as an old WDB would be, slightly stiffer and harder to conform to the back. TB3 worked great to hold them down. I wrapped them with ACE bandages to get good adhesion. My old PC dies, or I would bring up some pics. Im sure you could go back 4-6 years and find them on here somewhere.

[Ippus]

I don't have any carp near me that I know of but I love snake skins on a bow.

You sure about that, Timmy? Where are you? Common carp can thrive pretty much anywhere - part of why they're so invasive. I bet if you wanted, you could find some nearby waters with carp.

Heck, when I first started looking into catching them for food, I thought I was going to have to drive to a reservoir like 2 hours away... turns out there are some of them in a little river that runs right through the middle of town.

[PEARL DRUMS]

I believe common carp live in at least 48 of 50 states.