February 7, 2015 — Now, he thinks he can level the playing field a bit for environmentally minded fishermen and make a chunk of change himself, too.
The secret? Salmon-skin wallets and crab-shell shirts.
No, really.
Kasberg’s plan is to reuse and recycle discarded fish skins and turn them into leather—just like cow hide. Kasberg sees potential for fish-skin wallets, belts, and more.
But what about the smell? Nonexistent, Kasberg claims: The smelly fish oils are removed and replaced with vegetable oils during the tanning process.
“Smells more like cow leather than fish,” he said.
The Alaskan salmon samples he’s been testing are about as durable as cow leather, but the texture is more like snakeskin.
And those crab shirts? The fabric will feel softer yet will be heavier than your average cotton shirt. The textile is spun with chitosan, a natural compound found in crab shells that works as an antimicrobial barrier,reducing the smell from sweat. Some athletic wear on the market today already contains chitosan, but Kasberg says he’s working on a textile mixture with a much higher percentage of chitosan that won’t wash out of the clothing.
Dubbed Tidal Vision, Kasberg’s company is still in the prelaunch phase, but he’s hoping to unveil his first product line by summer.