Fungi Friday - Trying something new, leather

Man needs difficulties; they are necessary for health. Carl Jung

Had a special interest in mushrooms ever since I learned how to walk and remember anything. Parents took me mushroom hunting way before I was walking around in the forest with them. Back then I mostly poked unhatched froglings in the mud, snails that were already eating mushrooms or playing with dead tree sticks, pretending it was a sword.

Since little boy we also have a tradition that's coming up shortly with giving a blessing from church to homes of relatives and friends for good year, safe home and positive energies. This year I'm well-prepared for a long ride with it, although normally people shared the 'fire' by foot, my father showed me few ways of using a car to do that and travel longer distance.

_{I belive these are 'pancake' mushrooms, not sure.}

This year I've tried out new things, kind of grew a special interest in fungi and learned what how and where, everything about Chicken of the woods mushroom. It does taste like chicken, is super healthy, has medicinal uses and learned it grows on more than just one kind of tree's.

I've also been amazed when I heard, well saw a hat made out of a mushroom. Wanted to try making a leather ever since, but never figured out a way nor found a big enough fungus.

Over four months ago I soaked one big amadue mushroom in hopes that it will soften the outer shell. It did not.
Two weeks ago I decided to take a big of everything to help me open' the fungi and try getting "trauma" layer out of it, which I believe is the part that is like leather. Also called vegan leather.
When opened it up, I separated layers, cut it to 1 cm thick pieces and boiled it.

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As it boiled for 10 minutes I took it out pieces by piece and hammered it softly to desirable thickness. After second boiling the layer started tarring apart and I soon realized that soaking the mushroom for way over 3 months prior to this is a bad idea.