The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-09-25
Kid Gloves and Their Production.

Very few persons who are daily wearing
Kid gloves ever stop to think how many
hands are required before glove can be
put on the counter, ready for the Gus.
toner.
The materials used in making kid
glove are either the skins of kids from
six weeks to three months old-and these
furnish the best article or the skins Of
lambs of about the same age; there are
also the skins of sheep, but these make
but poor and infericr article. The first
process of making glove is the tawing.
To facilitate the removal Of the hair or
wool, the skins are placed in a solution OF
lime, after which thay are placed in run "
ming water to remove the lime, and after
being taken out Of this the hair easily
comes out with the aid of blunt scraper.
This process is repeated two or three
times, until every hair and small particle
Of flesh adhering to the skin are entirely
removed, and the skins then are ready
for the tawing operation. .ea~.
For this porpose they apply. an ingre-
dent of the yolks of eggs, alum, sal, etc,
polluted preparation, in which solution
the skins remain for several weeks, so
that they may become thoroughly satur-
ated, which gives them the necessary
whiteness, after which they undergo the
various coloring processes. The dying
REQUIRES considerable skill and fine eye
for the composition of the various shades.
The color is applied to each skin separ-
ately with brush, each requiring from
one to four applications of the color &C
cording to the shade desired. The only
executions tothis are the very light shades
the so-called evening colors, which arc
produced by immersing 900 or 800 skins
at one time in vat containing the color
ing matter, which will soak through
every particle of the skin. After being
thoroughly dried in room heated up tc
1870 deg. Fair, the skins reach the cutter
to be cut in square pieces; this is most
delicate operation, and not only requires
skill, but good judgment. The gloves
have to be cut with the grain of the SKIN
running from the head down, and great
waste Of material would result from the
employment of any but the most skilltu
hands. One skin will cut on an average
from three to four gloves, according t.
sizes required; though when large sheer
skins are used. one skin will give from
nine to ten inferior gloves. The squares
thus cut are put up in packages OF from
six to twelve pairs of gloves, and b!
means of punch and a powerful press
are cut out In pieces ready to be sewed
The sewing on the gloves is all dom
!. by hand, and requires the best seam
stresses. Over 5000 stitches are required
to sew pair Of ladies' gloves, and tn
/ best hands cannot finish more than fou
pair in day of twelve hours. For tn
sewing Of lower grades of gloves there j
now a machine in use, but. even with. 'th i
help, the best hands cannot sew NOR
than twelve to fourteen pairs per day
The making of button holes, putting Of
buttons, packing, ETC., Ill require extr
]. hands, each trained in their special voca
! ton, and thus glove, before being read,
for sale, passes through noless than 2C'
J, different hands.
!, The largest glove producing countrie
{ are France, Germany, Belgium, Austrl