The daily herald. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1886-1887, 1886-10-16
MAKING KID GLOVES.
DESCRIPTION OF LEADING PROCESSES
IN THEIR MANUFACTURE.

The First Thing That Is Done with the
Raw skin-The Peculiar Method of Tan
ning-Application of the Dye-Putting
on the Finishing Touches.
Kid gloves are made, to q smaller extent,
In England and Germany, but those of
best quality are usually manufactured in
France. In all there are 219 separate pro-
cesses before the raw skin is converted
into the kid glove. The first thing to do
is of course, to remove the hair from the
raw skins, and for this purpose lime is
used, they being immersed from fort
night to three weeks In pits containing
water and lime The skins are constantly
turned and shifted about by workmen
armed with long iron tongs, and when
taken out 1t is found that the lime has
loosened the cuticle of the skin, thus
rendering the removal of the hair more
easy matter. From the lime-pits the skins
aretaken to the unhairing room, where
they are stretched on sort of wooden
block, and are scraped with
blunt two-handled knife. This
removes the hair. They are now
taken in hand by the "fesher,"
who cuts off the tail, the head
piece, and such portions of adipose
matter as may still adhere to the skin.
The skins now pass on to the "scudder,"
who removes any hair that may have hith-
erto escaped the knives of the previous
operators They are next left to soak in
clear water, to remove all traces of the
lime, and from thence they undergo pro-
cess of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS is to say, they
are placed in q mixture of warm water
and bran, which not only removes any
IL.
renders them soft and supple. Kid skins
are not tanned like ordinary leather, but
are immersed in large, revolving
drum which contains mixture com
posed of yolk of eggs, wheaton -four, alum
and salt; and so enormous is the consump-
tion of the former ingredients that at one
factory in Chaumont no fewer than 1000
eggs are needed every day. The skins are
allowed to remain in this costly paste for
rather more than an hour, the drum being
kept revolving by means of machinery.
They are next taken out, and
removed to the cellars for the
night, and from thence are con-
veyed ON the following day to the drying
room, where they are subjected to a
temperature varying from 40 to 100
degrees. Each skin is hung separately ON
hooks, and thus they dry very quickly.
This process leaves them somewhat hard,
and they are next seasoned" or sam
mied" with cold water, and then stretched
backwards and forwards over an upright
knife, shaped like half-moon. After
being wetted again, they are Shaved" by
means of specially-constructe knives,
which remove the under-hesh. The skins
are now coated with composition of flour,
oil, and yolk of egg, which makes them
onf NIL 10 hav haf
to the dye-house.
Before being dyed the skins are trodden
under foot for several hours in water
Having been rinsed, the skins are now
molstened with more yolk of eggs, and are
allowed to rest a day before they are dyed
by the workmen, who, taking brush
dipped in ammonia, spread it over the
skin, and then apply several coatings of
the dye. For skins that are dyed on both
sides, of course, another process Is
employed. The workmen place the skins
in large vat, and while treading them
down pour in the coloring liquid. Those
that are intended for black gloves show,
after their first dip in the dye, q blush
tinge, but this is worked off until the skins
present brilliant and perfect black.
The skins, having been dried and dyed,
are now subjected to process known as
grounding" the object of which is to re-
move all roughness, and render them
thinner and more supple. They are next
sorted according to their quality and size,
and are passed on to the cutters, who cut
them into the several detached parts Of
gloves. This operation requires great
Judgment for the workman has to allow
for the natural stretch of the skin. The
finished skins having been selected and
ont hu mi nt
by the cutters, are put over a frame look
ing like q deformed glove. These
frames are so made that they
represent the whole glove laid
out unsewn. The gloves, with the thumbs
duly fitted and put together, are placed
in press, after which they are sent
to be punched by means of machinery.
The edges of the gloves are refolded by
machinery, and are then ready for sewing.
In France the work of stitching is done
chiefly by hand, although there are some
very ingenious machines invented to per-
form this operation.
The fastenings are now attached by
means of rivets, which are hammered on
by girls called riveuses. The glove has
now been sewn, and furnished with but
tons. 1t only remains to straighten it by
placing it ON glove-stick They are then
arranged in dozens, and being enveloped
in paper bands, are packed in card boxes
ready to be despatched from the factory
Cassell's Family Magazine.
The Deadly, Indigestible Sailed Almonds
The universal sailed almond was said tc
be the aggravating cause of Mrs. Sher
idan's nearly fatal illness, she having
eaten them in the thoughtless way that
one is tempted to for whole afternoon
beginning with lunch and several calls
and ending with dinner party, and, al