Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-03-03
FROM TURTLES BACKS.
The Revival of the Big Tortoise-She
h

The Revival OF the Big TOrtOise-Shell
Comb.
1.-The fashion for tortoise-sheIl combs is
returning" said large uptown retailer to
reporter "Some five years ago combs
were considered out of fashion, and nobody
used them except ladies of the old school,
and then the combs were very small, but
the style has been growing in favor, and |
should not be surprised to see in a few
years the enormous combs of our grand
mothers worn again"
Does the style of the comb originate
here, or is it imported from Paris, with the
rest of a woman's headgear w asked the
reporter.
"Oh no; | buy my goods from manu-
facturer i'll the city who has been in the
trade for number of years. The French
combs do not take here, and at the same
time the designs are so elaborate that they
cost, with the duties, too much for the av-
erage purchaser"
On the second floor of an old fashioned
building the reporter found the largest
tortoise-shell comb manufacturer in the
city. He said: "Tortoise shell comes
chiefly from Central America and the
West India Islands. The native trade the
shell for provisions and clothing and down
there it is as good as silver"
care the shells brought here whole ~
asked the reporter.
"Oh, no. When the natives catch the
tortoise they kill him and expose the
shell to the fire, which loosens the plates
and then they are easily pulled apart
There are thirteen plates on the back of
the tortoise and thirteen on the stomach.
The stomach plates are what we call
amber shell, and are worth more than the
rest, for when they are polished they are
almost as light as genuine amber"
Near the door sat white-haired old
Frenchman scraping and cutting some
shells, which lad took up and bound to-
gether with thread A comb has to be
several shells thick. After the shells are
cut ous in the general shape of the design
wanted, they are wrapped in several thick
nesses of wet cotton cloth and placed be-
tween two heavy heated irons in a press,
which is screwed down. Left there for
half an hour, the steam Yields them to-
gether nicely, and when taken out they go
to the designer, who pastes paper pattern
on the shell, so that all the delicate fill
gree work can be cut out with what looks
like an ordinary scroll saw. They are
then sent to another room, where the
rough edges are cut off with circular saws
about as large as the end of lead pencil.
After going through several processes
the comb arrives at the last stage, the pol
ishing-room. There are a number of
wheels Of different sizes, some thicker than
others, revolving at a rapid rate. The
proprietor explained: "These wheels are
composed of many layers of muslin cloth,
and the heat generated through friction
removes all roughness and puts on beau
tiful polish, which lasts as long as the
comb"
DO you make any of those very large
combs, like that specimen in the case ?'
The manufacturer picked up the comb,
which measured fifteen inches wide and
eight inches high, beautifully carved, and
replied "That comb was sent here from
Brazil by lady of Dom Pedro's court. l
mended it, but it has never been called for,
and l am not sorry, for it Is curiosity in
this country. We do not make any like it.
| have some pretty large ones, however,
for the ladies of Havana still cling to the
antique style. Tortoise shell is used for
various purposes. Here, for instance, are
Il lot of cap fore-pieces for the officers of
the Spanish navy. Each peak weighs
just one-half an ounce" -Neig York Eren-
ing Sun.