Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-07-21
LORE ABOUT LEATHER.
Low the Pelts OF Muiritudes of Animals
Are Worked.


Low the Pelts OF Muititudes of Animals
Are Worked.
Very few people have any idea OF
the number OF different animals
which contribute their skins for the
adornment Of pocket books, purses.
ETC., and make up the large number
OF odds and ends which people find
so useful. Monkeys. pigs, goats.
snakes, lizards, alligators, sheep,
calves, fish, seals, and even birds, ali
contribute
The great majority of these skins
are imported, as labor is so cheap
abroad that the manufacturers here
find that even with the duty of TWEEN
ty per cent on the finished leather
that it is cheaper than importing the
hides without duty. and having them
tanned here.
The one thing of Importance in
leather for fancy leather goods is the
grain, says the Trunk and Leather
Review, which influences the price to
a very great extent The number
and variety of grains is large, and
the different feathers are classified
when received according to the size
of the grain under these several head
ing-fsh, morocco, gros grain, levant,
turkey, monkey, pig and seal. These
, grains are all different sizes, the
monkey being the largest, although
the pig and seal are very pronounced.
The fish grain is the smallest of
| all Besides these feathers there are
great many limitations made
buffng, which is split cowhide, and
a skiver, which is split sheepskin.
But these can be easily told, as
what is called hand grain is the
natural grain of the skin touched by
hand, whereas the ordinary imita-
tions are embossed by machine.
Several other grains made by ma
| chinery on skiver or butfing are
called boarded, being made by
brass tool which gives fine straight
| lines close together; the others show
ing wavy effects or water lines on the
skin and dice grain.
The most expensive leather sells
from 800 to $40 per dozen skins.
| This is the genuine Russian leather,
| which has of late temporarily lost
| popularity. 1t is in gros-grain.
Levant Soatskin sells for 500 a dozen
| skins. Sasi sSlls from $50 to $50 a
dozen, and pigskins are sold by the
skin at $3.50 or 81 each. Monkey
| skins are cheaper, selling at So per
skin, but these latter are hard to pro-
cure at any price. They are made
| up by only one or two manufacturers
| that we know of in America into the
finest grade of leather novelties of
I the imported skins. With the excep-
| tiOn of the sealskins. which are
tanned in England, nearly all these
skins are tanned in Germany. al
though sheepskins are tanned in
| France.
very ingenious imitation of Rus
: sian leather has been made of calf
/ skin, perfumed with oil of birch
1t is dangerous counterfeit, for
the reason that the dior is exactly
the same, and the appearance and
odor very much so, often puzzling
the untutored buyer. Time. how
ever, destroys the false odor and re-
veals the imitation.
| The most important thing now,
"AiA oHS AoOOoO' 10 W nave IHe ledIn6r
! novelties which women carry to
match their dress in color.
Fortunately, the houses which i'm
port feathers to this country used to
send samples of feathers to Germany
| and elsewhere to match, so as to
strike the exact color. Now silk,
cotton stuffs, plush, etc, are sent
| instead.
Lizard skins come largely from
Borneo, as well as Germany.