The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-25
LORE ABOUT LEATHER.
How the Pelts of Multitudes of AMI
mails are Worked.


mails are Worked.
From the Trunk and Leather ReUieto.
Very few people have any idea of the
number of different animals which con-
tribute their skins for the adornment of
pocket books, purses, etc., and make up the
large number odds and ends which people
find so useful. Monkeys, pigs, goats.
snakes, Lizards, alligators, sheep. calves,
fish, seals and even birds, all contribute
The great majority of these skins are i'm
ported, as labor is 80 cheap abroad that the
manufacturers here find that even with the
duty OF % per cent. on the finished leather
that it is cheaper than importing the
hides without duty. and having them
tanned here.
CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO GRAIN.
The one thing OF importance in leather
for fancy leather goods is the grain, 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 headings-hsh, 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.
INVITATIONS.
The fish grain is the smallest of all Be-
sides these feathers there are great many
limitations made-buffing, which is a split
cowhide, and a skiver. which is split Sheep
skin.
But these can be easily told, as what is
called hand grain is the natural grain of
the skin touched up by hand, whereas the
ordinary limitations are embossed by ma
chine.
Several other grains made by machinery
on skiver or bufing are called boarded, be-
ing made by a brass tool which gives fine
straight lines close together; the others
showing wavy effects of water lines on the
skin and the dice grain.
EXPENSIVE LEATHERs.
The most expensive leather sells from 300
TO $40 per dozen skins. This il the genuine
Russian leather, which has OF late tempo
rarily lost popularity. 1t is in gros-grain.
Levant goat skin sells for 800 dozen skins.
Seal sells from $50 to $50 dozen, and pig
skins are sold by the skin at 50 so or 81
each. Monkey skins are cheaper, selling at
81 per skin, but these latter are hard to pro-
cure at any price. They are made up by
only one or to manufacturers that we know
of in America into the very finest grade of
leather novelties Of the imported skins
With the exception of the sealskins, which
are tanned IN England, nearly all these skins
are tanned in Germany, although sheepskins
are tanned in France.
DANGEROUS COUNTERFEIT.
very ingenious imitation OF Russian
leather has been made Of calfskin, per-
fumed with oil of birch.
1t Is a dangerous counterfeit, for the rea-
son that the color is exactly the same, and
the appearance and odor very much SO,
often puzzling the untutored buyer. Time,
however, destroys the false odor and re-
veals the imitation.
LEATHER NoVKLTIKs
The most important thing now, and the
latest, is TO have the leather novelties
which women carry TO match their dress in
color.
Fortunately. the houses which import
feathers 60 this country used 10 send sam
Piles Of feathers TO Germany aud 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.