The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-08
NEED COLOR SENSE
IN HANDLING FURS
EXPERT FURRIER MUST ALSO
HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF SKIN
CONDITION.

The chief requirement for success
eye for color. or. more valuable yet,
an intuitive sense of color. The DIFF
ference In value of the rarer varieties
! OF fur skins. especially sables. natural
black. silver and blue fox. sea offers.
chinchillas, mink and some others, Is
go subtle that more than a practiced
eye Is necessary to judge accurately
| Of the merits OF individual skins. 1t
| is necessary that the color sense be
highly developed,
| The expert furrier must have. In
addition TO this. a thorough knowledge
! Of the condition In which skin
should be to gain admittance into the
highest class. A furrier must know
by the appearance of the pelt whether
1t will turn out soft and strong after
II has been dressed and whether the
fur is in the best condition as re-
CARDS strength and beauty.
A fur skin must, OF course, be
treated more carefully and by Diff
the tanner of hides. Tannic acid
would ruin the pliability OF fur
skin, weaken and d!Scilor the hair.
The furrier's process Is designed to
retain the natural Oil of the pelt,
which In turn preserves the color OF
tho fur and keeps It soft and pliable.
The frs. step in this process L. ac-
oompiished by placing the skin In an
alkalf bath After Il has been soften
ed in tho bath the moisture Is work
ed out of the skin with a blunt wooden
instrument. Then the flesh side Is
drawn carefully back and forth over
straight edged knife, which re-
moves any flesh that NAV be cllnging
to the pelt and also evens 1t off.
Specially prepared grease is rubbed
into the skin for softening purposes
and the process Is carried still fur
thor by placing the skin in machine
which is arranged to beat IT softly
until the grease has been entirely ae-
sorbed. A slowly revolving drum Mt
ted with wooden paddles and contain
ing fine hard sawdust. the Kind OF
sawdust differing with the variety OF
fur. next takes charge OF the peh. A
moderate degree of heat is supplied
during this stage Of the dressing. The
skin is thoroughly cleaned OF grease
hy this machine and the dressing is
completed by tapping the skin with
smooth canes, of hexibiiity adapted
TO the strength OF the fur on
leather cushion stuffed with horsehair.
Often a skin will be changed in shane
and made smaller by the dressing
process.
Seal and beaver skins require much
more careful handling than other furs.
In the case of these skins the water
hai xth n 70
Of the pelt, have to be removed py
hand. This process Is more difficult
with seal than with beaver A num-
Der of men. each a specialist In his
part of the work, are kept employed
in the work After this part OF the
dressing process has been completed
the fine under wood. which Is wavy
and pale drab In color Is dyed dark
brown. Several coats of this dark
brown dye are applied, and the hnal
result is a fur which Is lustrous piacK
| on top. The skin is then submitted TO
the cleaning process again. made OF
an even thickness by emery wneeis.
and finally finished off In pale bun
color.
| The English dye for sealskin. which
! ,s considered the best, is trade
secret. Its principal ingredients are
gallnuts, copper dust, camphor and
anthony. 1t Is supposed that the
water used for the dye In LONDON
has great deal to do with the fine
results obtained by the use of this
dye. The natives of different coun-
tries using their own processes, oo-
tain better results with some skins
than with others. but the American
Ifurriers are rapidly coming to the
front In handling the various kinds OF