Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-11-11

CRATES the leather within a compare
lively short space Of time, and skins
dressed in this manner are never as
soft and pliable and have tendency
to become stiff on drying out after be-
coming damp.
The surplus oil is removed from the
fur and pelt by tumbling the skins with
sawdust. The oil is absorbed by the
sawdust and, by changing the oily saw
dust for clean, all surplus oil is re-
moved.
Skins are now ready for dyeing
This is a very complicated process, re-
quring from three to four weeks, dur
ing which time the skins are handled
every day. All applications of dye
are made by hand with a brush. This
requires great skill and very close in
spection in order TO insure a uniform
color. The natural color of the seal is
a very light brown and the lower half Of
the fur is dyed a rich chocolate brown,
considerably darker than the natural
color, and the top half a brown so deep
as to have all appearances of jet
black. All dyes used for this purpose
are manufactured from crude veg
etable dye bases, and no aniline, min
eral or coal-tar products enter into the
process at any point. Vegetable dyes
are noted for their fastness and rich
tone, and do not have any detrimental
effect on the fur, but on the contrary
improve it in many ways.
After being dyed and again cleaned
the pelt is cut down to the proper
thickness. The method formerly used
to accomplish this was hand shaving,
whereas in the "Funsten, ST. Louis
porcess this is accomplished by ma
chinery, and results in an absolutely
uniform thickness in all parts of each
pelt, and all skins regardless of size
are finished with the same thickness
of pelt, so that the manufacturer does
not meet with the difficulty of joining
two peits of different thicknesses.
The next step is known as "dehair-
ing" which is the removal of the guard
or water hairs in the process of growth
and which have not reached the length
of the fur and appear as short, stub
by bristles hidden by the fur itself but
interfering with its soft, even appear
ance and feel. 1t is because these
hairs are covered by the fur that they
cannot be removed in the "unhairing''
process this is accomplished by ma
complished by machines operated by
hand, which by an ingenious arrange
ment of air blasts, combs and knives,
separate the short guard or water
hairs from the fur and cut them of
close to the petit
The final finishing requires about
three weeks, during which time both
the pelt and fur receive final i'm
provements.
1t requires four months for a skin
to move through the complete factory
| process from start to finish, being
worked on practically every day, and a
good many nights. There are over
one hundred distinct operations, each
one Of which requires the incest of
judgment, thorough knowledge of the
work and great amount of skill.
Starting with some Is thoroughly
trained and experienced men in 1915,
the "Funsten, St. Louis" plant has
developed a highly efficient organiza-
ton capable of handling 1900 skins
a week, and consisting OF over 300
skilled men, who have received a
thorough training in this work. The
machinery and apparatus of which
there is great deal used were design
ed and built for the special work of
handling sealskins.
The "Funsten, St. Louis" plant is
modern in every respect. In addition
to the laboratory control, research
chemist is employed in working out
problems which arise from time to
time, and in endeavoring to improve
that which is already considered the
worlds Best"
This unique plant generates its own
electric power and is completely equip
ped with safety devices, including
thermoStatic controls for heat regula-
ton, humidity controls, recording
thermometers, steam gauges, and
so on, so that the human element. as
far as judgment is concerned, is elm
mated as far as possible. 1t is a day.
light plant, being ideally equipped with
Skylights and windows.
So satisfactorily has this firm
handled the job of dressing, dyeing,