THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY 315 



Seal skins are classified according to size and are 

 graded as to quality of fur and condition of the pelt. 

 The main points considered in determining the 

 quality of a pelt are silkiness, denseness, and length. 

 The pelt is also carefully examined for defects which 

 would offset any good qualities resulting from fine 

 fur. Good raw skins should be thoroughly cured, free 

 from all traces of taint, and the flesh side should be 

 free from any cuts made during skinning. The grad- 

 ing of seal skins requires great skill and experience. 

 Few persons are able to grade the skins accurately 

 before they are dressed and dyed. For this reason the 

 seal skins are finished before being sold at auction. 

 This makes the grading much easier, and thus a 

 much larger number of people are able to bid on the 

 skins. The buyers are now for the most part manu- 

 facturers of garments, and as they are experienced in 

 handling and using finished seal skins, they are capa- 

 ble of accurately judging the fur in this condition. 



Preparation of the Fur 



The fur of the seal consists of two kinds of hair: 

 a soft, downy undergrowth of fur, and a long, coarse, 

 harsh guard hair. Most fur-bearing animals have two 

 such kinds of hair in their fur, but the difference 

 in fineness between the two growths is greater in the 

 fur-seal than in most other furs. 



The first operation in the preparation of the raw 

 fur is the removal of the outer guard hair. This is 

 accomplished by placing the pelt on a beam and 

 then pushing the guard hair off with a curved blunt 

 knife. The hairs are not cut, but are drawn out by the 



