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Figure 79. — Leather-splitting machine of Seth Boyden the 

 elder, father of the Seth Boyden of this chapter. From U.S. 

 patent, January 7, 1809, restored drawing. National Archives 

 photograph. 



the marble cylinder was turned under the knife, the 

 wet leather pressed to it immediately in front of the 

 knife by the ordinary spring straight-edge would hug 

 to the cylinder, and pass through perfectly straight; a 

 considerable portion of the shavings or splits, were 

 valuable for boot stiffeners and other uses, that pre- 

 viously were lost by the usual currier's shaving. With 

 this Mr. Boyden was much pleased, for he believed it 

 would be practicable to get two sheets out of the com- 

 mon kip skin thick enough for japanning. It was not 

 many months before he sent specimens The whole 

 size of the skins less the skirtings, had been split into 

 three, all beautifully japanned and highly finished. 



The idea of japanning [varnishing] leather was not 

 original with Mr. Boyden, for at the time of small 

 clothes and fair top boots, it was as common to see the 

 exquisites of the day claying their boot tops, as it was 

 to have an immaculate black polish to the feet and 

 legs, until there came from London patent white or 

 buff-japanned leather for boot tops on which a damp 

 sponge and soft dry cloth took the place of the clay 

 cleaning. Mr. Boyden's invention, or rather dis- 

 covery, was in the japan that would give the intense 

 black hardness with high polish and sufficient elastic- 

 ity at so low a temperature of the ovens as not to in- 

 jure the leather. Years later he explained this fully 



187 



