UTILIZATION OK THK SKINS OF AQUATIC ANIMALS. 291 



the huir is less than that of fresh water. Heavy p(»lts, as of ))eaver, 

 otter, etc., are beamed the followino* day for the purpose of breakinj^ 

 up the texture of the membrane and softeninj^ it. The beam on 

 which the skins are successive!}^ placed for this purpose is made of 

 some hard wood, as locust, boxwood, etc. ; it is about 40 inches long* and 

 8 or 10 inches wide, and is placed at an incline of al)out 15 degrees. 

 The breaker is a dull scraping knife, with a handle at each end like a 

 carpenter's draw knife, and is always operated in a downward direc- 

 tion. After beaming, the i)elts are washed in warm soap water until 

 perfectly clean and then the}' are freed of moisture. 



If the overhairs are to be removed, that process is next in order, 

 except in the dressing of muskrat skins, when it is usually postponed 

 until after tfee dressing. In preparing for plucking, the hair side is 

 dried and warmed by artificial heat, the membrane being' kept moist 

 in the meantime. Each skin is placed flesh side down on a flat, hard- 

 wood beam, similar to that used in breaking except that it is covered 

 with thick, elastic leather. Chalk is first sprinkled over the hair, and 

 then, using a knife similar to that employed in breaking, a workman 

 rubs or works most of the overhairs out of the membrane. Those 

 not removed in this manner are subsequently plucked out with a dull 

 knife of soft metal. With this knife in his right hand and his thumb 

 protected with a rubber cot about 1 inches iii length, the picker grasps 

 the hairs between the edge of the knife and his protected thumb, and 

 with a quick, jerking motion pulls them out, going over the entire pelt 

 in this manner. The fur-seal is quite difficult to unhair, and the process 

 is more complicated, as may be seen from the description on page 305. 



After plucking, the heavy pelted skins — as beaver and otter — are 

 placed successively on a beam and shaved to a thin, even surface with 

 a skiving knife. The blade of this knife is a straight piece of steel 

 sharpened to a keen edge, which is then turned at right angles to the 

 plane of the knife by means of a peculiar flat steel. This blade is 

 fastened in a tool having two wooden handles differently attached, one 

 running parallel to or in direct continuation of the blade, and the 

 other placed at right angles thereto. Each skin is placed, fur down, on 

 the beam, and by pushing the skiving knife downward and forward 

 from his body, the woi'kman scrapes the pelt perfectly clean and shaves 

 off some of the meml)rane for the puri)ose of rendering it less bulky 

 and more pliable. 



The skins are now ready for leathering. The pelt side is dampened 

 over night with cold salt water, and the following day butter or other 

 animal fat is rubbed on the membrane. In dressing very fat or oil}^ 

 pelts, as those of mink, the greasing is omitted. 



The pelts are then tubbed. This is probably the most noticeable 

 operation in the fur-dressing establishment. Tubs or half hogsheads, 

 slightly inclined backward from the floor, are located in a row along- 

 one side of the room. A number of skins arc placed in each one, 



