196 Man and Shark 



shagreen, and instruments, such as microscopes and telescopes, were cov- 

 ered with it. In the nineteenth century and in the early years of this 

 century when pince-nez were popular, shagreen was used to hold them 

 in place on the nose— often with disfiguring results. 



Possibly because they simply cannot believe that a shark or ray 

 could yield such an exquisite leather, or because they are not aware of 

 what they are handling, antique dealers today often describe shagreen- 

 covered objects as being covered with snake, lizard, or seal skin. 



Shagreen— shark or ray skin with the denticles still in it— is a leather 

 of lasting beauty. The denticles are usually polished down by hand to 

 remove the sharp points or, in the case of some species and the uses 

 to which they are put, the denticles are ground down on carborundum 

 wheels. But shagreen is still not an all-purpose, practical leather. It has 

 limited use, mostly as a decorative covering. One use was a "pickpocket- 

 proof" wallet, one side of which was covered with shagreen. The den- 

 ticles prevented its removal by acting as so many tiny thorns that 

 snagged against the pocket. It could be removed only by slipping the 

 hand between the wallet and the pocket. 



The removal of the denticles without injuring the natural grain of 

 the sharkskin remained a problem for many years. The denticle roots 

 beneath the surface are firmly imbedded in the epidermis of the skin. 

 The use of potent chemicals either failed to dissolve the roots, or, if too 

 strong a solution was used, the grain of the skin was destroyed in the 

 process. Imperfect removal of the denticles produced a leather so weak 

 or so hard and brittle that it was virtually unmarketable. A way had to 

 be found to gently "Uft" the denticles out of the epidermis, leaving a 

 leather with the beautiful markings of the natural grain; flexible, yet 

 still tough and strong. 



Shortly after World War I, the Ocean Leather Corporation engaged 

 an American industrial chemist, Theodore H. Kohler, and assigned to 

 him the seemingly impossible task of removing the denticles by a satis- 

 factory commercial process. Kohler, working with a consulting leather 

 chemist. Dr. Allen Rogers of Pratt Institute, spent many long hours 

 on this assignment, making many tests and experiments— and failing. 

 Finally, after a few years and endless expenditures, they developed a 

 chemical process that could be used on a commercial scale to remove 

 them and, at the same time, meet all of the requirements for excellent 

 leather. This process was promptly patented in the name of Kohler. 



This was the breakthrough. Leather from the sea— sharkskin leather 

 —could now be marketed for use in practically all .articles for which 

 there is no substitute for leather. It could be— and was— promoted as 

 a rival of the long-established exotic leathers. Thereafter, the Ocean 

 Leather Corporation launched a new industry that is still unique. 



