SEAL FISHERIES 



725 



which is shorter than the fur and must be removed in some other way. This 

 is done after the pelt is reduced to the proper thickness by an operation called 

 "machining." The sealskin is passed several times through a machine consisting 

 of an ingenious arrangement of air blasts, combs, and knives. The pelt is bent 

 sharply over a dull knife edge and the downy fur is blown down or parted by the 

 air blast. The short guard hairs, because of their comparative stiffness, are not 



{Courtesy Fouke Fur Co.) 

 Fig. 34-5. Bench dyeing of the fur sealskins. 



blown down by the blast, but stick up. While blown down, the soft fur is caught 

 and held in place by combs and the short stiff hairs are then clipped off almost 

 at their roots by knives. This operation improves to a marked degree the smooth, 

 soft appearance of the fur. 



In the final operation, called "finishing," the pelt is worked into an extremely 

 soft and pliable condition, and the fur is "set" so that all the strands lie parallel. 

 The skins are then ready for sale and can be worked directly into garments. 



It should be mentioned that during the various processes the skins are dried 

 several times and in other ways exposed to increased temperature, but in all these 

 cases very careful control of the operation is necessary as the skins must never 

 be exposed to a temperature above 120° F (48.9° C) as this results in disinte- 

 gration of the pelt. 



In the dressing and dyeing of fur-seal skins great care is taken to assure a super- 

 fine product. More than 100 distinct processes are involved in treating each skin, 

 and the minimum time required is approximately 90 days. 



