Type 1.—In this process the kips are first paddled in an old liquor (3°), and passed to the first handlers (3°-30°) for three weeks. After working through this set they pass through the second handlers (20°-30°), in which they are not handled quite so frequently. They are in this set also three weeks. Heavy goods may then receive a floater (30°) for another week.
Type 2.—In this process the goods are paddled, and then enter a large handler round (8°-30°), through which they pass in five weeks. The goods are handled frequently in the early stages. The tannage is completed by one layer of two weeks (30°). The layer is made by the ancient method of putting the goods and dust alternately into an empty pit, and then filling up with liquor from the best leach. Oak bark, valonia and myrabs are used as dust, though sumach and gambler have been used.
Type 3.—In this process an attempt is made to save handling and obtain more complete tannage. The goods are paddled for three to five hours in a rather sharp liquor of 10°, and are then handled well for a week in the first handlers (5°-20°). The goods then go through the second handlers (20°-45°) in six weeks, and heavy goods may then receive an extra floater (45°) for one week.
In type 1 the leaching material is two-thirds oak bark and one-third valonia; in type 2 it is half oak bark and half mimosa bark; in type 3 it is one-third oak bark, one-third valonia or Natal bark, and one-third myrabolans. In all cases the strongest handler is obtained from the leaches, and made up to the required with strong infusion of gambier. When the liquor has passed through the forward handlers, it is returned to the leaches to clear and sharpen, and then run to the green handlers. After passing through this round it is returned to the paddle, from which it passes to the drain. The rest of the paddle liquor may be from the forward handlers. It is often customary to obtain the best liquor from the second leach, and allow the best leach to stand for a few days. This allows the bloom to deposit in the leaches. The system secures the result desired, but the deposition of bloom involves a loss of tannin, which waste makes the system expensive.
Heavier dressing hides are tanned by methods similar to the above, but with floaters, dusters and occasionally layers added after they have passed through two sets of handlers. Thus they may have first handlers (8°-18°) two weeks; second handlers (40°-45°) for six weeks, making twelve weeks in all. Lighter goods may receive two rounds, being two weeks in each.
After tanning, the kips are rounded usually into butts, shoulders and bellies, to which different finishes are given. The currying may be illustrated by selecting types, but it must be borne in mind that there is much elasticity in this matter. Thus kips may be made into waxed butts, satin shoulders and lining bellies, but also may be cut down the back in "sides," both of which are finished limings.
Waxed kip butts are a type of many similar upper leathers (waxed shoe butts, waxed calf, waxed splits, etc.). The finish is on the flesh side. The kip butts are soaked carefully, and shaved by machine. They are then drummed in sumach for an hour or two, slicked out and sammed for stuffing. The sumaching is also the scouring unless the goods be too heavily bloomed. The samming is often done by machine. Drum stuffing follows, wool fat and stearin being staple greases, with varying amounts of degras and cod oil, and of tallow and cod oil. A little paraffin wax and resin are also used sometimes. The goods are well slicked out and dried. They may be now dubbined and laid away to mellow for whitening, which consists of a careful shaving of the flesh by a turned-edge slicker or by machine. The grain is stoned, set out and "starched," and the butts grained by boarding the flesh. In the waxing, one of two courses may be adopted. The butts may be blacked with lampblack and oil, "bottom sized" with glue, soap and logwood, and then "top sized" with glue, dubbin, beeswax and turpentine; or they may be given a "soap-blacking" of soap and logwood and lampblack, applied by machine, and sized once only.
Dressing hide butts may also be given a grain finish, such as the "memel butts" for heavy uppers. The butts are soaked, shaved or split, sumached in drum, and preferably thoroughly scoured on flesh and grain. They are then sammed and heavily stuffed in the drum. The grain is buffed and stained black with logwood, ammonia and iron solution (curriers' ink). The butts are then dried, set out, thinly sized and slowly dried.
When dry on the face they are printed or embossed by machine to give the characteristic memel pattern and dried out completely. They are then grained four ways. The grain is finished by a coating of linseed oil containing resin, and the flesh is whitened, French chalked and glassed.
Shoulders for "satin" receive a currying which strongly resembles the "waxed" finishes, but the smooth finish is on the grain side. The grain is buffed, and blacked, dubbined, set and reset, with intermediate drying, and is sized and finished by compositions similar to those used for waxed leathers. The flesh is whitened. Satin hide and satin calf are dressed similarly.