ORDER XI.—WORKERS IN SKINS AND LEATHER AND MAKERS Of LEATHER OR LEATHER SUBSTITUTE GOODS (NOT BOOTS OR SHOES)

Sub-order 1.—Furriers, Skinners, Tanners and Leather Dressers

333.—Lime and Tan Yard Workers (not Labourers)

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bateman, bater, bate worker ; drencher, poorer, puerman, pureman, tub and bateman

makes up infusions or solutions of bran, manure, or chemical substitute, in precise proportions according to formula; more usually directs labourers as to quantities of various ingredients to be emptied into paddle vats; also directs labourers regarding loading of vats with hides, skins or pelts; switches on or off power-driven paddles; supervises removal of hides after deliming and softening is completed; usually also tests bate for specific gravity, using hygrometer or barkometer.

butt handler, butt haulier, butt lifter

handler, hide lifter, layer man, layer-out, pitman, pitman drawer, set hand, tanhouse man, tanhouse workman (roller leather'); moves hides or skins from tan pit to tan pit with poles or by moving racks of hung skins.

chrome handler

immerses hides and skins in chrome tanning pits, under direction of tanyard foreman (331) (q.v.); or passes them through drum tumblers containing chrome tanning liquor, under chief drum man (331) (q.v.).

drencher

see bateman.

extract blender

see liquor blender.

handler

see butt handler.

hide lifter

see butt handler.

jobber, lime jobber ; lime drawer, lime handler, lime haulier, limeman, limesman, lime soaker, lime worker, lime yard handler

immerses hides in pits containing lime solution until skin swells and pores open, thus loosening hair; removes hides and stacks them to drain.

layer man, layer-out

see butt handler.

leachman, leacher, letchman

see liquor blender.

lime drawer, lime handler, lime haulier, limeman, limesman, lime soaker, lime worker, lime yard handler

see jobber.

liquor blender

extract blender, liquor handler, liquor man, liquor runner, leachman, leacher, letchman; supervises liquor men (339) (q.v.) engaged in tipping bark and other tanning materials into leach, i.e., series of vats where they are infused in water to make tanning liquors, turning on valves, cocks, etc., admitting water to vats, removing tanning liquor when used; also supervises turning on and off valves to pump liquors from a number of vats in correct proportion into one vat for blending purposes; usually tests liquor for specific gravity with barkometer.

liquor handler, liquor man, liquor runner

see liquor blender ; cf. liquor man (339).

pickler ; salter

(i) in chrome leather process soaks skins in salt and acid bath before chroming;

(ii) places skins in brine for preservation, for sale or export.

pitman, pitman drawer

see butt handler.

puerer, puerman, pureman

see bateman.

salter

see pickier.

set hand

see butt handler.

sewer

sews skins into bag shape ready for filling with sumach tanning solution in manufacture of light white leathers for fancy goods.

soak man, soaker, soak handler, soak hearthman

receives raw hides into tanyard; prepares them for inspection by hide sorter (338) (q.v.); immerses hides or skins in water pits for cleansing and to soften them for liming and unhairing process; sometimes passes hides or skins into stocks or hammer machine for oil leather millman (334) (q.v.); loads hides after hammering process on trucks for lime pits.

tanhouse man, tanhouse workman

terms used in roller leather industry, see butt handler.

tanner

(i) supervises process of tanning leather, deciding strength and composition of liquor, length of time in pits, etc.;

(ii) general term for all workers in tanyards.

tanner (calf kid)

supervises tanning of calf splits in drums, to form imitation kid leather.

tanner (chrome)

in charge of chrome tanning yard; responsible for mixing of chrome liquor; decides time drum tumblers should run and hides remain in liquor.

tanyard worker

general term for workers in tanyard, including bateman, handler, pitman, lime jobber, etc. (q.v.).

tub and bate man

see bateman.

washer

attends revolving drums for washing skins with water.

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From: A Dictionary of Occupational Terms Based on the Classification of Occupations used in the Census of Population, 1921,
Ministry of Labour, 1927. Digitised by Peter Christian, August, 2016.   This text is in the Public Domain.