Shagreen

Emily Lin <nilylime [at] hotmail__com> writes

>I am a student of the art conservation program at Queen's
>University. I am writing to request sources of shagreen for the
>microscope box that I am treating. The box has a shagreen covering,
>which was dyed green, and much of it has been lost.
>
>In a previous posting on this list, I learned that shagreen consists
>of the untanned skin of sharks, with the placoid scales being
>smoothened and polished.

We have purchased stingray from:

    Garlin Neumann Leathers Co., Inc.
    66-D River Road, Hudson, NH 03051
    603-595-6319
    garlinleather<-a t->worldnet< . >att< . >net

and shagreen from:

    Dualoy Leather
    45 West 34th Street, Suite 811
    New York, NY 10001
    212-736-3360

I believe the name shagreen might not be specific these days.  It
may be interchangeable for stingray, skate and shark.  I have heard
that it comes mostly from the area of the Indian Ocean.  We have had
success cutting the material with a hacksaw blade sunk into a long
block of wood as a handle.  Glue the material, flesh side down, to a
piece of binders' board then slide the hacksaw blade across the
material using a straightedge as a guide.  After the saw cuts
through the hard pearl-like surface, you can then use a scalpel to
cut cleanly through the remainder of the skin.

Peter Geraty
Praxis Bindery
1 Cottage Street, Unit 18
Easthampton, MA 01027-1667
413-527-7275


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 21:56
                  Distributed: Friday, April 18, 2008
                       Message Id: cdl-21-56-007
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