Posté le 02/12/2014 à 11:26:27            

How to make gloves?

From the raw hide to the ready-to-wear glove, over a hundred operations are necessary. Each one of them requires know-how and a specific technique. The techniques are performed in a precise order to give manufacturing its own special pace. Patience, meticulousness, perseverance and skill are the qualities needed to achieve this unique sensation of wearing a second skin.

THE GLOVE, A SECOND SKIN

CREATION
At first, two choices are possible: to produce luxury gloves and fashion accessories or to produce protective or sport gloves. The designers create the glove models according to the whims of fashion or professional use.

HIDE SELECTION
This operation is an essential prerequisite before the actual cutting process. The skilled craftsman classifies the skins according to their color and size, gathers them together to form batches and then uses a gauge to determine the maximum number of gloves he can produce.

CUTTING OR TABLE CUTTING AND TRIMMING
The skin is stretched to the maximum to enable the glover to determine the position of the various parts of the glove. He then uses scissors to cut out rough rectangular pieces which are then stretched once more in order to obtain the largest surface possible. The spaces between the fingers and the thumb position are cut out on the rectangles along the outlines of a board gauge.

SIZES
Sizes are measured in inches and halfinches (1/12 of the “French foot”, also called the “Charlemagne”). Example of adult gloves: from 6 1/2 to 11.

THE "MAIN DE FER"
The “main de fer” or “iron hand” is a pressknife that has exactly the shape of the glove and on which the craftsman positions the skin rectangles. The skin rectangles and press-knife are put under a hydraulic press.During cutting the fingers are separated and the thumb position is cut out.

GLOVE PARTS

EMBROIDERY
There is a variety of embroidery that is divided into three different categories: 
- the "filet", the “running stitch” and machine-embroidery,
- the "filet" has the appearance of simple embroidery.
The "running stitch" produces a different effect because theleather seam is made directly on a sewing machine so as to createa succession of small pads. Dressmakers use the embroidery machine for particularly difficult designs.

GLOVE ASSEMBLY 
THE SEAM OR BACK-PRICKING
The quirck is seamed to the thumb, the thumb to the inner part of the glove and the six “fourchettes” to both sides of the glove. Various seams are used in glove manufacturing:
- the round seam (1): the two cuts are joined together by thread which covers the leather,
- the seam known (1) as "combed" is the same process,
- saddle-stitching joins (2) the parts together with a thread through the leather,
- the seam is known (3) as "pricked" when the two parts of leather overlap and are sewn one on top of the other.

SEAM INSPECTION
This inspection is performed with a two-pronged width-stretcher pushed successively inside the five fingers of the glove to stretch the leather and ensure the seams are not too tight, which would make it difficult to insert the hand in the glove.

GLOVE LAYING OFF
THE "MAIN CHAUDE"
In order to give the glove new life after all the manufacturing operations and to make it as attractive as possible it is placed over a heated mould known as a "main chaude" or "hot hand". This operation is called "laying-off".

GLAZING
The glazing operation is the final operation in glove finishing. The glove is smoothed out using revolving felt or wooden cylinders to give it the required shine.

PAIRING UP GLOVES
Each glove and thumb is given a number immediately after the cutting; this number ensures they remain a pair.

FINAL INSPECTION AND PACKING
After a final inspection and powdering with a small quantity of talc, the gloves are carefully packed in tissue paper to be dispatched for sale.They are finally ready to be worn.

A STORY
 The story is told of Madame de Sévigné, to whom an admirer gave a basket of cola nuts. One of the shells, instead of containing the expected nut, held a pair of gloves. The fineness of the skin and high quality of the craftsmanship had made this feat possible.

MANUFACTURING SITES

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"The glove: a second skin"

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• The story of leather
• Discovering leather goods
• Shoe: making secrets