Leather and Canvas Trade Employment

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28481, 10 January 1958, Page 19

Leather and Canvas Trade Employment

There are Jobs for boys, and sometimes for girls, in firms which manufacture handbags, suitcases, travelling bags, attache cases, machine belts, music cases, tents, sporting equipment made from leather, oilskin and canvas, saddles, collars and bridles for horses, fancy leather goods, sleeping bags, and in sailmaking and rope, making. This type of work is most suitable for young persons who have acquired skill and speed with their fingers (either in school subjects or leisure activities) in ■airing models or toys, in hand or machine sewing, in basketmaking or other craft work. In most o fthese trades an apprentice has to acquire the ability to cut out shapes from leather, canvas, vulcanite and plywood, using patterns. Branches Of Industry Leather and Fibre Baj Making. —This consists of leather cutting and hand and machine sewing of parts of all types of leather containers; the cutting and fitting of handles, straps, linings, rivets, and other attachments. Fancy Bag Making.—The operations and skills for leather bag making are needed, but here there is some scope for designers and more elaborate handwork. Saddlery—This includes a selection of skills: machining, cutting out, stitching, padding and shaping of all types of horse harness. bridles, saddles, and collars.

There are seven different types of saddles for horses and as many different sets of harness and bridles.

Machine Belt Making.—This consists of selecting and grading materials for cutting out, "g up, splicing and machine pressing leather belting, and selecting materials for blocking and finishing of hydraulic packing. Sailmaking and Canvas Goods. —Operating light and heavy sewing machines, working holes, stitching, measuring and cutting sails and all classes of work in canvas materials, such as tents, cricket pads, trampers’ packs, together with the making and splicing of rope are aspects of this trade. Footwear Trades.—There are several branches of leather, felt and canvas work connected with either the manufacture or repair of boots, shoes, slippers, and fancy footwear. Slipper-making is one branch in which there is a big demand for girls, as the work is light and clean. Clicking and machine stitching, and boot repairing are the best known branches of the footwear trades, but there are others such as heelmaking, sole levelling, lining and finishing in which a boy or a girl may specialise.

Glovemaklng^—ln this trade the apprentice cutter learns the clicking or cutting of the shapes of leather, canvas and special purpose gloves of all sizes and types. He is also usually taught stitching of seams and linings and the fitting of buttons, tips, etc.