The Sheepskin Factory

Mom and I went to Napier. While we were there we went to Classic Sheepskins and went on a tour. We got to see how they got the sheepskins ready to sell and everything. First the sheepskins were washed and tanned. They were put in big tubs with wheels that spun around to mix up the sheepskins. After washing for three days and tanning came drying. The skins were clipped to a board, two on each side. They were put in a line with dryers and heaters. It took them around six hours to dry. Ironing and polishing were next. The sheepskins were put through a big roller to fluff them up. They were really soft after that. Up next was cutting. They cut the sheepskins so they looked nicer. If they wanted a bigger sheepskin, two were sewed together. The skins were graded by size. To grade them they were put on a flat machine and a computer screen said how big they were. They had a sticker put on the back saying how big they were. Finally the skins were put up for sale in the shop or sent away somewhere. The whole process takes six to eight weeks.
-Maddie