Whalebone
Fischbein is a material selected from the Barten large whales is prepared. These are long, fibrous, horn-like plates in baleen whales (z. B. blue whale , humpback whale , fin whale ) serve plankton to filter from the water.
In terms of consistency, whalebone is both stiff and flexible, which is why it was historically used for special purposes, such as corset rods . No other material had the same properties at the time, and so the hunt for whalebone favored the decline in the whale population , which almost led to the extinction of the baleen whales. It was only with the end of corset fashion around 1915 that whalebone lost its importance as a motivation for whaling .
Today steel and plastic rods are used as substitutes, which are still referred to as "whalebone" in connection with corsets.
Manufacturing
Due to its fibrous nature, whalebone is easy to split, so that it can be worked into strips of the desired width and thickness with little effort. The production of whalebone was carried out by so-called whalebone, who worked in factories at the port. In the first step, the beard plates were cleaned of parts of fat and skin and split into large pieces, then soaked in hot water. These blanks could then be processed with various special knives.
From 1500 to 1920 there was the profession of whalebone. The whalebearer worked in factories directly at the harbor, their product was mainly sold to textile companies.
Properties and use
From the 17th to the early 20th century, whalebone was used to make corset rods, hooped skirts, parasol struts, sturdy hats and other fashion items. Whalebones were also made into riding crops and baskets . The scrapings, i.e. the remains of the processing, were used as cushioning material.
According to an American document, whalebone was traded in various qualities. The corset whalebone was of the worst quality. It was cut from the edge of the whiskers, was easily broken and only suitable for being stuck into seams. The somewhat more expensive clothing whalebone withstood needle pricks, so it could be sewn directly into the clothing. The whip whalebone was characterized by its extremely high elasticity. The most expensive was the white whalebone, which was very rare, it remained invisible even in light clothes.
In addition, whalebone is used in Japan as part of the theater puppet mechanics in the bunraku .
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Süddeutsche Zeitung: Good night, Sandman. Retrieved April 24, 2020 .
- ↑ Michaela Vieser: When whalebone was a top job. In: Spiegel Online. June 3, 2012, Retrieved September 29, 2012 .