Leather Gloves: Cut, Pressed and Sewn

A leather glove is several pieces: the main piece forming palm, back and the faces of the fingers, a separate thumb, and narrow side pieces between the fingers called fourchettes, sometimes with small gussets between them. The cutter first pulls and stretches each skin to find its spread, then marks it with card patterns and cuts oblong pieces, called tranks, sized for each glove. A cutting die, a knife shaped like a double hand, stamps the glove's outline out of each trank in a press, and the odd parts come from the offcuts. Machine sewing then sets in the thumb, fourchettes and gussets and closes the glove. Cowhide is used for the cheaper, sturdier gloves.