The manufacture of parchment

With sheepskin, the process is somewhat different. In order to prevent the wool being damaged by the alkali it is loosened by a paste of slaked lime that is applied to the flesh surface of the skin. The alkali penetrates through the skin loosening the wool at the roots, which is then pulled from the skin, sorted into different grades, washed, dried and sold to the wool merchant. The skin is immersed in a lime liquor for a further period, after which it is split into two layers. The grain layer is tanned usually by the vegetable tanning process to produce skivers and the flesh split converted into parchment.