Kidskin or kid leather is a type of soft, thin
leather that is traditionally used for
gloves (hence the phrase '
kid gloves,' used since at least 1888 as a metaphor for careful handling).[1] It is widely used for other fashion purposes such as footwear and clothing. Kidskin is traditionally made from
goatskin - more specifically, the skin of young
goats (or 'kids'), although equivalent leathers such as
lambskin and chickenskin (actually a form of
calfskin) give the same effect.[2]
Usage
Kid leather is, and has been used for a number of purposes other than gloves and footwear. Early flexible
hair rollers were sometimes made from kidskin, giving a very tight curl.[3]
A form of early medieval parchment, called carta lustra, acting as
tracing paper was made using kidskin.[5]
Dolls
Kid was particularly widely used in doll-making during the nineteenth and early twentieth century as a popular material for both French and German doll bodies, particularly
fashion dolls.[6][7]
Musical instruments
Kid-leather is often used in the construction of musical instruments such as the bag of the
tsampouna, a form of Greek
bagpipes.[8] It was also an option for
drumheads such as those on
tambourines,[9] and specifically, on the Bulgarian
daire.[10]
Industrial uses
The
Dalén light, used in lighthouses, uses a paraffin-wax saturated kidskin
diaphragm in its construction.[11]
Types
In 1916 it was noted that there were over sixty types of goatskin, distinguished by the
tanning and finishing processes used.[12] Some of these types are:
Glacé (or glazed) kid - Extremely glossy, shiny finish, often made in more readily available sheepskin, although true kidskin makes better quality glacé kid.[18]
Gold (or silver) kid - Kidskin
gilded for a metallic finish.[19]
Kangaroo kid - Kidskin finished to emulate
kangaroo leather.[12]
Mat kid - Beeswax and olive-oil treated kidskin with a dull, soft matte finish.[12][20]
Vici kid - A trademark for high quality chrome-tanned kidskin with a soap and oil finish, developed by
Robert H. Foerderer in Philadelphia in the mid-1880s.[12]