Chapter XXIV: Care of Harness in Factory and Stable

The appearance and durability of harness to a great extent depends upon the treatment received after leaving the hands of the workman; yet a large percentage of manufacturers, as well as consumers, are very careless and negligent in protecting their goods from injury by the elements. Consumers, as a rule, are entirely unacquainted with the peculiarities of the stock used, and they can not, therefore, be expected to know how to guard it against various destructive influences, but the harness maker can not plead ignorance. Leather as received from the tanner does not possess the requisite qualifications for harness. These the currier supplies by the addition of oil and grease, together with the labor needed in preparing it, without which it would lack the suppleness and durability so necessary in this kind of stock. The preservation of the materials added by the currier, therefore, becomes an absolute necessity in order to prevent premature decay.

Moisture is the great destroyer; it absorbs the grease, hardens the fibre, and renders the leather weak and brittle; it also causes the metal in the mountings to rust, weakening them, and adds another enemy to the leather. Grease only will resist the effects of moisture, and every effort should be made to keep the leather well supplied with this needed protector.

Manufacturers often overlook the importance of caring for the harness in stock, and also of instructing their customers how to preserve it when in use. With some the idea is maintained, that ignorance on the part of the consumer, as regards the care of harness, accrues to the benefit of the manufacturer. This is a serious mistake. The most successful man is he who produces the most durable article, and it should be part of a manufacturer’s duty to instruct the buyer how to treat the article purchased. But all manufacturers do not understand this secret of their business, and a portion of this chapter therefore will be devoted to the care of stock in the warerooms.

A certain amount of made up stock must be displayed, but there is no necessity for exposing more than one harness of a kind. Three months’ exposure in a wareroom will injure a harness as much as three months of constant use, providing the user knows how to take care of it. In all instances leather strapping, if exposed at all, should be in glass cases impervious to dust and air; but no showcase can be made tight enough to fully exclude these elements.

During a great part of the year the air at night is laden with moisture, and, not unfrequently, during the spring and fall months the atmosphere is humid and heavy; the moist air permeates every thing, and by its action upon the leather and mountings rapidly absorbs the life of the former and rusts or tarnishes the latter. The white mould which is often observed upon the leather is caused by the grease being drawn to the surface by moisture. After the surface is covered with this mould, the absorption of the grease continues in all kinds of weather until the cause is removed. The manufacturer therefore should remove it as quickly as possible by brushing it, and afterwards rubbing with a dry cloth, and finally with a greasy rag or “shammy;” then restore the polish with an old silk handkerchief. If the mountings are tarnished, clean them with a “shammy;” if this can not be done, remove them clean with a little rotten stone. Gilt mountings should not be exposed. Sample sets are convenient; but when these can not be had, the gilt should be protected by wrapping it in tissue paper.

In hanging up the various parts of the harness, use forms, instead of pegs or hooks, except for traces or reins, which should always be hung out straight. Harness made up for stock should not be “gummed” and hung in cases, but, after being finished by the workman, all the plain leather should be covered with a thin coat of “daub” made of one part of neat’s-foot oil and two parts of tallow—the latter being thoroughly melted, after which the oil is poured in and the whole thoroughly stirred until cold;—this will feed the leather and prevent injury. The patent and fancy leather should be wrapped on soft paper, and every piece, whether of patent or plain leather, laid out straight and smooth in shallow drawers and covered with thick paper. Russet strapping of all kinds should be kept in dark cases or drawers, as the sunlight is sure to affect the color, the most exposed parts showing the greatest change.

Harness makers who have made the care of harness a study have no difficulty in filling orders at a short notice. Their course is to make up traces, reins, turnbacks, docks, back-bands, and other straight strapping, and lay them away in grease as before directed. When a harness is ordered, all that is required is to make the other parts, finish up the necessary straight straps, attach the mountings, and put them together. In this way they are enabled to keep their workmen employed at all times, and obviate the necessity of hiring extra hands in the busy season. If the manufacturer delivers the harness to his customer in good order, he does all he is legally bound to do; but his moral obligation extends much farther—he should instruct the buyer how to preserve it. The following hints may serve to assist him in this direction:

The harness room should always be as far from the horses as the size of the building will allow, as the gases arising from the stable are very injurious to the leather and mountings; it should be provided with forms for the bridles, pads, saddles, breechings, etc., and hooks for reins, hames, and traces. If a separate room can not be had for this purpose, closets should be provided.

Harness are often quite wet when taken from the horse. When this is caused by rain, hang them up in some place where they can dry, and before putting them in the storeroom rub them well with a “shammy,” or wash-leather, then apply a little crown soap and rub with the hands until the polish is restored; clean off the under side of the straps as carefully as the outside. If wet by sweat, dry as quickly as possible after taking them from the horse, as by the saline nature of the perspiration the grease is rapidly absorbed and the leather hardened; if the pads are wet, dry them thoroughly before putting them in the storeroom. For oiling, during the first year, at least, crown soap, applied as directed above, is all that is requisite for coach or carriage harness, but for team and other heavy harness a stronger grease is required. Cleaning and oiling should be done as often as once a month on harness which is in daily use. If the leather is soft, wash it with water applied with a “shammy,” then wring the latter nearly dry, and rub the leather thoroughly, after which apply a good harness oil. When each strap has been treated in this way, commence with the one first washed, and remove all surplus grease with a rag, then rub with an old piece of silk until the polish is restored. If the leather is hard and dry, it will be necessary to wash the straps well and wet them enough to open the pores; lay the straps out straight, and, when surface dry apply a coat of neat’s-foot oil. When this has penetrated the leather, apply warm tallow with a brush, and allow the straps to remain coated with the tallow until the moisture has dried out of the leather, then with a rag remove all the surplus tallow, and clean the stitching with a stiff brush; then apply a coat of harness black.

Cleaning mountings requires care, as they do not need to be scoured. Gold should never be rubbed with any thing harsher than the nap side of canton flannel; electro silver plate should also be cleaned carefully, as the plate is soft and the thin coating can be easily removed. Close plate silver will bear more scouring, but it is seldom necessary to do more than to rub it with a “shammy” darkened with tripoli and lampblack. If they are very much tarnished, they should be removed from the harness and washed in water and rubbed with tripoli. Brass is the most difficult metal to keep clean, but when rubbed each day the labor is materially decreased. In the chapter of recipes there are several directions for cleaning and polishing brass, any of which can be used to good advantage.