Production
Technically, the parchment is defined as the skin dried under tension, after being cleared of its hair. For parchment manufacture, first skins are washed thoroughly. Then skin is cleared of its hair. This is achieved conventionally in lime (calcium carbonate), but it may also be performed with other chemicals or using other chemicals together with the lime. This process is performed in a rotating drum in order to move the skin and to ensure that the chemicals are evenly distributed. If performed duly, hair falls or dissolves, and the skin swells appreciably through its thickness. Then flesh of the skin is scraped off. This process involves the removal of excess flesh and fat from the flesh side of the skin. This process, performed earlier manually using a knife, is performed now conducting the skin through a machine with a big cylindrical blade, which removes the flesh of the skin rapidly and easily. After this the skin is placed again in the drum and limed again. If the process is repeated, a better quality final product is obtained.
After the flesh is scraped off, lime is removed by washing and the skin is neutralized to get a pH value of about 7. Enzymes are added to remove impurities, to clean the skin and to improve the tactile sensation. The last step in the conversion of the skin to the parchment involves partial rehydration of the skin and immersion in water to render it smoother and more elastic. Then the skin is stretched on a rack, repeatedly scraped, and continuously stretched. After being dried, the skin is sanded and is trimmed to refined and cleaned.
In the final product, numerous factors, such as the characteristics, age and color of the animal from which the skin was originated, even the conditions under which the animal lived, the field it grazed, play a role. Furthermore, preferences and decisions of the parchment craftsman result in a wide range of parchment types. Thus parchment production is recognized as an art by skilled artisans rather than a science. We consider our parchment production team, notably Hayri Kurt with his experience exceeding 60 years, as our strongest asset.