Temple.
_Slick_ or _sleek stones_ are used by curriers to remove wrinkles and
other irregularities in, and to smoothen the surface of hides and skins,
after they have been converted into leather by the tanner. The stone
which is considered to be the best for this purpose is quarried in the
neighbourhood of Kendal.
The currier's _sleek stone_ is an oblong square plate, measuring six
inches in length by four inches in breadth, and half an inch in
thickness. One of the longer edges of the stone is fixed into a groove
in a wooden handle or stock, and hence it is also commonly called a
_stock stone_.
The leather being spread out upon a table, the stock is held in both
hands, and the opposite edge of the stone is pressed upon and rubbed
over the surface of the leather. In a subsequent part of the process of
currying the workman uses, in like manner, a _slicker_ or _sleeker_ made
of steel, and finishes his work with a glass _sleeker_.