Glove maker: shaping a glove (3)

The sound of shaping a glove in order to obtain its proper shape before sale. The sound was recorded in T. Kowalski Gloves Atelier at 10 Chmielna Street in Warsaw (Poland).
In the craftsmen jargon this activity is called taming. The glove is stretched on an iron stand in the shape of a hand and pressed with the blunt side of a knife. In this way it is smoothened and the fingers are drawn out. Thanks to all these operations the glove looks as if it has just been taken off the hand, which is visually attractive.
In T. Kowalski Gloves Atelier in Warsaw, all gloves are handmade in the workshop in accordance with traditional craftsmanship methods. Customers may choose from a wide range of available sizes, but they can also order gloves made to measure. In the Kowalski family the tradition of gloves manufacturing dates back to the year 1900, when the first workshop was established in Warsaw at Solec Street. At the time, each classy woman possessed at least several pairs of leather gloves, as it was considered good style to wear them outdoors and in company. At present, even if handmade gloves give way to mass made accessories, the quality of their performance is significantly higher and they are much more durable.

Sound recordist: Monika Widzicka
Photographer: Iwo Wachowicz
Video recordist: Iwo Wachowicz