The making of parchment:

'Then tighten up the cords, equalise the tension so that the sheet will become permanent. Once the sheets are dry, nothing further remains to be done.'

Finally the half moon knife, sharpened and then given a burr on one side, is used as a scraper to remove a thin horny layer from the surface of the hairside. When this is carried out both sides have the same characteristics and with the parchment being thinner can be used for restoration purposes, a quality also much in demand with calligraphers.