Possibly "iron(s)" - The first process in leather-dressing is steeping the
skins or hides in a strong solution of lime in order to
swell and harden them. In the next process each
skin is stretched on a curved beam, and thorouglily
scraped, first on the grain or upper side to rid it of its
hair or tufts of wool, then on the flesh or under-side to
strip off the particles of fat or flesh adhering to it.
The first part of the process is called hairing ; the
the second, fieshing ; and both operations are per-
formed by means of large curved knives called irons
or beaming -knives.
(from
http://www.archive.or...mi00jamirich_djvu.txt )