" The slokum's a machine for softening the leather but 'tis a tough one, like playing tug-o-war with a crocodile. Has bladed jaws that clamp down on the leather when you feed it in. Your job is to hold the material at the other end and worry it around while the machine basically chews the hard leather soft. The trick is to leave a flap of the leather hanging down so you can pin it to the machine body with your hip. That way the jaws can't rip the leather out of your hands and send you flying. "

― Kealan Patrick Burke , The Hides (Timmy Quinn #2)