From Sharkskin to Resin: What the History of Abrasives Teaches Us About "Technology and the Field Coexisting

Why old technologies continue

Introduction

Looking closely at the woodworking market in Central America, you sometimes encounter interesting scenes. On the same shelves as the latest automotive refinishing abrasives and high-performance waterproof sandpaper, you'll still find "garnet products" and "hide-glue-based coated abrasives" sitting there as a matter of course.

Local carpinteros (woodworkers) use them naturally, saying things like "this suits the wood" or "we need this kind of softness." What we found there wasn't a case of something "surviving because it's old" — it was a product still being chosen for reasons rooted in today's market environment.

Observations from the field At a Central American woodworking market, the newest technology and traditional technology sit side by side on the same shelf. Craftsmen choose products not because they are "old," but because they "suit the job at hand."

The evolution from sharkskin to modern sandpaper

Tracing the history of abrasives, humanity spent a long time refining surfaces using natural materials. In ancient times, materials such as sharkskin, pumice, emery, and flint were used as abrasive materials.

Changes in abrasive materials

The age of natural materials — sharkskin, pumice, emery, flint, and others

19th century: the garnet and hide-glue era — natural garnet mineral fixed with an animal-derived adhesive, hide glue. Its ability to smoothly cut wood fibers led to widespread adoption in the woodworking field

Late 20th century: the resin era — synthetic resins such as phenolic resin emerged. Industrial rationality came to dominate the market

Resin held overwhelming industrial rationality. As a result, most coated abrasives were converted to resin, and traditional hide-glue products largely disappeared from the mainstream market.

Why hide-glue products never fully disappeared

Even after resin products came to dominate the market, some hide-glue and garnet products never completely vanished. In the woodworking market especially, they continue to receive steady support today. One reason is their "followability."

Resin-based High durability, high performance. However, being relatively hard, their ability to follow the material's subtle movements is limited.

Hide glue (nikawa)-based Absorbs and releases moisture in response to ambient humidity — "hygroscopicity" — allowing it to flexibly follow the slight movement and surface changes of wood.

Wood is a "living material" Wood is a material that changes with temperature and humidity. In some situations, a material with moderate flexibility is preferred over one that is fully hardened and immovable. This is also one of the reasons hide glue is still used today in the restoration of Japan's Important Cultural Properties.

What the coexistence of technology and the field reveals

The shift to resin was a major advance for the abrasives industry. Much of today's high-performance abrasive technology exists because of it.

At the same time, the market doesn't always choose only the "newest technology." In real-world settings, multiple factors — material properties, logistics environments, work habits, and human sensory judgment — intertwine in complex ways.

The newest technology and traditional technology coexisting within the same market — perhaps that's exactly where the fascination of the abrasives world lies: in this "diversity of optimal solutions."

No,523