Baleen - Human Uses

Human Uses

People formerly used baleen (usually referred to as "whalebone") for making numerous items where flexibility and strength were required, including collar stiffeners, buggy whips, parasol ribs and as corset stays. It was commonly used to crease paper; its flexibility kept it from damaging the paper. It was also occasionally used in cable-backed bows. Synthetic materials are now usually used for similar purposes, especially plastic and fibre glass. It is not to be confused with "whalebone" meaning the bones of whales, used in carving, for cutlery handles and other uses for the bones of various large species. The Anglo-Saxon Franks Casket is an example of a famous object made from bone whalebone.