Attempts to describe the nature of parchment from a book conservator's perspective, experience, and level of understanding. Early methods of manufacture are discussed and a method of identifying the animal species is described. The skin of the Book of Kells is identified as calfskin parchment. New, identifiable skins from a number of different sources are compared with the subject itself under a binocular microscope. Whole skins and those incompletely processed retaining hair and flesh scud and debris are the most valuable. Skins can be scraped further and pounced to replicate the scribes' treatment of the material and to note what detail survives such treatment. The visible characteristics are discussed and illustrated with photomicrographs.