Description In the 18th century, stays were boned either with thin wood or the far superior baleen. This baleen was called whalebone by the whalers who harvested it & sold in stores as whalebone. Originally whalebone was the keratinous material found around the upper jaws of baleen whales & was a strong material that provided support in 18th to early 19th century undergarments when it was eventually replaced by steel.
