control and comfort. Because it is impermeable and moisture-resistant, cork is often used as an alternative to leather in handbags, wallets, and other fashion items. To make bricks for the outer walls of houses, as in Portugal's pavilion at Expo 2000. As the core of both baseballs and cricket balls. A corked bat is made by replacing the interior of a baseball bat with cork – a practice known as "corking". It was historically a method of cheating at baseball; the efficacy of the practice is now discredited. In various forms, in spacecraft heat shields and fairings. In the paper pick-up mechanisms in inkjet and laser printers. To make later-model pith helmets. Hung from hats to keep insects away. (See cork hat) As a core material in sandwich composite construction. As the friction lining material of an automatic transmission clutch, as designed in certain mopeds. Alternative of wood or aluminium in automotive interiors. Cork slabs are sometimes used by orchid growers as a natural mounting material. Cork paddles are used by glass blowers to manipulate and shape hot molten glass. Many racing bicycles have their handlebars wrapped in cork-based tape manufactured in a variety of colors. To make architectural models. See also Bung Cork Boat (vessel) Cork borer Cork cambium Corkscrew Cricket ball Notes References Margarida Pi i Contallé. 2006. Laboratory head in Manuel Serra Hongos y micotoxinas en tapones de corcho. Propuesta de límites micológicos aceptables Cork production corkfacts.com Instituto de Promoción del Corcho, Extremadura iprocor.org Analysis of the life cycle of Cork, Aluminium and Plastic Wine Closures Henley, Paul, BBC.com (18 September 2008). "Urging vintners to put a cork in it". PricewaterhouseCoopers/ECOBILAN (October 2008). Analysis of the life cycle of Cork, Aluminium and Plastic Wine Closures Cork - Forest in a Bottle. 2008. External links Cork Quality Council Book review: To cork or not to cork Material Properties Data: Cork Cork Recycling Initiative. 2017. Wine packaging and storage Non-timber forest products Materials Plant anatomy Plant morphology