The Amazing Strength and Durability of Ostrich Leather

The Amazing Strength and Durability of Ostrich Leather

Ostrich skin is one of the most popular skins worldwide. It repels water well and is second only to elephant skin in strength. Soft elastic ostrich leather is an excellent material in shoe and haberdashery production.

The product release is limited, so they are classified as exclusive. The value of ostrich leather products puts them on par with crocodile leather products. These products are exported to countries in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia, where there is a constant demand for such products.

The skin reaches its highest quality in birds at 10-14 months, when it is already well-developed but not yet frayed and has no mechanical damage. It is easy to distinguish from a fake since the simulated follicles do not rise above the skin's surface and do not emit a characteristic creak that is heard when stroking real skin with your fingertips.

Ostrich leather is one of the highest quality products and has recently been successfully replacing the skins of protected animals from the market. Today, there are no obstacles to the trade in ostrich skin worldwide since this bird is classified as a domesticated bird and is considered an animal bred for economic purposes.

The price depends on the natural texture of the leather. A bubbly pattern characterizes the skin from the chest and back. Another variety is the skin from the legs of ostriches.

Ostrich skin is an excellent material with beauty, elasticity, softness, and extreme durability. Thanks to all these remarkable qualities, it is no less prestigious than crocodile or snake skin. Its unique pebbly texture makes it one of the leading materials for fine leather products.

Bags made of ostrich leather have long been considered durable and, indeed, prestigious products. Along with goods made of authentic crocodile or python leather, they top the list of the most popular luxury items in the world.

Bags made of natural ostrich leather are not so easy to find on the leather goods market. This is because ostrich skin is precious, so it is preferred to be sold in shops (boutiques) among luxury goods. Such a bag looks great and adds sophistication and sophistication to its owner, presenting her as a person who cares about her appearance and attaches importance to style.

Ostrich leather is known for its unique feathering and workability, although its workmanship is quite complex. Full of natural oils, ostrich skin resists desiccation, cracking, and stiffness. At the age of 10-14 months, the skin of an ostrich can be 0.7 - 1.5 square meters.

Ostrich's skin is unmistakably recognizable by its appearance. No other material looks like it. The skin of an ostrich from the dorsal and thoracic region is a smooth surface with characteristic sacs - follicles that form at the base of the feather trunk. The skin from an ostrich's legs has its unique scaly texture. Only 1/3 of the whole skin has follicles. The number of follicles on the skin is constant, so the skin of an adult ostrich will have about the same number of follicles as the skin of a young ostrich. The follicles determine the price of ostrich skin: the more of them on a piece of skin, the more expensive it is.

The possibilities of using ostrich skin from the back and chest of birds are almost limitless: unusual gifts - jackets, raincoats, skirts, jackets, gloves, briefcases, bags, shoes, belts, furniture upholstery - is not a complete list of goods made from it. The leather covering the tarsus of the legs is ideal for making shoes, belts, bags, and other accessories from an ostrich.

Since the dorsal region (crown) is the most sought after and makes up such a small part of the skin, it is understandable why high-quality ostrich products are much more expensive than bovine leather. This, along with the fact that it is one of the best-selling leathers, makes ostrich leather look like a luxury item.

People appreciate the benefits of ostrich leather in the premium market—the denser pattern of follicles on the skin and higher prices. Natural ostrich skin is easy to distinguish from fake because the follicles do not rise above the surface and emit the characteristic squeak that is heard when stroking natural skin with your fingertips. Ostrich leather's unique texture, softness, and flexibility make it an excellent material for clothing, footwear, and haberdashery production.

This leather is unique. Despite its thickness, it is amazingly soft, extremely durable, and supple. For example, an ostrich leather jacket will last an average of 30 years, while a calf leather product will only last about 5-6 years. It should also be noted that ostrich leather is incredibly elastic, waterproof, easy to work with, dye, and sew by hand. Besides, it lends itself perfectly to dressing - this quality attracts designers. Authentic ostrich leather bags are much more water-resistant than authentic crocodile leather bags.

The ostrich skin produces a soft material that ideally takes the product's shape. This skin has established itself as one of the most elastic and, at the same time, soft. It initially contains so many natural oils that it practically does not crack or scratch. It is very durable, waterproof, and flexible. In addition, a particular bubble pattern at the base of the feathers makes it very difficult to counterfeit. It is not surprising that all these unique features make ostrich leather one of the most expensive in the world.

Ostrich Leather VS Crocodile Leather

The cost of natural ostrich leather in the world market is very high, but its products are in great demand. This type of leather is often compared to natural crocodile leather, but do not forget that ostrich leather has better water resistance and elasticity compared to natural crocodile leather. Another vital fact to consider is that ostrich skin lends itself to dyeing, which means that products from it are available in more than 100 different shades. This is a noticeable advantage. However, the prices of ostrich leather products can be so high that many people simply cannot afford them.

In the leather goods business, ostrich leather has been valued for many years for its unique qualities and elegance. The leading importers of ostrich leather are countries with highly developed fashion, which include France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and America. Companies worldwide buy dressed ostrich skin and make handbags, wallets, briefcases, shoes, belts, upholstery, jackets, and other products.

Fashion houses have successfully used ostrich leather in handbags for many years. Most brand names have at least one ostrich leather wallet. Footwear is another direction in which designers have used ostrich leather. The demand for ostrich leather shoes is higher than any other ostrich leather product.

Quality is not so easy to find! Products made from ostrich leather belong to a group of scarce goods throughout Europe, which is associated with the fashion for ostrich leather products in Western Europe. Bags made of ostrich leather are becoming increasingly popular every year because such a thing is easier to distinguish from a fake because of the unique “pearl” pattern that appears in place of the plucked feathers. The cost of ostrich leather bags is slightly lower than that of crocodile leather bags but higher than that of python skin bags since specially selected ostrich skins are used for producing these goods, and leather is required.

Ostrich skin products and crocodile and snake skin products occupy first place in the world's list of luxury goods. Ostrich skin is elastic, soft, strong, and durable at the same time. Ostrich leather is an expensive and sought-after product.

Features Of Ostrich Leather

The popularity of ostrich leather is due to its high quality and the properties necessary for products made from this material.

• Despite the thickness, the skin of an ostrich is soft and pleasant to the touch.
• It has a low degree of wear: things from it do not lose their presentation for up to three decades.
• It stretches perfectly. It can be given any shape, which makes it possible to make clothes, shoes, and designer items.
• Ostrich leather is waterproof and surpasses even crocodiles in these parameters, making the shoes solid and durable.
• The reason for the elasticity, softness, and strength of leather products is the high content of oils; the component prevents the appearance of cracks and damage on its surface.
• The structure of the bird's skin lends itself well to coloring. The color range includes hundreds of shades of colors.

One of the "chips" of ostrich leather is an unusual grainy texture. Expressed feather follicles - sacs from which feathers grew, give the surface relief, originality, and an exquisite look.

The surface of the back of an ostrich is the most demanded part of the skin; feather follicles are most clearly marked on it, and the higher their concentration per centimeter of area and height, the more valuable the product. The plot is small in size and makes things so expensive.

Processing

Ostrich skin lends itself well to processing, but this process is laborious. The skin structure does not make it possible to subject it to mechanical stress. Therefore, until now, all stages of dressing have been carried out manually.

Ostrich leather is expensive. Dressing ostrich skin is a very laborious and costly process.

At 12-14 months, young ostriches are slaughtered for meat. This age is also considered optimal for leather processing; during this period, it is most suitable for dressing, and it reaches the required quality:

• depending on the age and gender of the bird, the skin area is at least 0.8 square meters, and the maximum reaches one and a half meters squared;
• feather follicles are placed at an ideal distance;
• the bird does not have time to get damaged;
• young skins are filled with natural oils; therefore, they can resist drying out, not crack, and do not become stiff.

Thanks to these properties, the products are of high quality.

What Can Be Made From Ostrich Leather?

The peculiar texture, flexibility, and softness of bird skin make it possible to use it in the shoe and haberdashery industry, in fashionable sewing clothes:

• Ostrich skin is suitable for sewing belts, wallets, bags, book covers, and folders are made from it.
• It turns out comfortable shoes, beautiful jackets, and hats.
• Sometimes fragments of material are used to decorate the interior.
• The softness and elasticity of the leather structure allow the product to be sewn by hand, a broad field of creativity for designers and couturiers.
• Now more comfortable cars are offered, trimmed with the skin of an exotic bird. The automotive industry did not bypass the skin of an ostrich. It trims interiors, panels, and car seats and combines them with other materials.
• The material is used as a variant of furniture upholstery in various interpretations.

Ostrich skin is widespread; that's why a wide variety of products are made from ostrich skin.

Leather products are expensive, but their popularity of this does not fall. Many things and items are made to order. People are attracted by the expressive pattern, excellent quality, easy maintenance, and an unusually long period of use, in which the thing does not lose its commercial qualities.

Each country in the world has its preferences for items made from ostrich leather.

Sometimes in stores, some products imitate the original, fakes are made from a natural material, or substitutes are used. Therefore, in order not to pay money for deception, it is worth having an idea of what real leather looks like and how to identify real and faux leather:

• in natural skin, unlike substitutes, the follicles rise above its surface;
• if the skin is rubbed between the fingers, it makes a kind of squeak.

Summary

• Ostrich leather is distinguished by its quality, softness, and water resistance.
• It has an unusual texture, which gives it originality.
• The processing process presents a challenge for the manufacturer.
• Suitable for producing shoes, haberdashery, and other products in demand by designers.
• Despite the high price, it is in demand all over the world.

How To Care For Ostrich Skin?

Due to the fact that ostrich skin has follicles, caring for it is a little more complicated as dust accumulates between the bulges. Basic Rules:

• Areas with smooth skin can be wiped with a soft cotton cloth.
• Light dampening of the rag is allowed, but it is not recommended to soak the product entirely in water.
• Since the skin of an ostrich contains oils, they periodically appear on the surface in the form of greasy spots. You can remove them with talcum powder. Sprinkle on the surface, leave for 2-4 hours, then shake off and blow off.
• Chemicals are not suitable for skin treatment. Buy a conditioner designed for reptile products.
• Avoid contact with alcohol products - they corrode leather fibers.
• Lanolin conditioners are significant. After them, polish the surface with a special polishing cream or paste applied in a fragile layer.
• If you apply wax, its color should be neutral, optimally colorless.
• Properly store products - do not allow direct sunlight, drying, and freezing.
• Protect your ostrich handbag from direct sunlight for a long time because the ostrich skin dries out and loses its natural beauty;
• Keep your ostrich leather handbag away from radiators, heaters, or other heat sources to prevent the leather from drying out;
• Do not expose your clothes or bag of authentic ostrich leather to freezing temperatures. Avoid long-term direct contact with snow or rain because ostrich leather may be damaged;
• Avoid getting drinks or liquids on the ostrich's skin because while it is waterproof, there is still a risk that the skin can absorb these liquids.

Knowing all the rules for dressing ostrich skin, you can process the skin yourself without spending money on the services of specialists. Doing this for the first time is recommended under a knowledgeable person's close attention and guidance.

Wrapping Up

Despite the fact that ostrich leather is just leather and the rules for caring for it are very similar to the rules for ordinary (traditional) leather, for example, if an ostrich leather bag is still wet or you used a damp cloth to clean it, then just let the product dry naturally, it still has a number of its nuances given above, which should not be forgotten.

If you properly monitor your leather products and take care of them in time, they will provide long and fruitful service. Accessories made of genuine ostrich leather will surprise you with their amazing appearance and durability.

We wish you a pleasant and long-term relationship with your favorite ostrich leather products!