What Is Pangolins Leather?
Pangolin
They are just like a scally anteater; some people think they are related to the anteater and armadillo but, have no connections at all. Yes, they eat ants, but are not related to either. Pangolins have become so scarce they are now a protected species.
The hunting for Pangolins has got to such high levels they are now the worlds most trafficked mammal. They are not hunted for the leather they are hunted for the meat and the scales for Chinese markets mainly.
Pangolins Leather Skin
Pangolins are a very strange looking creature with a scally body, they are the world’s only scaled mammal. People don’t hunt these amazing creatures for leather, they hit these for the scales in Asia and Africa as the scales are used in traditional Chinese medicines.
Pangolins Lether Hide Scales
Pangolins were banned fully from international trade in 2017 due them being almost made extinct. The USA were a large importer of the skins for exotic leather boots.
When the leather from the Pangolins is tanned and finished off it has a very distinctive diamond finish to it, making this into a type of cowboy boot is very popular and demands grew considerably and very quickly.
With hunting being so high the next demands the governing bodies face is the large increase in listings on places like eBay, offering the scales and hides to foreign markets, all from poachers. Governing bodies are combatting this and intervening to stop the sale of this endangered species.
Pangolin Boots
The main areas in the fashion world Pangolins are used for is shoes, boots, belts, handbags, and purses, due to the very distinctive diamond finish the leather skins have.
Animal skin is made up of around 60–65% water, 30–32% protein, approximately 10% fat, and 0.5–1% minerals. Before a skin can be called leather, it must follow a strict process of soaking and cleaning. Skins are soaked initially to clean them and to allow rehydration. Proteolytic enzymes effectively facilitate the soaking process. In addition, lipases have also been used to dissolve and remove fat. Once these processes have been carried out, only then can the skin be called leather, prior to this it’s known as a pelt.
Caring for Pangolins’ leather is almost the same as caring for snake skins, or exotic skins. Cleaning has to be carried out with luxury leather cleaners and then protection oil creams applied to keep the skins soft and supple to avoid drying and cracking at the point of the diamond pattern meeting each other.
Pangolins
Gently clean the leather with the luxury leather cleaner using a soft lint free cloth and sponge and allow to dry naturally. Then, using a soft applicator sponge apply the protection cream oils to allow them to gain moisture to keep them soft. Applying this on a regular basis will ensure the long life span of this type of leather hide.
Pangolin Scales
Pangolins Scales Jacket