Stingray Leather - the Facts About the White Diamond 

I was skeptical at first but knowing now that the rays are not killed purely for their skins but the skin as a byproduct, just as traditional leather is, I think I'll be picking one up.

now i feel like is a more natural look with out the diamond

I just LOVE this. I have no idea why anyone would not want to enjoy them without the strange diamond!

Greetings, I was one of the early developers and marketers of rawhide and rawhide stingray skin. I helped bring this and other kinds of shagreen back into the marketplace. The dentin crystals do not absorbe dye like regular leather. The dying is actually painting. The large eye or star crystals were polished in the early days to provide contrast after painting. Today, tape is applied over the eye of newly tanned shin before painting and is removed afterwards. It should be noted that all stingray shins are wet sanded on a wet board to remove the very sharp tips jast after tanning. Most are a pale green to greenish tan after tanning. The American sword companey, AMES, used a kind of shark skin with small dentin crystals. The dryed shark in the video is a Skate and not the same as the tanned stingray in the video. Regarding stingray as a food, I have enjoyed it on many occasions. It is a common seafood in Asia. A lot are harvested for food in the indian ocean and S. China sea. This food provides an extra income to many small fishing families and the skin is a food-by product. It is plentiful but requires skill in cleaning and processing. This and other forms of shagreen was used a lot on sailing ships to scrub the decks. It acts like a sandpaper. Shagreen has a long history used by man for thousands of years around the world. It has been foung in Anchent tooms and pyramids. Thenk you, David Culpepper

Good on you Tom! Stingray Skin 101 - The pointed toe boots are from a Large to XL skin. That skin is off a fish that is 3.5 to 4 years old. Tiny beads deposits are off a young fish 1-1.5 years old. The beads are actually calcium deposits. The same calcium deposits that we scale off a boat every year. The calcium deposits grow every year the fish gets older. When you are buying skins; there are four finishes that you can purchase. Pearl Finished, Art Deco Finished, Art Nouveau Finish and Hard Finish Pearl Finished - a soft tan, un sanded and the pearls are grainy. They are coated with poly urethane and you use this for high end leather goods. Art Deco Finish - a soft tan, Sanded, semi smooth grained, coated with poly urethane and the finish looks glossy - Use is for furniture, interior design and art deco projects Art Nouveau - a soft tan, sanded, smooth grained and finished with a WAX polish - Use is for contemporary furniture, interior design and art deco projects Hard Finished - hard tanned, un sanded, pear-like grain, no coating and matte. Uses would be for antique restoration when restoring old stingray projects that has the top coat worn off with time. The biggest reality or the lie in the industry!!!! The Tiger Eye! The tiger eye is manufactured folks. I hear MANY salesman say that this piece is worth this much more because of the uniqueness of the skin on the boots are identical on each boot. The reason it is identical; the same template was used on hundreds of skins to get that tiger eye. First the area of the tiger eye is colored white. Then the stencil is placed over the white and then a template is placed on the top; generally in a diamond shape and the rest of the boot is colored; black, grey, tan, brown, green, red; whatever color the customer wants the design to look like. Then a poly-urethane is sprayed on top to give that shiny look! Sorry to burst the bubble! Natural stingray pelts are a grayish color in appearance :). HEROIC Racing Apparel uses stingray skin on the crash area of our racing gloves and on our race suits on the hip and the elbow of the suits. The stingray skin of an adult stingray will slide on asphalt 650ft before wearing through to the foam. We use Pearl Finished skins without the manufactured tiger eye! :)

Didn't come here to learn this, but I still wanted to take the time to say thank you for such a well done explanation. Content like this represents the best of RU-vid.

Those "beads" are called Denticles. The Idea of the white diamond came from the time before Chrome based tanning when the stringray leather would tan so hard that it was very hard to fold it without breaking it apart. The early leather tanners would sand down the denticles to even out the leather's width and over all pliability. The sanding would produce something similar to a Diamond except its points were very rounded. With the invention of Chrome tanning the leather is very pliable now so the diamond is purely for show. unless the people with the diamond displayed on their product tan the old way?

I live in a nice neighborhood and a furniture store got rid of real leather scraps. I took them not knowing what the stingray was! Very beautiful interesting texture too

I'm really happy that you have taken your time, in order inform people, who actually care, about this issue! Thank you! But, this being noted, I really wish that it was easier to buy stingray leather without that diamond placed on the pelt. I totally disrupts the work that I do with it, and almost dictates the the direction in which I must use it. Is there a tannery that I can order my stingray from, that will give me the option of not having it? Because I always have to get lucky, and find stingray without it. It's pretty frustrating. Again, thank you, very much, for putting this information out there! Take care!

Thanks for showing this to us. Definitely going to buy a pen case and wallet I've been eyeing.

Thank you so much for this very informative facts about the stingray leather products. I happen to like the white stencil diamond marking. Now I can explain this to my buddies

Thank you for such a succinct explanation. I was searching for an explanation of the different styles of stingray hide I have no affinity for the diamond or the "pearls". I prefer the sanded hide; it makes the skin shimmer as if it has sequins :)

Beautiful products and excellent explanation of it! This is exactly what I was searching for and you did a phenomenal job teaching me about it. Thank you! Now - Where to find your wallet so I can purchase it...

Stingray leather is really good. I haven't had any issues with it and Ive had three or four in the last maybe 12 years. The leather has always outlasted the stitching. Once it hits about 2 years old, it gets this graying effect that looks nice.

I have a stingray bi fold men’s wallet bought in Japan, loving it .

Thank you so much for clarifying!

your video was very informative im glad you made the video now i know about that diamond i always wondered about that

5:05 I totally agree with your choice to leave it off. The white diamond stencil painted on the leather makes it look like an eBay special. Souvenir from Bangkok.

Wow, thanks for the video. I was expecting stingray to be far larger...

Thank you for that explanation. Would you recommend sources to purchase the stingray leather without the diamond?

I thought their whole body is covered by those beautiful scales. I didn't know those pearls were originally spikes. Nice video!! 😊😁👍❤❤❤

awesome vid i want to get some stingray boots but hate all have that white diamond i like the natural color

Your cuts look very nice and clean! How do you go about getting such nice lines? I am having issues with this at the moment.

Great video I learned a lot

Very well explained 👍

Thank you for this information been looking for this. I am looking for the process of spraying the dye using a template. I wanted to spray a logo on a piece of stingray, but I have not been able to find any information anywhere. What type of dye, what the process is, etc. Any information appreciated.

Thank you so much for the info! I have a pair of stingray boots with the white diamond, and the white diamond has started to fade. What can I use to brighten it up or re-dye it?

Can you answer the difference between Stingray boots that have the white diamond, and those that have a white line? Does it have anything to do with male=diamond shape, and female=line?

Very informative!

Good job on laying down the facts. I just ordered one of your products, I hope it's as nice as the reviews say it is.

That’s cool af. I need something made of stingray😂😂

Thinking of making a cabinet handles wrapped in a shagreen leather. How do you burnish the joint where to edges coming together?

very informative,, is tis clear ur extreamly skilled

5:25 Fact: Some ppl does love the white diamond on stingray products Specially on boots that we love within the Mexican community but don't get me wrong some do like the natural that I've know about & with diamond or simply natural they are both nice👌🏼✌🏼

Wow man, you really beat that point to death. I totally understand why though; some people are pretty thick.

Sir, would you happen to know what products I could use to condition stingray leather boots?

Thank you for educating me in this very question I was asking myself and my wife I even tried Google and it said nothing to the depth and clarity you just explained. I've seen your wallets and tried to find your webpage I've been directed to not currently available etc.. I will get to your site as I've been wanting a stingray wallet.

Beautiful!

Do you make stingray leather cases for new ipad pro 10.5?

what do you use to actually tan stingray leather, is it the same as cow leather and such?

If I purchase a black stingray wallet with a painted diamond can I paint it black? Is there a safe way to do it?

I think a lot of the confusion comes from tanneries wanting to imitate the look of old "traditional" stingray. Stingray was tanned long before we started farm raising them. Native or "wild" rays, particularly larger species, have a more pronounced section of these calcium nodules called "placoid scales". In traditional tanning, these nodules were "barrel sanded" or "plane sanded". Due to the nodules being higher in the middle, as they are sanded down evenly, the larger nodules in the middle left a distinct "diamond" pattern... as the larger sanded nodules reveal undyed calium beneath the surface. It's very easy to tell the difference between a fake/painted "diamond" as shown in this video, because the lighter color goes all the way to the skin itself. Anyone who tries to sell you on any claim of authenticity from the "diamond" that colors the skin, is full of fertilizer.

May I ask if the stingray is from salt water or fresh water? Is the leather of fresh water stingray better than the ones from the ocean? I

great info

What kind of stingray do you use? Just wondering.

Are you Canadian by any chance? I’m from Wisconsin and have heard a lot of northern accents but yours sounds very Canadian

Thank you for explaining. I thought the white is painted on. Didn't know why. But it looked cheap. I do prefer the even color look better.

I love the fact you don't paint the diamond. Personally, I think the diamond is too flashy if not a little tacky. Unfortunately, it can be pretty difficult to find anything without the damn thing..or the star. And what about that line straight up the middle of the toe? That's definitely treading dangerously close to tacky waters.

what kind of spray dye used in this kind of leather??

Are you able to dye the stingray leather yourself? Is it the same process as leather?

I first saw the “diamond “ in the wrapping of antique samurai sword handles.

I think your product has classic elegance. It is beautiful and needs no goofy ‘diamond’

Tom Barrington makes a very high quality product

The blue is so beautiful

Are the diamonds ever sanded on after the dying process?

Could the white diamond possibly be a harken to the use of Same (Sa-meh) in the construction of the tsuka for a katana?

Not painted they are sanded (using a dremel like tool) to produce the "diamond". It was a marketing gimmic to best show the node on the top of the hide. The bumps are not made form calciate (calcium) but actually made of silicate, which gives the toughness of the skin. Sting ray is the toughest commecerially made leather.

Yeah! Tnx!!

Where are these products made In?

Awesome!

wow very nice. I process stingrays. part of the stingray is not wasted, all can be used. from good skin can be made into furniture and others, can also be made into noodles from stingray skin, salted fish or dried fish. even the peeling sand can be made like carbon kevlar. send regards for success

Why are some stingrays not pearly and more flat sleeker and shinier like straws while others are sturdier and pearlier?

Thank you

I have been unable to find sting ray western boots that do not have the white eye. I just want some sting ray boots that are natural.

Good video.

That's good info. I actually 5hink the white diamond is cool tho if done tastefully, like Galco Holsters.

YES.

Interesting comment and opinion. I watched your video and personally i prefer the product with the white diamond, simply because it gives contrast to the leather and i think it looks better. Looking at your product it just seemed dull to me.

Are you still making these? Bought one roughly 10 years ago and the stitching finally gave way in some of the internal pockets. Would like to purchase another but the website is no longer up.

How to homemade stingray leather?

Great info. Just a question. What are they sprayed with to create the white 'diamond' and is there a way of removing it?

thanks for the information, now I understand why a layer is flaking off the white pearl diamond on my wallet, I should have bought one off you ;-)but, I don't understand why the other nodules can wear down flat with use and still be black, Yet after the layer flaked of in the middle white nodules, it is still white and pearly, just curious mate,

Thanks !!!!: )

are sting ray leather boots waterproof?

Nice call in not adding the “eyes”

Imagine an alien race farming and skinning us for our skin and then them debating if our skins are actually from our skin

I thought the white part came to be because of taking off pearls that skin has by shaving or cutting them off

How much does a stingray leather wallet cost ? Do u deliver to India ?

How sting ray skins are tanned

It looks better without the diamond.

hm good to know

Maybe the diamond is there because the leather is tanned and dyed before the calcium studs in the white diamond area is sanded down

When I saw the pictures with the white shape in the middle, I thought it was just a hole.

I think that eye is tacky. But I bet some people need something visual like that as evidence that it is stingray even though it does no such thing as providing evidence.

Join us for interesting facts!

I learned a couple weeks ago fishing off the imperial beach pier that stingrays are shark not fish.

Its not painted on - at least it shouldn't be. The diamond is usually made by grinding down and polishing the "pearl" nodules.

I always wondered about that

Come on man the skin is sanded and is white throughout, they cover the diamond shape with tape when they "unnaturally" dye the rest of the skin with a spray, they do it in various shapes. If you want natural than yours are not 100 percent natural either but who cares, whatever makes the leather stand out. You pay premium dollars for these products and a black wallet doesn't stand out as stingray without that white diamond. Order one with or without designs stencilled on.

Are you still in business?

Isn't it more likely that the diamond area is where the calcium beads have been sanded down and reveal their natural color...

I make straps and used the white diamond for a band it cheapens the look to me check out my work on instagram scrapstraps

I totally agree that the diamond is unnecessary and kind of tacky

The one with a dimond looks alot better quality. You should probably find a new place to have yours tanned.

🎉thank you I don’t like that they paint the eye white

Looks better without the white diamond

Here here brother, i think the diamond looks ridiculous and is the sole reason i won't buy a pair of stingray boot, i feel once they paint that diamond on there it ruins the hide

are you thinking about selling woman's products?

RIP winged sharks.

I personally love stingray boots ,but hate the white diamond