Hippopotamus leather is a very rare leather.
The natural grain pattern is noticeable. It looks like lines drawn with a knife in moist clay.
Hippo leather is the very dense hide of a hippopotamus. The leather of a hippo is quite unusual. There are two major types of hippo leather – standard grey colour and pigmented.
Just like elephant Leather, the hippopotamus leather is probably one of the most exclusive and uncommon leathers, when it comes to the limited quantity of leather panels that go into processing. Genuine hippo leather originates from animals that were not slaughtered but died from natural causes. And it is really one of the rarest leather materials in the world.
The texture of its natural grain surface is always noticeable. It appears like the lines drawn out of wet mud with a knife. The multiple injury marks on the surface of these animals are often visible. The leather piece has the same scars the animal had when it was alive. By the first look, hippo leather is somewhat like elephant leather but is tanned mostly with a nubuck / suede coating to a very soft finish. Also, hippo leather is very sturdy and solid, and if it is properly cared for, it gets weaker with age.
A skilful craftsman can make genuinely exquisite leather items such as belts, purses, and tiny leather objects between the scars, the differences of colouring and wrinkle patterns that are as distinctive as fingerprints. To produce a consistent coloration and seamless, unnoticeable stitching, it takes a considerable number of professional skills and a meticulous selection of hide materials. However, hippos spend a tremendous amount of time in the sea, so it makes sense that they have formed a kind of natural guard that helps to repel water. As for the natural colours, hippo leather shades are often usually neutral, but generally are more even and less speckled than would be elephant leather.
Each piece of hippo leather is special as a natural material, so please be mindful that no two animals are precisely the same and the measurements are estimated.
How to recognize hippo leather?
This leather material is characterized by specific lines. Just like fingertips, these lines are unique for each piece. Also, even after being processed, natural hippo leather has some cuts, scratches and other scars that emphasize the leather’s beauty and remind about its animal origin.
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