Ostrich leather

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The purpose of this article is to illuminate the subject of ostrich leather further to give one a more thorough idea of the history, process, uses, and cataegorization of ostrich leather. Naturally, aspects and characteristics of ostrich skin will be revealed through this article, however, it will deal mostly with ostrich skin that has been tanned or otherwise cured.

1 A brief history
2 General description
3 Ostrich leather processing
4 Uses of ostrich leather
5 References

[edit] A brief history

The commercial farming of ostriches first began in the 1850s when pioneering farmers located in Oudtshoorn, South Africa, saw great economic potential in the harvesting of ostrich feathers^[1]. Horse drawn carriages made large, dramatic hats fashionable. Ostrich feathers are some of the most intricate and grandiose in the world so it only made since to use them in this new rage. During this period of the late 19th and early 20th century, South African ostrich farmers made a fortune. However, the good times came to an end. Henry Ford began to mass-produce the automobile which made large stylish hats for women virtually obsolete. The onset of World War I put the final nail in the coffin of the ostrich feather industry. The same barons who were making a fortune soon found themselves on the verge of poverty. The future of the ostrich industry looked very grim indeed.

Over the next 50 years the entire industry bottomed out and maintained a minimal presence in the world. This status quo would not last, however. In 1945 the Klein Karoo region near Oudtshoorn set up a cooperative of farmers and speculators ("KKLK") who would work together to build the ostrich industry. Eventually the demand for ostrich meat locally grew to a point where an abattoir was needed^[2]. In 1963/64 the world's first ostrich abattoir was erected in Klein Karoo by the KKLK to supply dried and fresh ostrich meat locally^[3].The marketing of ostrich skin started in 1969/1970 when a leather tannery was built near the abattoir. Prior to this, there is very little known about the tanning process of ostrich skin. Most likely, ostrich skins were sent from the abattoir to tanneries in England and then sold to fashion houses. It appears that a group of South African entrepreneurs set out earlier in the 1960s in search of ways to tan ostrich skin. “I will give anything to see ostrich skins used,” said Gerhard Olivier. With Hannes Louw, Jurgens Schoeman and the tanner Johan Wilken, he traveled abroad for the first time in search of people who could tan ostrich leather^[4]. They came across Arnold and Dianne de Jager, founders of a tannery in London, who offered to train a tanner for Klein Karoo. In 1970, the first ostrich skin tannery opened in Klein Karoo.

Ostrich leather was instantly popular in high fashion (haute couture) throughout Europe and the United States where it was used for cowboy boots. Notably, during the 1980s, demand was extremely high in the United States. During this period, apartheid and other political turmoil caused some countries, the United States included, to put pressure on South Africa in the form of trade sanctions. It was hard for ostrich leather to make it into the States, but it did. However, it came at a cost and the ostrich leather purveyors, brothers John G. Mahler and Wilfred Mahler of Dallas, TX, were the only importers of ostrich skin for many years. Just like the single channel KKLK, who had an iron grip on the exportation of the only viable ostrich skins, the Mahlers were able to control not only prices but also who got skins in the United States and how many they were allowed. Their control was so absolute that some bootmakers would be reprimanded by John if they sold his skins to other bootmakers^[3]. The entire arrangement has been compared to the DeBeers diamond cartel.

In 1993 apartheid in South Africa ended. This event, combined with the fact that several droughts in Klein Karoo severely crippled the ostrich industry, forced the South African government to open up the exportation of ostrich stock. This allowed neighboring countries and even the U.S. to import and begin raising ostriches on their own. This effectively ended the strong monopoly enjoyed by South Africa and the for so long. It also ended the Mahler's monopoly in the United States. More suppliers began to open up in the U.S. and, with less trade restrictions, were able to supply ostrich leather at lower prices. Now there are several ostrich ranches and tanneries in the U.S., but with a 150 year head start Klein Karoo is still considered the industry leader.

[edit] General description

Tanned Ostrich Hide

Ostrich leather is unmistakable in its appearance; No other material looks similar to it. It is characterized by raised points that are localized to the center of the hide. The portion with these bumps is called the crown. It's actually the back of the ostrich where the animal's neck meets its body. The bumps are quill follicles where a feather used to reside. On the left and right side of the diamond shaped crown the skin is quite smooth. In fact, only about 1/3 of the whole skin has quill bumps. Since the crown is the most sought after portion and since it constitutes such a small area of the skin, "full quill" ostrich products are considerably expensive when compared to bovine leather. This, along with the fact that it is one of the strongest commercial leathers, leads ostrich leather to be seen as a luxury item.

The average size of a prepared ostrich skin which can be used with success in most applications is around 16 square feet. An 18 month old ostrich will typically yield a skin of this size. Of course, the older a bird is the larger its hide will be but quality suffers and the skin may be too thick for ideal use. A juvenile ostrich will yield smaller skins which are thinner but the quill pattern and size might be too small.

Ostrich leather is graded according to the number of defects in the crown area. A defect can be a hole, scratch, loose scab, a healed wound or bacterial damage but must be less than 40 mm x 40 mm in size.

Grade I - defects permitted in 1 quarter of the skin only

Grade II - defects in 2 quarters of the skin only

Grade II - defects in 3 quarters of the skin only

Grade IV - defects in 4 quarters of the skin

Ostrich leather is typically sold by the square foot and price is grade driven. For instance, a Grade I ostrich skin may cost $22/sq. ft. while a Grade III ostrich skin costs $19/sq. ft.

[edit] Ostrich leather processing

This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject.
Please help recruit one or improve this article yourself. See the talk page for details.
Please consider using {{Expert-subject}} to associate this request with a WikiProject

[edit] Uses of ostrich leather

Traditionally, fashion has driven the demand for ostrich leather. Fashion houses successfully used ostrich leather in handbags for many years. Most designer brands have at least one purse made with ostrich leather. Footwear is another way in which designers showcase the material. But, by far the most widely used application is for ostrich leather boots. Just about every bootmaker uses ostrich and the demand for ostrich boots is higher than any other ostrich leather product^[5]. Belts are another major accessory that utilize ostrich leather (most ostrich boots are purchased with a matching ostrich belt). Of course there are other uses for ostrich leather notably shoes, wallets and jackets. The cost for most items is usually between $500 to $5000; handbags and jackets are highest priced due to the shear amount of leather used.

Designer handbags in Ostrich leather are extremely popular as many luxury designers such as Prada, Marcela Calvet, Botega Venetta and Gucci, continue to make fashion statements with their wares made of exotic skins. Although such items are not inexpensive, women seek them out because they are simply beautiful and different. It is quite easy to recognize an ostrich handbag.

Different geographic regions have different demands for ostrich leather. For instance, Japan has an especially strong market for lady's handbags while the southern United States has many consumers of ostrich boots.

Aside from fashion designers, the automotive industry is a heavy user of ostrich leather. Car seats, dashboards, motorcycle seats, and door panels can all be covered or accented with ostrich leather. Most after market car and motorcycle shops can alter seats by applying ostrich leather as seat inserts. Many luxury car manufacturers offer ostrich leather seats from the factory. This practice is especially popular in European countries.