How to recognize the real stingray leather (also called shagreen)?

It’s a question we’re often asked. Here are some answers to ensure that your object is made of real shagreen:

Fire resistance: Real shagreen is fire-resistant, unlike synthetic polymer imitations. To be sure that your object is really made of stingray, you can expose part of the leather to the flame of a lighter for a few seconds. If it’s genuine shagreen, the flame won’t leave any marks on the leather, unlike imitations, which will quickly melt and coagulate. Be careful, however, not to expose stingray to the fire for too long, nor to expose its cowhide lining to the flame.
Heat resistance: You can perform the same experiment with heated metal. Real stingray resists heat very well, unlike plastic-based imitations which melt after a few seconds.
Abrasion resistance: Stingray is a very abrasion-resistant leather (level 4 on the Mohs scale), so you can’t scratch it with your fingernails – you’ll need a knife to start attacking the leather. Imitation shagreen, on the other hand, is easily scratched and damaged: a simple fingernail stroke is usually enough to mark the imitation shagreen object.

All our stingray items are made from genuine stingray. When you buy from us, you’re guaranteed a 100% genuine stingray leather item.