Quote:
Originally Posted by
kungapa 
Some exotics - like ostrich - tend to dry out quicker than calf, and needs more regular care.
Sorry, that's simply not true...especially for good quality ostrich such as comes from South Africa and the Klein Karoo. In fact, Klein Karoo ostrich seems to never dry out or even scuff although it be terribly abused.
There is currently a fad among rodeo cowboys for wearing boots made of ostrich while competing. These boots get abused, they get covered in manure and they never get cleaned or conditioned until a hole wears in the outsole and they go into a shop for repair. Yet the ostrich seems to take it all. You can wash a pair down and let them dry, put new outsoles and heels on, polish them and they'll look and feel like brand new.
Alligator and other reptiles, while armoured tend to be more problematic not because the leather in the interstices between the tiles is thin (it might be) or of poor quality but simply because the interstices are a natural place for dirt to collect. If you keep alligator or croc clean and properly conditioned it will last forever and virtually never scuff.
Lizard is thin. Snake tends to deteriorate not only because it is thin but the "petals" that once held the scales on the snake tend to dry out.
Elephant and hippo tend to be heavily textured and collect and hold dirt but they are nearly impossible to scuff while retaining a nice "hand.".
Aside from the relative thinness of some exotics or the unique texture of others, exotic leathers are
just leather.
All leather needs to be kept clean and conditioned. If that's done, neither durability nor longevity is an issue.
Edited by DWFII - 12/17/11 at 6:51am
