User Guide

Soft Leather can look like cattle, but tends to behave like suede and nubuck. Calfskin, kidskin
and lambskin all belong to this category. Soft leathers possess more delicate textures and naps,
and will require delicate treatment. While easier to maintain, they are more vulnerable and less
durable than cattle leather. These breeds are famous for their lovely scents and textures, even
without getting cut down to suede or nubuck.
Exotic Leather is most often procured for its unworldly beauty. You can find endless varieties of
exotic leather: snake, stingray, deer, caiman, eel, ostrich, chicken foot, and even sharkskin have
special places in the spotlight. The downside is that these special leathers will need different and
more cautious forms of treatment, and will usually not last as long as cattle leather. There are,
of course, exceptions: stingray leather is essentially a mass of solid, pearl-like beads fastened
impenetrably tight, such that early Japanese culture found it useful for armor and sheaths. Even
better, exotic skins tend to have special perks. Deerskin (or buckskin), for example, is a favorite
leather in Native American culture; it's light, flexible, cozy and breathes in a way that retains
warmth in winter and keeps cool in summer. It's practically impossible to give a concise
summary of what to expect from exotic leather - they're a wild card. The point is to enjoy its
unique beauty, and treasure it as long as it lasts.
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