Kangaroo leather is the strongest leather in the world for it's thickness thus, allowing it to be cut very finely while maintaining its strength. This is why extremely fine plaited work is achievable with 'roo leather. There is an abundant supply of kangaroos in Australia amounting to far more than the number of people and of the eighty or more types of 'roos and wallabies, only a few are commercially harvested.

    The kangaroo industry in Australia is very strictly controlled by the individual state National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS)  and also the Federal NPWS which is called Environment Australia with strict limits and a quota system. To be able to deal in processing kangaroo products the individual or business needs to hold one or more licenses. I hold all the relevant licenses required.

    The kangaroo leather I sell is vegetable tanned in Wattle Bark by Packers Tannery in Queensland. This method of tanning was developed last century from the Oak tanning methods brought out to Australia by the early settlers from England.

    The hides are sold by the square metre and sizes range from approximately .45m² to 1.25m²

    There are three main colours:

Saddle Tan - this is the lighter colour of the three and is a very light tan brown 
 

 

Whiskey - this is the middle range colour and is a rich, chocolate brown 
 

 

Brandy - this is the darkest colour and is a very dark rich brown

 

(colours are for comparison only as, being a natural product, shades may vary slightly)

 

Black & natural hides are also available

    Hides are available drum stuffed or greasy, they are easy to strand with little or no stretch and have extremely high tensile strength. Thickness ranges from approximately 1mm for the fine whip leather to 1.4mm for the belt plaiting leather.

    The three main types of kangaroos harvested for the plaiting trade are; the Red kangaroo, which have a very fine grained leather and are lighter in weight thus allowing very fine and thin strands to be cut while maintaining exceptional strength. The other two species are the Western and Eastern Grey kangaroo which have very similar leather, which is slightly coarser in the grain and heavier in weight. These hides are very high in tensile strength, and are ideal for belt plaiting, eight and twelve strand stockwhips and bull whips.

    Price: AUD$140.00/m² plus GST within Australia.

Lacing is also available hand cut to order.

 Costs to the purchaser include: the price of the leather, postage or freight which is based on weight and destination, and a small handling charge. Insurance can also be included at the purchaser's expense and is recommended for international orders. Also, for international orders there is a permit charge to legally export kangaroo products.

    Payment can be made by most major credit cards or money order. When an order is placed, the leather is selected and the purchaser advised of the total cost and dispatch is made as soon as payment is made. Orders are dispatched within a few d 7 days from the order being placed.

    I look forward to being able to help you with your leather requirements and will

be happy to answer any questions you have about leather.