stingray leather - shagreen

[Zacharykro6]

Corbin is offering stingray leather as many of you may be aware. A little wikipedia research has me intrigued, especially the part about samurai armor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shagreen

I havent found a sport bike seat online with this material, only a few cruisers and tourers. http://corbin.com/kawasaki/  -has a cool configurator that you can use to picture your material selections all together in 3D but stingray leather is not shown. They show 6 different color choices for this material online. I am interested in the canyon dual sport saddle with no heat.

I requested 4 samples from them to check the color and pattern against my metallic paint and they promptly sent me over a dozen, including this strange stingray leather. It is very shiny and looks like pearls or beads but it is very tough and durable - I have tried to destroy my sample just to test its durability. It is about the middle of the pack when it comes to friction against my pants leg, but when you rub it against skin with more than a light touch it grips extremely well. I believe that this material would stay cool to the touch and allow some air flow to the warm parts of the seat.

when I research care for stingray leather (in general, not information from corbin) it says that stingray leather is VERY SENSITIVE to UV light

anyone looking for a new seat material should ask corbin for a sample, I would like some custom grips made out of it - like the handles of samurai swords

[MAN OF BLUES]

Its a known fact that Stingrays urinate THRU their skin...

[maxtog]

Its a known fact that Stingrays urinate THRU their skin...

Now that is a wonderful thought

[VirginiaJim]

Its a known fact that Stingrays urinate THRU their skin...

Actually, I didn't know that.

Now that is a wonderful thought

No, it's not. 

[Zacharykro6]

no one has seen one? I will leave my sample in the sunlight and see what happens to it, I might be ordering a corbin seat soon so I would love to get some input on the materials.

They offer an "asphalt vinyl" and a "grabber" material that appear to have good friction properties but they are kinda OE looking. All of the simulated animal skins seem to fade or press out with use, I like the dark snake pattern but I believe it will rub off of the leather.

[kirkcdl]

Go with rattlesnake,it's said they're pretty sun-friendly...

[Walker18]

Honestly, the way that vinyl is colored and stamped, and it's durability in the weather, along with the
best price/performance factor, might want to re-consider.
 https://www.onlinefabricstore.net/nassimi-symphony-shagreen-barracuda-vinyl-.htm
Here's a bunch to look at, no idea what qualifications are needed for it to be used as seating, so this is marine grade.
http://www.diyupholsterysupply.com/upholstery-vinyl.html

[Zacharykro6]

Honestly, the way that vinyl is colored and stamped, and it's durability in the weather, along with the
best price/performance factor, might want to re-consider.
 https://www.onlinefabricstore.net/nassimi-symphony-shagreen-barracuda-vinyl-.htm
Here's a bunch to look at, no idea what qualifications are needed for it to be used as seating, so this is marine grade.
http://www.diyupholsterysupply.com/upholstery-vinyl.html

That synthetic stingray leather is very cool but I would question its durability compared to the natural leather, I would be afraid that the "beads" would rub off.

Corbin offers many vinyl options but all of their "animal skins" are just pressed into premium cow leather except for the snake skin which seems to be dyed or printed on and the stingray leather which is actual sting ray. What is great about Corbin is they send you samples of the materials they use, when you bend the samples you see the leather is more flexible than vinyl and has more stretch. The leather is also grippy and thicker overall. I believe with proper care the cow leather is a great choice for a saddle, Im just not sure how well the stingray holds up in comparison.