ray skin grip questions

[oolong dao]

i wanted to know if anyone has any knowledge on ray skin grips, the pros and cons, and the texture. if you can tell me everything especially personal experience with using a sword with ray skinned handles. how long do they last how to properly care for them etc. i cant find anything substantial and in depth on the subject and i figured if i put it here i could help other people looking for similar answers .

 

[Rich S]

Ray skin has been used on Japanese and Chinese swords for centuries. It is very tough. If making your own grips; the ray skin (same') needs to be soaked in water to soften it so it can be cut and worked. It also has VERY sharp points that need to be sanded down or you won't have any skin left. No special care is needed, just clean out any dirt with a toothbrush. Might want to google making or working with same'.
LLAP
Rich

 

[EChoil]

It's great stuff.

Very durable, very nice looking, very comfortable....still grips when wet...very, very everything. I put it right up there with kangaroo, horsehide and ostrich for desirable qualities. An expert may come along with some cons but it's one of my favorite leathers.

My wallets and several other personal items are of ray skin. I recommend it highly for both toughness and tactile comfort.

 

[oolong dao]

well i was looking into getting a custom sword and asking for rayskin wrapped handles so i want to know as much as possible from a user perspective.