pntr815 Report post Posted August 30, 2017 Hello everyoneI'm brand new and have a few questions for you all........ Does anyone know where I can buy "wild boar" leather? I need hides/leather that don't have hair on them. Some of the information I've gotten so far from some companies sort of implies it's just not that available here in the US. That REALLY surprises me what with the "infestation" of wild boars in the South. I would assume it would be readily available to industry unless the hides are all shipped overseas for processing. What I've been able to glean so far is that there's a "version" of wild boar leather called Peccary which is from a very VERY similar animal who hangs out in South America. But, in spite of the locale he/she is just as nasty a critter as it's American cousin in the south. I've also come to realize there are versions of wild boar leather out there that are total fakes. I'm making that statement out of sheer ignorance (for the most part) only because I've looked at a TON of magnified photos of the leather and the knock off stuff looks VERY different. The hair follicles in genuine wild boar/peccary leather are in groups of three and in a somewhat straight line vs. the embossed cowhide fake stuff that has more of a random three hole triangle shape. So, does anyone know where I can buy Peccary or Wild Boar leather here in the US? Thanks in advance for any assistance, all and have a great day. Vince. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrmCa Report post Posted August 30, 2017 Isn't this exactly the same as pig leather? Pardon my ignorance. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bikermutt07 Report post Posted August 30, 2017 The boar infestation is a double edged sword. Hunters can freely exterminate them and process them. People who I have seen trying to engage them on a commercial level run I to problems. No one wants to buy, process or sell (if they even can legally) the meat. So, there isn't much of a market for tanned hides, since finished hides is a byproduct of commercial endeavors. This is only my take on it, anyway. Most trappers have been forced into just releasing them in a different area, from what I have heard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pntr815 Report post Posted August 31, 2017 Yeah. This is what I've sort of run into. The animals are running rampant. They're killed but then there are no tanneries in the US who will process the hide. Here's an interesting sidebar to the whole thing; in South America there's a cousin to our wild boar called a Peccary. Peccary is one of the worlds finest leathers and it's used to make super high end gloves and shoes etc. I mean, leather gloves that go for $150. Crazy. Most of those hides get shipped overseas to Italy, Germany and Poland and now comes the really weird part. Those hides, as leather, cannot be easily shipped back into the US because that animal is protected by CITES. The dichotomy is, we have ample access to animals here but don't process the leather due to the controversy and lack of tanneries. And leather that goes from South America to Europe can't be easily shipped back into the US because it's considered an endangered species by our government. As for whether or not wild boar leather is the same as pigskin.....it is and it isn't. Pigskin is....well.....pigskin. We've all seen it. Wild boar leather is dramatically different in texture, appearance and toughness. Now for the REALLY weird part. The cute, curly tailed, Porky pig kind of critter, if he escapes captivity, CAN turn back into a wild boar in a matter of months. These things are Jekyll and Hyde type creatures. They'll grow tusks, develop super tough hair in the winter and they become NASTY! So, regular pigskin looks just like a football. However once that creature gets out into the wild it morphs into a monster and the leather is awesome. The leather from that animal is much much much different. Weird, huh? deeb-a-deeb-a-deeb th- th- th- that's all folks! Who knew! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrmCa Report post Posted August 31, 2017 Hear, hear. This is what happens when people allow the government bureaucracy to perpetuate absurd with impunity. Sad travesty, same as with "endangered woods" which leads to US customs destroying travelling musician's guitars. [Waving smilie]. On topic: pig skin is awesome! I had made in Italy dress shoes made entirely of pig leather, and they were the best pair I ever owned. Inexpensive as well. Pig leather can be superb quality if tanned properly. NOTING like a football! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
