Kangaroo hide leather: strength, uses and sourcing

What kangaroo hide leather is

Kangaroo leather is the leather you get when kangaroo skin is tanned. Wikipedia describes it as "a strong, lightweight leather derived from the hide of the kangaroo". ¹

Montana Leather, a leather seller, describes its kangaroo range as having "one of the strongest tensile strengths available in leather". ²

Tensile strength is how much pulling force a material takes before it breaks. For a leathercrafter, that matters most in thin leather, where strength has to come from the material itself rather than from thickness.

Why is kangaroo leather so strong?

Leather is made of bundles of collagen fibres, which are the protein strands in the skin. The way those bundles are arranged differs between animals.

Wikipedia says "The collagen fibre bundles in cattle hide are arranged in a complex weaving pattern." It says kangaroo hide "has been shown to have a highly uniform orientation of fibre bundles". ¹

The same article reports studies by Australia's CSIRO that "confirm that kangaroo is one of the strongest leathers of similar substance available". ¹ Wikipedia also gives a figure of "10 times the tensile strength of cowhide". That figure is cited there to a 2012 news release, not to a test we have seen, so treat it with care. ¹

How thin can it go?

Wikipedia says "The unique structure of kangaroo leather allows it to be cut down to be very thin, but still retain strength." ¹

It gives one example. Its wording is: "When split to 20% of original thickness kangaroo retains 30 to 60% of the tensile strength of the unsplit hide." For calf split the same way, it says only "1–4%" of the original strength remains. ¹

Splitting means slicing a hide into thinner layers. For a beginner, the useful point is that thin kangaroo leather is a material makers choose when they want a slim result.

What people make with it

Wikipedia says kangaroo leather "is the material of choice for making whips". It also lists shoes, motorbike leathers, car upholstery and fashion accessories among its uses. ¹

Montana Leather says its kangaroo leather is "excellent for braiding, falconry, lining, or making lace" and "works beautifully for belts, handbags, purses and wallets". ²

Those are the seller's words, not independent test results. If you plan a first project, such as a wallet or a belt, check the thickness the seller lists before you buy, and compare it with the thickness your pattern calls for.

Where kangaroo leather comes from

Wikipedia says "Kangaroos are harvested" and that "Both the meat and the hides are sold." ¹

In New South Wales, the state government publishes a plan for this. It says the plan "provides a management framework for the sustainable, ethical and humane commercial harvest of kangaroos". ³

If the origin matters to you, ask the seller where the skins came from.

What to check before you buy

Start with the thickness. Montana Leather lists its kangaroo products by weight in ounces, such as "2-3 oz", and in product titles such as "Chrome Tanned 2/3 oz". ²

Check whether you are buying a whole skin or cut lace, because the listing should say which.

Check the price and the currency on the seller's own page on the day you buy. We have not listed prices here because they change.

Finally, ask what finish and tanning the skin has. If you plan to dye or finish it, look for the maker's or seller's instructions for that leather.