ALLIGATOR

Alligator Mississippiensis leathers that Mettique sources come from the best tanneries in Singapore and France. These tanneries supply the highest quality alligator and crocodile skins for most of the world’s luxury brands. We specifically choose to work with the wild alligators, when available and suitable, as their skins are richer than the farmed alligators. Coming from the wild in the North American continent, these skins may possess some slight imperfections and are testaments to their lives in the wild environment.

Mettique selects many types of finishing for the wild alligator skins, two of which are classics: matted and shiny, others include rubbed-off, hand-painted and sanded-off to name a few. The sturdy matted finish is more forgiving and is more water resistant. The elegant shiny finish is more delicate. Both types of finishing allow for the development of a nice patina over time. They come in many basic colors such as black and brown, as well as in an array of vivid seasonal colors.

All of our alligator skins are CITES certified, which ensures that all steps and activities for hunting the animals comply with international regulations set by the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

CROCODILE

Mettique selects to work with two species of crocodile; freshwater Nile crocodile (Crocodylus Niloticus), native inhabitants of Africa's Nile River in the region of Zimbabwe and saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus Porosus), native to Northern Australia and throughout Southeast Asia and possesses smaller scales. We believe that the skins of these two species are most suited for our products in many measures such as the firmness and the skin pattern. These skins are exclusively tanned in Singapore by the best tannery that supplies best luxury brands.The most distinguishing feature of crocodile skin is the integumentary sensory organ pore with a sensory hair on each scale. After the skin is tanned the hair is removed but the pore in each scale remains.

Mettique selects many types of finishing for the crocodile skins, two of which are classics: matted and shiny, others include rubbed-off, hand-painted and sand-off to name a few. The sturdy matted finish is more forgiving and is more water resistant. The elegant shiny finish is more delicate. Both types of finishing allow for the development of a nice patina over time. They come in many basic colors such as black and brown, as well as in an array of vivid seasonal colors.All of our crocodile skins are CITES certified, which ensures that all steps and activities for hunting the animals comply with international regulations set by the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

OSTRICH

These ostrich skins, coming from one of the best tanneries in South Africa, is authentic. Well-developed quills are the result of full-grown feathers that create a follicle that is rounded and closed. Development of feather follicles is genetically determined and differs from skin to skin. We select the skins with semi-matte finishing. In time, these high quality ostrich skins allow nice patina to develop, imprinting your character on the leather—in a way that is completely based on how you look after your METTIQUE piece of work.

We select only skins of Grade 1. The grading criteria are based on multiple factors including the aesthetic appeal, the quality of quills and colors, to name a few examples. All in all, you can expect the skins of Grade 1 that we use in our products to be free of defects.

All the skins that we source contain The Certificate Of Origins, which allows us to trace back to the origins of the animals.

SHARK

The shark skins, exclusively sourced from an Italian tannery by Mettique, come from blue shark, Prionace Glauca. These sharks inhabit the deep waters in the world's temperate and tropical oceans. They are not protected nor endangered. These skins are exceptionally sturdy and effectively waterproof. Their natural patterns are very unique and feel very arid. Because of their shape and size, these skins are suitable for smaller items. They come in solid matted and two-tone nubuck finishings and are available in a few basic colors.

PYTHON

METTIQUE sources two species of python: Asiatic reticulated python, Python reticulatus and Burmese python, Python bivittatus. Python reticulatus is native to India and South East Asia. Reticulatus in Latin means “net-like” and refers to the complex color pattern found on the python. Python bivittatus is one of the five largest snakes in the world and is native to a large variation of tropic and subtropic areas of Southern Asia and Southeast Asia.

METTIQUE works with one of the best tanneries in Spain that specialize in python skins. We work with different types of finishing for the python skins which include the classic matte and shiny but also the special handpainted ones. The sturdy matted finish is more forgiving and is more water resistant. The elegant shiny finish is more delicate. Both types of finishing allow for the development of a nice patina over time. They come in many basic colors such as black and brown, as well as in an array of vivid seasonal colors.

All of our python skins are CITES certified, which ensures that all steps and activities for hunting the animals comply with international regulations set by the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild.

LIZARD

The lizard skins that Mettique sources come from a large member of the monitor lizard family, Varanus niloticus, commonly known as Nile monitors. They are native to Africa and are distributed throughout the central and Southern regions of the continent.

Mettique works with a tannery in Spain that supplies the highest quality lizard skins to world’s top luxury brands. These skins are treated with natural wax finish that will allow the development of a nice patina over time. They come in various types of finishing such as matted, shiny, nubuck and more. We select basic colors such as blue, as well as in an array of vivid seasonal colors such as metallic or two-tone.

All of our lizard skins are CITES certified, which ensures that all steps and activities for hunting the animals comply with international regulations set by the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

ANILINE FRENCH GOAT

METTIQUE sources our aniline goat skins from one of the best tanneries that specialise in goat skins in France. The French goats are highly selected among the best herds in the world and are tanned with natural tannins of vegetable origins. These skins possess the most refined grains, which originate directly from the animal skin structure as a result of 22 strict manual operations, mostly boarding, the process which requires movement by hand/shoulder with a piece of curved wooden board to work on skins. Each and every square inch of each skin is boarded manually with different technique to achieve the unique softness and grains on the skins.

These French goat skins are used by some of the most respected brands in the world and are now available at METTIQUE in a wide range of colors.

STINGRAY

The stingray skins that METTIQUE sources are sharp nose stingrays or whitespotted whipray, stemming from the Himantura gerradi species. These stingrays are not from an endangered species and do not require CITES certificate. They are found in Indo-Pacific coastal regions. The shinny defined bony crown of the stingray skin is a result of the tanning and extensive polishing processes. The idenity of stingray skins is composed of ivory.

ITALIAN VACCHETTA VEGETABLE-TANNED COWHIDE

The cowhide skins come from selected few of the very best tanneries in Italy, specializing only in cow skins. We select the most precious hides, which show a very refined grain that originates directly from the animal skin structure.

These selected skins have been tanned exclusively with natural tannins of vegetable origins and does not contain substances prohibited by law. Tannin extracts are a fundamental ingredient for the slow tanning process and the quality of its result. Small veins, wrinkles and imperceptible scratches eventually emerge on the leather to authenticate its naturalness, rendering each skin one- of-a-kind. Each hide therefore retains a unique and solid identity, with its own grain and pattern originating from the natural veins of the animal.

The Italian Cowhide leather is available in a wide range of colors.