NORMALY CURED OR TANNED RAY SKIN LOOKS WHITE AS IT IS MADE UP OF LARGE DENTICLES (BONE) WITH SKIN BEHIND AND BETWEEN THEM YOU HAVE PROBABLY SEEN THE RAYSKIN ON SAMAURAI SWORDS AND SUCH. THEY USED TO BLEACH IT TO BE EVEN WHITER THAN THE NATURALLY TANNED AND DRIED SKINS FOR THOSE HANDLE GRIPS AS WHITE WAS PREFERRED. I AM NOT SURE WHAT SPECIES OF RAY IS USED AS MOST DO NOT HAVE THE SKIN WITH THE BIG DENTICLES THAT IS PREFERRED FOR USE AS RAYSKIN ON SWORD GRIPS, ECT. I HAVE PERSONALLY SKINED STINGRAYS AND SKATES AND SHARKS BUT NONE OF THE SPECIES I WORKED ON WAS THE ONE USED TO MAKE THIS RAYSKIN.
IN BALI I VISITED SEVERAL SHOPS SELLING LEATHER GOODS MADE FROM RAYSKIN THERE WAS A WIDE SELECTION OF COLORS AVAILABLE BLUE, PURPLE, RED, GREEN, WHITE BUT I PERSONALLY PREFERRED THE BLACK OR TAN-BROWN COLOR MOST. THEY ALSO DYE SNAKESKINS AND SEA SNAKE SKIN WAS VERY POPULAR IN JAPAN A FEW YEARS BACK AND PROBABLY STILL IS. SO I SERIOUSLY DOUBT THE RED RAYSKIN IS A NATURAL COLOR.
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