Exotic leather has found its rightful place in fashion. However, once the leather bug bites, you can bet you will want more. That is why exotic leather phone cases are all the rage, and the best part is, they're not just seasonal.

We have explored some of the most reliable phone case skin options in previous posts. While they are all great options, could ostrich skin be the ideal phone case? To make a solid decision, you’d need to evaluate all of the characteristics of ostrich leg skin:

Size

Most phones measure about 4” to 5.5”. In contrast, the average ostrich leg skin measures 14” by 8”. When used efficiently, one ostrich leg skin is enough to make two outstanding phone cases. 

Pattern

Ostrich skin is held in high regard in fashion the creation of other accessories. Ostrich leg skin, unlike the rest of the ostrich’s body, has stand-out feature—the center leg scale pattern. The pattern, almost perfectly centered, instantly grabs the eye. The scales measure about 4” wide and make stunning rectangles. The strategic positioning of the pattern allows a designer to determine where the pattern should be displayed. For maximum attention, lining the pattern down the middle of a product is a great call. However, depending on the phone’s thickness, you can explore more interesting positions.

Durability

The African Ostrich survives in extreme weather. The environment in which it thrives makes its skin tough - tough enough to go in and out of your pocket 1000 times a day. If you’re constantly on the move and you practically have your phone attached to your hand, an ostrich leg skin phone case would be a sound decision for its durability.

Easy to Work With

Ostriches are powerful birds, but their skin is a striking juxtaposition of that trait: the skin is flexible. Since a phone case will have to be curved in some places, flexibility plays a vital part in making the craftsman’s work easier. Its flexibility also helps the manufacturer increase precision with cuts and create cleaner panels. Also, it's straight shape make placing patterns and cutting very straightforward relative to other less regularly shaped exotics. 

Availability

Ostrich leg skin is regularly available in 50+ stock colors. 

Cost

Ostrich leg leather is a great alternative to super-rare and expensive skins, such as alligator skin. For a budget-conscious designer, ostrich leg skin is the perfect combination of modest luxury and killer aesthetics.

Getting the Right Skin for Your Phone Case

So, you've settled on ostrich leg skin for your next phone case, and you have to make the tricky call on the best skin. Since you're dealing with ostrich leg skin, your main concerns should be authenticity, finish, and grade.

• Ostrich leg leather has not only earned rave reviews, but it has gotten unscrupulous dealers to take notice as well. Rogue producers use faux leather and emboss the skin to produce a similar aesthetic. While this process would create the desired illusion in the areas likely to have quill bumps, the unique bumps on the skin. Ostrich leg leather has distinct markings that surround the bigger central scale pattern. Even for pros, that would be one tough skin to fabricate.
• Ostrich leg leather is the definition of class, whether it has a glazed, matte or suede finish. To the touch, it has a luxurious feeling that gives the holder both a comfortable grip and an almost feather-like lightness. 
• Ideally, you can get two phone cases from each ostrich leg. This means you should by grade 1 or 2 ostrich leg skins, so there aren't too many defects to cut around.