Shagreen ray Shagreen ray The shagreen ray or shagreen skate or fuller's ray ("Leucoraja fullonica") is a species of skate in the family Rajidae. This ray is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, from Murmansk, Russia through Norway, southern Iceland, the Faroe Islands, the Celtic Sea, the northern North Sea and Skagerrak, to northern Morocco, including (infrequently) the western Mediterranean Sea and the Madeira Islands. It is absent from the shallow waters off England and Wales. Shagreen is a form of roughened untanned leather, typically dyed green and commonly made of the skins of sharks and rays. The common name "fuller's ray"
Porcupine ray of leather called shagreen, had many historical uses. In particular, it was used to cover the hilts of various melee weapons, as its extremely rough texture prevented slippage during battle. For example, the Japanese deemed it the only species whose skin was acceptable for covering sword grips. The Malayans used it to cover shields. The skin was also used ornamentally, such as by the Chinese, who dyed it and ground down the thorns to yield a mottled pattern. The native inhabitants of Funafuti Atoll used dried portions of the ray's tail as a rasp-like tool. Presently, the porcupine ray is