Crocodile vs Alligator Leather vs Calf Leather: Learn the Differences and Never Be Deceived Again!
Table of Contents
Introduction to Exotic Leathers: Crocodile, Alligator, and Calf
Can you tell a real alligator or a fake alligator? How do you know the quality difference?
Exotic leathers, especially crocodile and alligator skins, are among the most prized materials for luxury goods, including watch straps. But how do you differentiate between these leathers and ensure you’re getting value for money? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the differences between crocodile, alligator, and calf leather, helping you make informed decisions.
Why is crocodile Leather So Valuable?
Crocodiles have been around for 200 million years, originating in the Mesozoic era. Today, there are about 23 species of crocodiles, including the Siamese crocodile, Chinese crocodile, alligator, and Nile crocodile. This long history and limited supply make crocodile leather a rare and precious material.
Crocodile Leather’s Slow Growth and Complex Tanning Process
Crocodile vs alligator leather. Crocodiles have a slow growth cycle, and their environment is harsher than that of cattle or sheep. Additionally, the tanning process for crocodile leather is intricate, making it more expensive than other leathers.
Factors That Determine the Value of Crocodile Leather
- Crocodile species: Different species of crocodile yield different qualities of leather.
- Part of the skin: The belly scales are the most desirable part for luxury goods.
- Tanning and dyeing technology: Superior tanning and dyeing processes ensure the leather’s durability, texture, and appearance.
Crocodile Leather Cut: Belly Cut vs. Back Cut
The value of crocodile leather significantly depends on the part of the skin used. The belly skin, being soft and smooth, is the most precious, while the back skin is tougher and cheaper.
What is the best leather for watch straps? Belly Scale is the best part to make custom leather watch bands. Let’s start with the scale part.
Nowadays, many people love to use crocodile leather, but some people don’t know what they are using. They just think it’s crocodile leather. As a result, it was the back of the skin, and it looks cheap to professionals.
Why do you say that?
The part of the crocodile skin is very important. It should be known that crocodiles are very aggressive. The skin on the stomach is the softest and most vulnerable to scratches. Some manufacturers choose the back armor part for the output and shorten the processing time. This kind of skin is called “back skin” or “belly cut skin”
Belly Cut Skin
Because it was opened from the belly, this kind of crocodile skin is extremely cheap although it is real crocodile skin. Of course, if there is a good design, the style is also very flavorful, but it definitely does not belong to the category of luxury goods and high-end handicraft materials (although some people still think that this is real crocodile leather… It’s not) .
Back Cut skin
In fact, the only thing that can be included in the luxury category is the crocodile belly skin (except for the caiman belly skin, which we will talk about later), or “back cut skin”
Because the crocodile belly skin is very flat, soft, and strong, it is suitable for making all kinds of leather goods.
Common Misconception: All Crocodile Leather is the Same
Many consumers mistakenly believe that any crocodile leather is valuable. However, back skin, while durable, doesn’t possess the luxurious appearance of belly skin. It’s important to recognize the difference when selecting leather goods.
The Tanning and Dyeing Process: Critical for Quality
All skins must be tanned from raw leather if they are to be used to make leather goods. The tanning process is very important. If tanning is not good, there will be problems such as cracking, unevenness, insufficient durability, bad feel, and so on.
If anyone who knows some crocodile skins will ask the origin of tanning, this is actually very important, because tanning technology is a very high level of knowledge. There are very few international manufacturers that can tan crocodile skins of stable quality, mostly in France, Italy, and Singapore. Among the few factories in Japan and the United States, the few factories are also suppliers of luxury brands.
Like tanning technology, dyeing technology is also one of the criteria for judging the quality of crocodile skin.
Even in a good factory, there will be a certain probability of defective products. The most common dyeing defects are uneven dyeing, watermarks, and uneven gloss.
Many people who don’t understand leather will ask me a more common question. They point to a certain crocodile skin and ask me if the leather has been dyed. The answer is of course, otherwise… Have you ever seen pink, blue, and purple crocodiles?
But there is one that has not been dyed, which is what we commonly call Himalayan crocodile skin.
Himalayan Crocodile Skin
This is to retain the color of the crocodile itself. If you pick the skin, you will find that almost every Himalayan color is different. Just like our human skin, it is difficult for two people’s skin to be the same color, so for every Himalayan, it is difficult to pick the same depth of gray. Of course, there are artificially dyed crocodile skins in imitation Himalayan style. It is not that it is bad, but that it is a special style of finishing.
Types of Finishing: Shiny vs. Matte vs. Nubuck
The finishing of crocodile leather is roughly divided into two types: matte and shiny. If subdivided, there are hard-touch shiny leather, soft-touch shiny leather, medium-gloss, matte, nubuck, and other special textures.
Each has advantages and disadvantages, such as shiny crocodile leather.
Shiny Alligator
Although the surface is shiny, it is very afraid of water (in fact, crocodile skin should be kept away from water and oil, but the high-gloss leather is even worse because it is very easy to have watermarks), and it is really afraid of scratching, even if you are careful, scratches will appear after a period of time. Even in the process of making leather goods, the high-gloss leather should be covered with a soft protective film, otherwise, scratches and fingerprints will appear…
If you want to avoid scratches during use? Build an inert gas container at home and put it in the bag. (It is not recommended to use hard shiny crocodile leather for watch straps, because it is not comfortable and not very durable). Some people say that shiny leather is slightly cheaper than matte leather. I personally think it depends on the situation.
Matte Alligator Leather
I personally think that the most suitable is medium gloss or matte, especially since the unpainted water-dyeing effect directly expresses the true touch of crocodile leather. The gloss will become more and more natural with the use of time, and a few drops of water will be applied immediately. It’s fine to drop.
In addition, people who don’t know about crocodile skin will think that crocodile skin is very hard, but due to different processes, crocodile skin can be very soft.
Some can even be used as clothes, a little bit stiffer can be used as a bag, and moderate hardness can be used as a watch strap. Of course, there are no regulations on the use. The crocodile leather used for clothes can also be used as a bag, but it depends on what style the designer wants.
Suede nubuck
The suede nubuck is a suede effect that is directly polished on the leather surface. The texture is very soft and durable, and it is scratch-resistant, but…very easy to get dirty, a little sweat on your hands will destroy the suede effect, and it will be dirty after a period of time wearing… even the corners will be greasy.
Crocodile vs Alligator: Which One is Best?
Several species of crocodile are used for leather goods. Each has its characteristics and price range.
The crocodile species is an important topic. The common types of crocodile skins in the market are Caiman, Siamese crocodile (Thai crocodile), alligator, American crocodile, and Nile crocodile
Caiman and Siamese crocodiles are very common in the domestic market. The caiman crocodile is the cheapest crocodile skin. because it is easy to raise, but the cuticle of armor is very thick (many people call the hard part of crocodile skin bone, the crocodile is not Exoskeleton creature, the hard part is horny scales, not bones). In particular, the texture of the Caiman is rough and hard, and it cannot be made into a high-end product. The dishonest business of a certain brand of bags in the market likes to use cheap Caiman and sold at high prices.
Siamese crocodile is a crocodile breed widely raised in Southeast Asian countries and China. Because of its relatively fast growth rate, the texture is not neatly arranged, and there are cuticles on the flanks, so it is not the first choice for luxury production. By the way, most of the commercial crocodile skins we generally see are artificially bred, because artificially bred crocodile will not destroy the wild population, and because of artificial management, the quality of crocodile skin will be better than that of wild (less damage). There are only some oversized crocodile skins. Most of the crocodile skins that are big enough to be used as carpets are wild. Because the cost of wild is low, people don’t need to spend huge amounts of money to breed them. Correspondingly, the wild growth environment is relatively bad, such as fighting, parasites and the like that cause a lot of injuries, and can’t make high-end leather goods. They can only be used as decorations. Therefore, Dishonest sellers usually say that this bag is made of wild crocodile skin. Then you can leave with a smile.
The biggest difficulty encountered by newbies when making crocodile skins is that it is difficult to identify the various types of crocodile skins because the price of each type of crocodile skin is very different and the things that are suitable for making are different. Below I will send some lines that I hand-painted. The pictures and actual photos show you the texture of different varieties of crocodile skin.
Crocodile vs alligator leather: Caiman crocodile
The Caiman is a small and medium-sized crocodile distributed in Central and South America. Caiman is one of the most common types of crocodile leather on the market. Due to its thick cuticle and rough texture, caiman leather is typically less expensive and not suitable for high-end luxury items.
- The flanks are soft, and the texture is scattered, with horny scales
- The cuticle is obvious on a large area of the stomach, the epidermis has potholes, and the texture is hard
Crocodile vs alligator leather: Siamese Crocodile
Siamese crocodile (Thai crocodile) is a medium-sized crocodile, which is raised on a large scale in Southeast Asia and China. Almost all crocodile skins tanned in China are Siamese crocodiles. However, some hybrid crocodiles have appeared in recent years. The advantage of most hybrid crocodiles is that they have a milder personalities. Pure Siamese crocodiles have an unsightly texture arrangement (sometimes high-quality) hybrid crocodiles will improve. The problem of flank lines, but due to hybridization, individual texture differences will be more obvious, so sometimes the identification of hybrid Siamese crocodiles confuses the species. Siamese crocodile has a large number and relatively low price. It is the preferred material of crocodile leather for civilians. Their leather is widely used in mid-range products but lacks the fine texture required for luxury items.
- The slub pattern square has stomata
- Flank lines are arranged in a mess
- There is a row of distinct horny scales
Crocodile vs alligator leather: Nile Crocodile
The Nile crocodile, as the name suggests, is mainly distributed in the Nile River basin in Africa. This crocodile skin is very easy to identify because it has the iconic huge flank lines that are arranged neatly. Like the Siamese crocodile, there is a row of nasty hard horny scales beside the flank lines.
Crocodile vs alligator leather, This kind of crocodile skin’s slub pattern and side belly pattern are very inconspicuous. It can be compared with a gradient so that the texture sequence makes people look very soft and full, so Nile crocodile skin is the first choice for making ladies bags. Personally, I feel that using Nile crocodile skin as a briefcase always has a sense of contradiction.
- The slub pattern is relatively long and has pores
- Flank lines are oval or even rectangular, generally in 4 rows, and the arrangement is more orderly
- Have obvious horny scales
Crocodile vs alligator leather: New Guinea Crocodile
The New Guinea crocodile, is a saltwater crocodile produced around New Guinea, we will not explain this crocodile too much, because the place of origin is very close to Australia, and it is also a saltwater crocodile. Some businesses will use the name New Guinea crocodile. To raise the price, the real price is actually a relatively low variety. This kind of crocodile skin is not very common, but it is easier to identify, mainly because of the huge bamboo knot pattern and the distribution of almost oval bamboo knot patterns. I personally feel that this kind of crocodile skin texture is not very beautiful.
- Huge bamboo pattern
- Have pores
- Flank lines are sometimes arranged at an angle
- Have horny scales
Crocodile vs alligator leather: American Alligator
The American alligator is a large crocodile native to North America, and what we call the alligator from Mississippi is also of this type. The American alligator is the only crocodile skin that has no pores that we can usually come into contact with. The surface of the skin is very flat and soft. The slub pattern and the lateral belly pattern are very obvious, and the excessive dividing lines are arranged in parallel. The texture gives a person. This kind of very upright feeling, suitable for making men’s leather goods, is also the first choice for business-style leather goods. Most of our leather straps are made of American Alligator skin.
The American alligator is highly sought after for its smooth texture, lack of pores, and excellent durability. It’s often used for luxury watch straps and other high-end products. Drwatchstrap’s custom leather watch straps are predominantly made from American Alligator belly skin, the most luxurious part of the hide.
- The slub pattern is square, smooth, and without pores
- The unilateral slub pattern is generally 5-6 rows
- Flank lines are oval and inclined at a 45° angle
- The wide tail and less horny
- The dividing line is clear, distributed in parallel straight lines
- Chin skin is generally small
- PS: most of the custom leather watch straps from Drwatchstrap sell are made of American Alligator skin with belly scale. Only max 6-7 leather straps can be made out of 1 pcs of leather
Note: Sometimes due to individual crocodile differences, the texture will be slightly different.
In addition, many people bought the chin and tail leather separately because of demand, and then came to ask me what crocodile was.
Crocodile vs alligator leather, In fact, apart from the obvious features of the big wide tail and small chin of the American crocodile, the texture of the tail and chin of most crocodiles is not obvious, without the iconic texture on the belly, plus some individual differences in the crocodile, these The question is really difficult to answer.
Grading of Crocodile Leather
Crocodile leather is graded based on the number of scars and the arrangement of textures.
Grade I
Grade I skin is the highest grade, which means that the abdominal scars are the least, the texture arrangement is the most uniform, but the price is the highest.
Grade II, III, and IV
Level II skin has subtle flaws, sometimes it is not obvious if you don’t look carefully, and III and IV have obvious scars or uneven texture.
Belly, Tail, and Chin
When you look at the high-end luxury alligator watch strap, you will find that the selected materials are all crocodile belly, because the crocodile belly scale is the most beautiful and most valuable part. About 85% of the value of a crocodile is on the belly. Of course, it cannot be said that the chin and tail are scraps. , It is also possible to make small pieces such as wallets, cardholders.
Difference between real crocodile leather vs crocodile embossed?
Apart from the real crocodile skins above, I think there are still some people who want to know how to distinguish cowhide embossed crocodile leather. also called calfskin bamboo pattern
Because the craftsmanship of embossing and dyeing cowhide is becoming more and more exquisite, some embossed cowhide looks very much like real crocodile skin at first glance. I seldom come into contact with cowhide embossed imitation crocodile leather, until one time when I went to a friend’s shop, he took a large embossed cowhide to show me, I was confused at first sight, excessive height, detailed texture, The dyeing is quite real, he said that many people and even brands use this to make watch straps.
(When ordering leather watch straps, be sure to read the description carefully. Make sure it is Genuine alligator leather or Alligator embossed calf leather. These 2 material makes a huge difference).
Let me tell you a few ways to distinguish the embossed crocodile skin.
First look at the pores, crocodile skin does not have pores like cows and sheepskins, imitation crocodile skins pressed with cows and sheepskins will show pores if they are not heavily painted.
Secondly, the texture is raised. The slub pattern of real crocodile leather is high on one side and low on the other side, but some crocodile leather is pressed into a small steamed bun-like texture, which is more distorted.
How to maintain leather watch strap
Finally, let’s talk about the maintenance of crocodile skin. Crocodile skin should avoid oil and water. We know that in daily life, we will wipe some maintenance ointment on cow and sheepskin to extend the service life. Some people naively think that the same ointment can also be used for the maintenance of crocodile skin, which results to completely damage crocodile skin, especially water-stained crocodile skin, which will change color immediately after oiling. Actually, crocodile skin does not need extra maintenance. Usually, avoid exposure to the sun. If it is dirty, wipe it with a cloth. There are special rare skincare creams abroad and you can also try them.
Having said so much, there may be some details that have not been thought of, but the main things have been presented to everyone. I hope it will be helpful to everyone. Of course, if this article Please point out that the article is not comprehensive enough. Thank you.
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