Overview of What is Crocodile Skin? Characteristics, How to Tell Genuine Leather

Distinguishing skin types requires a lot of experience. That's why we often get questions about our customers' skin types. They want to make sure their bags are made of crocodile leather, alligator or caiman leather.

Moreover, the embossing technique was born to make the fake leather look like genuine leather. If you just glimpse, especially without the keen eye, you will not be able to distinguish these two types of skin. Only the difference in price will cause you to have a closer look at your options. The price difference between reptile and embossed leather is quite large. Therefore, customers should be wary of distinguishing these two types of skin.

Sometimes this mistake can still occur, either because of a distraction or a lack of information or just because of wrong branding in the product to deceive inexperienced buyers - the real alligator skin can be replaced by crocodile or even caiman leather - inferior quality in reptiles, thus the cheapest skin type. It is unbelievable that sometimes artisans also encounter this error, they do not intend to deceive customers but they do not understand the importance of this.

For this reason, we will try to give you some knowledge about high-class crocodile skin to make you smarter when shopping.

However, the best solution is to buy premium products from a reliable address.

I. Crocodile Leather History
SYNOPSIS
I. History of crocodile skin
II. Overview of crocodile
III. Characteristics of crocodile skin
Advantages
Defect
IV. Crocodile skin classification
The price of crocodile skin
For farming crocodiles
For wild crocodiles
V. Crocodile skin and legality
BECAUSE. Distinguish real and fake crocodile skin
VII. Products from crocodile skin
DIFFERENT Crocodile leather watch strap
- Crocodile leather strap structure
- Color crocodile leather strap
- The smell of crocodile leather strap
- Elasticity of crocodile watch leather strap
- Water absorbency of crocodile watch straps
- Heat resistance of crocodile watch leather strap
DISTRIBUTOR SOUP SCREEN MEN SINGLE
+ Crocodile backbone wallet
+ Crocodile headhunted purse
+ Crocodile leather wallet belly, hip leather
+ Squeeze the whole crocodile skin
So crocodile leather wallet is the best part?
Check the skin softness
How to recognize a belt made from real crocodile skin.
VIII. Where to buy the best crocodile wallet?
Leather has played an important role in the development of civilization. From prehistoric times people used animal skin to satisfy their basic needs. People have used the skin to make clothes, shelters, rugs and even decorative outfits.

For Egyptian women, a piece of fur is prized as jewelry. From leather, people made shoes, belts, clothes, bags for liquids, boats and even armor.

Crocodile skin is a luxurious leather, known for its durability, softness and flexibility. In fact, it is one of the most beautiful skin types because of its unique fringe structure. Natural oils that appear in the skin help provide durability, prevent cracking, even in extreme temperatures and exposure to the sun.

II. OVERVIEW OF Crocodile
Exists in most areas of the world, living in rivers and wetlands. They are strong predators, often eating other animals such as fish, mammals and other reptiles.

Crocodile is one of the oldest living species on earth, about more than 200 million years. Its strong tail helps to move quickly through water or attack prey. At other times they can be seen very slowly when moving on land. Crocodiles have very strong and sharp teeth to tear prey. A common alligator behavior is to "spin" or "roll" in water after clipping to tear prey.

Structure of the skin surface: The surface of crocodile skin is rough and rough, the skin is not homogeneous, mainly consists of the following 4 parts:

+ Dorsal skin: skin with thorns running along the crocodile, spines are composed mainly of horn so very hard and firm.

+ Tail skin: including wagging tail shaped along the crocodile tail, when tanning, the fins are pressed close to the skin surface to facilitate the processing of products. The caudal fin is composed of skin and flesh so soft and firm.

+ Belly skin: is the skin on the bottom of the crocodile belly, flat skin surface, the lines only make the skin pattern like square. The belly skin is very soft and durable

+ Leather: is the skin on the side of the crocodile, the skin surface is relatively flat. The highlight is that the skin pattern like a part of a marble appears, so people call it a cotton ball.

Sensory: crocodile skin is soft, skin texture is not homogeneous, very good elasticity. If the leather is with high technology, the surface of the skin is glossy, the skin surface is very smooth and beautiful.

III. FEATURES OF Crocodile Skin
It is considered one of the most valuable leather materials and is found in the fashion lines of most leading brand products such as Vuitton, Gucci, Versace and Burberry, ...

ADVANTAGES
is said to be the "diamond" in leather types. Crocodile skin is considered to be thin, highly breathable, non-static, well insulated with a firm crust but very tough and not easily affected by the environment, so that its durability very long. Moreover, crocodile skin has flexibility, good elasticity, high elasticity, the skin surface does not crack, when bent, folded so crocodile skin products have superior durability than those of other common skin types.

Crocodile skin is appreciated in part not only for its quality, but also for its expensive vein pattern. Each crocodile has its own characteristics that make the lines different, prominent and sharp. Workers almost do not leave any part on the crocodile skin, all are used to make fashion products with the wild beauty of this rare animal. Crocodile humpback, back, abdomen, or legs all bring a different aesthetic value to each product manufactured to the market.

DEFECT
Crocodile skin is quite expensive. And up to the present time, crocodile leather products have been faked and traded chaos in the market. Consumers in leather products need to be alert when buying and equip leather knowledge to distinguish genuine goods.

IV. CLASSIFICATION OF Crocodile Skin
Crocodile skin classification by skin cut: back surgery, abdominal surgery.

Each surgery has a unique texture: the crocodile back - very rough, thick skin and a rough texture. The back skin is ideal for emphasizing surfaces with a wild, highly textured appearance or when very durable is needed - a crocodile skin is very durable and will last for years.

Crocodile belly - has a relatively thin skin structure, smooth surface, flat scales so it feels better to touch. This is usually the leather of choice for personal accessories such as handbags, wallets, and boots of famous fashion brands such as hermes, gucci, etc.However, for Asians, products from crocodile leather with rough, scaly lines are preferred.

Crocodile skin is largely classified based on the location and size of defects on the skin. For example, in the belly skin, with type 1 skin, there are virtually no defects on this piece of skin and the preferred male position is the white skin; In the back skin, skin type 1 in the dorsal spine extends from the hump to the tail, scales are uniform, not scarred.

PRICE OF Crocodile Skin
The price of a piece of crocodile skin or products from crocodile skin depends on factors: the size of the skin, the aesthetics of the skin surface or the origin of the crocodile

The price of crocodile skin increases exponentially with the size of a piece of instant leather: A design for a 16 cm handbag will require a 40-44cm crocodile piece. A skin of this size must come from a crocodile at least 3 years old. Or a men's leather wallet, if made from a piece of crocodile skin, the inside of the wallet is made of one piece of leather will have a higher price than the wallets made from small pieces of leather.

** How to measure the size of a piece of leather: The size of a piece of skin is calculated according to the length and width of the crocodile after surgery

Crocodile skin is obtained from farmed or naturally caught crocodiles: both methods have factors that affect their value:

FOR Crocodile Crocodile
They grow up with increased food and care time. When alligators mature, they often consume more than two to three times the amount of food. Crocodiles are predators so they also become more aggressive as they grow up. Normally, large crocodiles must be placed in a separate room, so alligator skin has less scar. Crocodile farmed in Vietnam has thin skin with little bone, soft, small scales of high value on the world market (40-50 USD / 10cm of belly width).

FOR WILDER Crocodile
Although they do not require feeding and care, they are at higher risk of physical injury in the natural environment. A crocodile 3 years or more without the scar on their forehead is a rarity. However, to get leather from a wild alligator is very rare and expensive. Today, almost every corner of the world has laws that prohibit the hunt and trade of wildlife.

V. Crocodile Leather and Legality
Crocodile leather import and export laws vary around the world. In the United States, crocodile skin can be legally imported and exported as long as it complies with CITES regulations. However, there are still some trade restrictions. For example, Siamese freshwater crocodiles from Thailand, Vietnam or Cambodia are strictly prohibited from importing, storing and selling in the United States regardless of proper CITES submission.

CITES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora: a legal corridor, a procedural mechanism being applied in 147 member countries (Vietnam joined in April 4-April 1994

In exchange for crocodile skin, it is strictly prohibited in the wild to hunt and trade wild alligators. Nowadays, many crocodile farms with the purpose of trading meat and skin are popular in all provinces. These facilities need to comply with the provisions of the law for raising and consuming crocodiles and each year need to release 10% of all farming crocodiles to ensure compliance with the law on breeding crocodile business .

BECAUSE. DIFFERENTIAL Crocodile Leather and imitation
Ways to identify such as: smell the skin, check the thickness of the skin, identify by color or price are now useless when choosing genuine leather.

Because the technology of producing fake leather products is becoming more and more sophisticated, the distinction becomes more difficult than ever. Below, we will provide the most memorable and accurate ways to distinguish.

How to distinguish genuine leather and embossed leather?

The first important step is to see if what we are holding in our hands is really a genuine leather product. Concerning this question, there are many articles that we recommend reading, to determine whether they use genuine or embossed leather.

In terms of price, although embossed leather can also be of high quality and looks very much like genuine crocodile skin, it is never the same price, so it is sold at a much cheaper price.

Crocodile, Alligator or Caiman skin?

Once you are sure you are viewing a leather product, we can consider the difference between crocodile (or alligator) and caiman.

Although caiman leather has become increasingly popular over the past few years, gaining a foothold in the market, a fake label that is mislabeled or intentionally inside a product is likely to mislead buyers need to always know.

Looking at the main differences between alligator skin, crocodile skin and caiman leather, we can confirm that alligator and crocodile skin are more expensive and higher quality than caiman leather. Their skin is softer and more flexible than caiman's. If you fold them, you will notice that many light cracks will immediately appear on the skin. When touching these skin types is also different, if your bag is too hard and rough, it means your bag is not made of alligator or crocodile, but caiman.

Generally, alligator and crocodile crocodile skin is used (especially in Italy, considering the average standard for the products of our skilled artisans) for making bags, because the leather is supple and has Better elasticity, while caiman is commonly used for accessories and shoes.

Crocodile belly skin and alligator crocodile skin are both softer and more flexible than caiman leather. This makes the dyeing process evenly colored. On the other hand, dyes on caiman's skin show the natural wrinkles that characterize this skin and the color appears to be pigmented and irregular.

Then, we should also consider another basic factor that distinguishes these three types of skin: the scaly shape. The crocodile and alligator crocodile scales are irregular or round in shape, having a more delicate aspect, while the scales that are characteristic for caiman skin are square but stiffer than crocodiles, and each scale is wrinkled with the so-called skeletal pattern.

Caiman crocodile print

Crocodile bags are often used in the abdomen because this is the best software, ensuring the production of a delicate and quality product. However, if we use the back of the crocodile skin, we can know which one is through the horn scales and especially according to the number of horn scales: alligator crocodile with horn scales are arranged in the following model: 2-2-2; Caiman follows the natural design scheme while crocodile horns are arranged in the following pattern: 4-2.

Alligator or Crocodile?

It is difficult to find out if a complete product is made from crocodile or alligator crocodile because it is similar in appearance and softness and flexibility of these two types of skin. In terms of price, we can say that alligator alligator is a bit more expensive than crocodile. We use alligator crocodile to make bags, because alligator crocodile has a longer body and this allows us to have the leather part that best suits the bag production.

Although it is difficult to distinguish the skin from finished products, (sometimes it is not possible even for professionals who can only rely on skin documents to confirm its origin, scientific name and quality,) it is quite easy to identify the specific features specific to each species when we have the opportunity to directly compare the entire skin.

These differences lie in both the shape (the crocodile body is square, so the center is shorter than the alligator) and the shape of the scales. In fact, alligator crocodiles, which show the scales to be less homogeneous than crocodile crocodiles, with a few abnormalities in the scales. However, this is almost indistinguishable on a finished product.

Regarding the distribution of scales: on the whole alligator skin, the transition from the wide and square scales of the abdomen to the smaller circles of the sides is quite sudden; With crocodile skin, the scales change slowly, with a series of medium-sized scales gradually becoming smaller and more rounded.

Alligator skin can also be identified by an umbilical scar (an elongated star shape between the scales of the belly), because alligator crocodile is the only animal with it. If a bag is made of type

In this renowned skin, this umbilical scar will usually be prominently displayed on the front of the bag, only to attest to the authenticity of the skin.

Finally, all crocodile scales show a peculiar pore as opposed to the alligator: the presence of this pore is due to the fact that the animal uses its body hair to feel its lips when alive. school surrounding. In the tanning process these hairs are removed, leaving space for visible pores.

VII. PRODUCTS FROM Crocodile Leather
Used in many applications including handbags, belts, wallets, apparel, car covers and furniture to create luxurious designs with feng shui strength and durability. Crocodile skin can be attached to many different colors. Each design for each product model has its own characteristics, crocodile skin helps the product become more classy and luxurious than other leather models.

DIFFERENT Crocodile leather watch strap
As mentioned above, crocodile skin in general and crocodile watch straps in particular is a material not cheap, so choosing and buying a watch with crocodile leather strap is a real thing. very important. However, in the current market, the technology of producing fake leather products is becoming more and more sophisticated making the distinction really difficult. Understanding this problem, Watch Hospital will help you somewhat distinguish the genuine crocodile watch leather strap - fake in the ways below.

- Crocodile leather strap structure
Overall with the naked eye, real crocodile leather straps will have a leather structure of soft seams, hard scales, natural luster when under light, different from the gloss of a paint coating like faux leather.

The lines of real crocodile watch leather bands will be uneven and overlapping, if you look closely, you can see the small and rough pores of their toenails stamped on each other while alive. And the fake leather, on the other hand, has a smooth and polished finish.

- Color crocodile leather strap
Genuine crocodile watch straps will usually have the main colors such as brown cockroach wings, bright yellow, black, earth brown, red brown, however, most will not be the same color. For products containing large areas of crocodile leather straps such as handbags, wallets, ... the customer can easily observe, but with crocodile leather straps, the reliance on color to distinguish yes probably won't be easy for first-time buyers.

- The smell of crocodile leather strap
This is also a useful feature for you to distinguish fake crocodile watch leather straps. When purchased, real crocodile leather straps will often have a characteristic fishy or salty smell, while fake leather belts will have the smell of plastic or paint, however, the technology of making imitation leather is extremely sophisticated now. This is for reference only to the customer.

- Elasticity of crocodile watch leather strap
To test the elasticity of real crocodile watch leather straps, you can press your hand against the leather surface with your hand, if it is a real crocodile watch leather strap, which will leave a dent in the spot that is pressed, and gradually gradually regained. In contrast, imitation crocodile watch leather bands will take a long time to recover, because imitation leather usually does not have good elasticity.

- Water absorbency of crocodile watch straps

This is a way to identify fake crocodile leather straps that not everyone knows. It is a way to put a drop of water on the surface of a crocodile watch leather strap and wait for a few minutes, if the water drops slick into the skin, it may be a real crocodile watch strap, and vice versa, if the water drops not absorbed into the skin surface but rolled away, it was a fake crocodile watch leather strap.

- Heat resistance of crocodile watch leather strap
The last way to check genuine fake crocodile watch straps is the heat resistance test. When you burn a fake crocodile watch leather strap with a regular lighter, it will cause burning, black, otherwise the genuine crocodile watch leather strap will have a degree of heat resistance in temperature conditions. higher. However, when using this method, you should