Film Noir Buff Style Forum / Alligator v's croc v's caiman

The_Shooman · 2013-09-17 05:52:11

http://www.davidstmoritz.com/AboutAlligator.cfm

http://www.gleni.it/difference-crocodile-alligator-caiman-leather.html

l love croc and alligator leather. Wish l had my couch and car seats made out of it.

Liam · 2013-09-17 05:59:08

^I do too.

My old man has a thin black Alligator belt which he bought in the 80s I think.

I remember looking at it as a kid and just being amazed at how beautiful it was.

He also had an Ostrich hide wallet that was impossibly beautiful. Love all that stuff.

Thanks for posting this Shooey.

xenon1 · 2013-09-21 09:01:05

Good links shooey. The one thing the first article does not mention is that it is true that the finest crocodilian skins on average are alligator, but there is one species of true crocodile that is the absolute finest. This is the stuff Hermes uses for their Kelly bag and most of the farms and tanneries are owned by Hermes so access to these skins is very difficult, where as access to top notch alligator is far easier. Especially for someone like me who lives in North America.

The_Shooman · 2013-09-21 17:28:32

Yes, makers have told me that the finest skins are actually from salt water Australian corcodile and are better than even the best alligator. Hermes' naturally buys lots of these.

This is a general guide from the first link:
Alligator - High quality
Crocodile - Medium quality
Caiman - Low quality

When you look at most alligator shoes you see most having those streaky large scales which indicates caiman. No wonder they always sell for so cheap.

It's very rare to see any great exotic skins in Oz, but l remember seeing a pair of alligator norvegese handmade shoes in the borrelli store about 5 years ago. The skins were incredible. They were 12K on special order at the time. l wanted them badly but it was alittle much for a rtw shoe.

Last edited by The_Shooman (2013-09-21 17:33:43)

interested observer · 2013-09-22 07:37:53

A good US source for exotic hides is:

http://www.markstatonco.com/index.html

Lisa Sorrell, who makes some pretty remarkable cowboy boots, buys her exotic leathers from Mark. He does offer saltwater crocodile.

I have handled some of the matte finish saltwater croc, and it is pretty amazing stuff.

The_Shooman · 2013-09-24 03:29:59

That is a great link. Thanks for that.

The fear l would have with buying from them is not getting matching skins for each shoe. Could this be a problem or are they really good to make sure they sell similar skins as a pair for making shoes?

l am thinking about another future alligator purchase, so this could be a cheaper option for a nice tan and/or green wholecut on the same last. This highly exciting stuff to think about...could cause sleepless nights for years to come.

The_Shooman · 2013-09-24 03:47:52

interested observer · 2013-09-24 05:14:35

#1 2013-09-17 05:52:11

Alligator v's croc v's caiman - how to tell the difference (here)

#2 2013-09-17 05:59:08

Re: Alligator v's croc v's caiman - how to tell the difference (here)

#3 2013-09-21 09:01:05

Re: Alligator v's croc v's caiman - how to tell the difference (here)

#4 2013-09-21 17:28:32

Re: Alligator v's croc v's caiman - how to tell the difference (here)

#5 2013-09-22 07:37:53

Re: Alligator v's croc v's caiman - how to tell the difference (here)

#6 2013-09-24 03:29:59

Re: Alligator v's croc v's caiman - how to tell the difference (here)

#7 2013-09-24 03:47:52

Re: Alligator v's croc v's caiman - how to tell the difference (here)

#8 2013-09-24 05:14:35

Re: Alligator v's croc v's caiman - how to tell the difference (here)

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