Crocodile leather

Crocodiles are reptiles and have a firm skin which act as a form of armour. There are about 25 species found in Central America, Africa and from India to Australia. Crocodiles live in fresh and salt water (Australia and Southeast Asia).

Alligators are subspecies of crocodiles. Among the subspecies of alligators are the caimans. Alligators exist in America and China. There are caimans in South America up to Central America.

Crocodile leather (also called "croco leather"), as well as caiman leather and alligator leather is used for bags, shoes or belts.

Cayman from the [Pantanal in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVouUuG3afs&t Brazil].

The skin of crocodiles, which are processed into leather, comes from breeding farms. These are found in the countries where crocodiles also occur naturally for e.g. Australia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Central and South America in the Amazon Basin region. The parks earn their money as a tourist attraction, with the tasty meat of the crocodiles and the skin. At the Darwin Crocodile Farm in Australia over 70 thousand crocodiles are held and the leather goes to the luxury companies of this world such as Louis Vuitton and Hermes.

From crocodiles, the belly side and only skins of younger animals are usually used for leather. The back skin is too hard because of the armour, especially of the older animals. This is also a reason for the high price of such leather. They are also expensive as in most cases these animals are only kept for their skin. Therefore, the leather of these animals must bear the cost of breeding.

Belly side of a caiman.

Back side, seen in the DLM - German Leather Museum in Offenbach.

Nowadays only leather of breeding animals is processed according to strict regulations (CITES - Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora). Nevertheless, this use is considered as inhumane by organisations such as PETA.

Crocodile leather is calculated according to the length (inches). 1 inch = 2.54 cm. Usually hides are offered between 28 and 35 cm width.

Crocodile leather back.

A duller version of crocodile leather.

Folder of crocodile leather back of 1958 - inside - outside - close-up.

Leather handbag made of crocodile back. The armour is very distinctive.

Leather bag made of crocodile back, probably from 1890.

Old leather luggage wit crocodile back.

Leather luggage and leather handbag made of crocodile leather from Sams & Son in Germany.

Leather handbag with polished armour (also known from stingray leather (www.pfeiffer-leder-mode.de).

The gloss of glazed crocodile leather is achieved by surface compressing and pressing.

Leather furniture made of crocodile leather. Sale price of the sofa 30 thousand € April 2011 and 40 thousand euro April 2013.

leather shoes and boots made of crocodile leather. - Shoe from caiman leather of Himer bespoke shoes in Germany.

Motorcycle saddle made of crocodile leather.

Stuffed young crocodile.

An unusual crocodile leather handbag. - The whole animal was processed.

Handbag with crocodile head on the front.

Crocodile head on a handbag, seen in the DLM - German Leather Museum in Offenbach. - Alligator head on a handbag from the 50s.

Fanny pack made of a crocodile paw (Goldpfeil 1954). - Handbag handles from crocodile feet seen in the DLM - German Leather Museum in Offenbach.

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In this crocodile bag, the head does not appear to be the leather of the head of the crocodile. It is probably genuine crocodile, but not from the head part.

Crocodile leather as a carpet. - Close-up.

Crocodile meat is light, tender and tastes similar to chicken meat.

Embossed cow leather

Cow leather with croco embossing. - Embossing of the back.

Cowhide croco embossed in a classic car.

Seams with croco optics

Generating a crocodile-back look by sewing.

Imitation leather

Croco embossed imitation leather.

Similar leather of other animal species

Leather of ostrich leather legs, of chicken legs and of the beavertail look like croco-leather. In times when beavers still were allowed to be hunted, beaver tail was an inexpensive substitute for crocodile leather.