Why Are Crocodile & Alligator Leather Goods So Expensive?

#alligator #leather #notsponsored

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VIDEO CREDITS:
→ Script: E.J. Daniels & Sven Raphael Schneider
→ Camera: Chris Dummer
→ Editing: Lukas Mooney
→ Visual Supervisor: Preston Schlueter
→ EON Productions
→ History
→ Sony Pictures
→ Deermeatfordinner

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→ State Archive of Florida

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Gentleman's Gazette

00:00 Crocodile & Alligator Leather Goods Introduction

Among all exotic leathers, crocodile and particularly alligator are some of the most well-known skins. They're also very well liked but also one of the most expensive options you can get out there.

There are many reasons why alligator and crocodile leather goods are a lot expensive than let's say, calf or bull hide leather goods.

01:03 Terminology & Background

The order crocodilia includes several genuses such as alligators, caimans, crocodiles, gharials and false gharials. All are crocodilians but not all are crocodiles. All these animal skins can produce leather.

02:59 History of Croc & Gator Leather Harvesting
05:35 Breeding Methods Today
08:29 How to Tell the Difference
10:46 Alligator and Crocodile Skin Harvesting
12:30 Grading & Measuring Skins
15:26 Pricing Guide
16:54 The Tanning Process
18:34 The Finishing Process
19:35 Making Products

After an alligator or crocodile has been harvested, they are skinned. Farmed animals are generally fatter, which means wider in the belly, than wild skins, which are longer. Hide split is from skin with one of two cuts. Incision along belly produces Hornback Leather. Incision along back produces Belly Leather.

The skins are then divided into the primary area, sometimes called Pattern Area which includes main torso and portion of head and upper tail, and Secondary Area which includes snout, feet, end of tail.

The tanning of alligator is also very time consuming and therefore expensive. At tannery, hides are descaled and softened. Hides submerged in processing solutions and can take up to two weeks.

21:46 Why Alligator Products Are So Expensive?

* Expensive raw material
* Grading - alligator and crocodile hides held to exacting standards
* Tanning - extremely time, labor intensive, products can be easily ruined at any point and require specialized facilities, machines, training
* Manufacturing - requires special care and attention, additional hand-detailing

Alligator should always be more expensive than crocodile because it is more desirable in terms of smoothness, the scales, the softness, and it doesn’t have bony plates.

22:34 Outfit Rundown

[maryam.m]

Halfway through, I almost thought I was watching a documentary. It almost feels like a crime to watch such a well-produced video for free. Excellent work, gentlemen.

[MisterRorschach]

What’s funny is I have for decades always thought alligator products were repulsive and gaudy. Then I saw an antique luggage set and it looked so freaking nice. If the alligator doesn’t look super shiny and brand new it actually looks really really nice with interesting patterns. Gator suede is also interesting.

[MrPh]

For one who goes on helping the communities via hunting safaris, when the croc hide is prepared ita a good way to use the leather on many kind of products to have them locally produced and shipped back home.

[rustyshackleford]

Exotic leathers are inherently more expensive due to limited supply and potentially unique tanning processes. However, most of the cost comes from "because we can" from manufacturers. They have a customer who is willing to pay a premium for a product.
Honestly, I find crocodile/alligator to be a little bit too delicate/finicky for regular wear if you want the snazzy/shinny look to them.

[cabbagekitten]

loved this episode, can you guys do a series based on "best affordable clothes" ? that'd be a winner.

[TexasBroskiActual]

Ostrich is also very classy and much softer.

[badogblue]

Although exotic leathers are a little too ostentatious for my taste, it is still fascinating to learn how they are made!

[lint]

6:00 Live And Let Die. Saw it at the cinema with my dad when it came out.

[VLJ]

I appreciate this channel and videos. I have learned so much. Being a gentleman is a standard we should all strive for 👍

[Wolf_Avery]

Fantastic video, gained a lot more insight into my favorite looking leather.

[davederrick]

Australia has crocodiles & Darwin has crocodile farm for leather, it is also very expensive

[oliversweeney]

Something I have been wondering about for a long time!

[aross]

Extremely interesting. Excellent video

[Danlikescheesteaks]

I have a few alligator belts from W.Kleinberg and Martin Dingman. Love them! I think alligator shoes and briefcases are a bit much, but belts looks really nice without drawing too much attention to themselves

[JayCWhiteCloud]

Overall, for a layperson and not a Herpetolgiest this was a great report...with a few notable exceptions and/or corrections...

01:44 Caiman species are more affordable mainly because of husbandry practices for this species being practiced for a longer period...AND...!!!...the region of the world where they come from has much less protection and regulation against overhunting. It has nothing at all to do with the durability of the skin. Any Crocodilian skin can be made durable (or weak!!!) due to the modality of the tanning process... Caiman hide is just as strong as other species of Crocodilian not weaker at all. Also, Caiman can average as large as many American Aligator in many parts of its natural range with both the Caiman crocodiles and Caiman latirostris being highly prized for great leather with the latter species being hunted almost to extinction for their skins...

01:53 I believe this was the same species of animal...with one being a "belly pelt/hide" while the other a "dorsal" (also called a shield, scute, or back) hide...This had nothing to do with speciation but rather the way the animal was skinned...as all Crocodilian can be skinned either way...

04:53 This is not an Alligator...that image is a Crocodile...

06:27 This is also a Crocodile (juvenile in someone's hand) and not an Alligator...

14:04 Was confusing since it profiled the vent opening (or rather) than a pronounced umbilical scar...

Chrome tanning...IS NOT...the best option at all for any hid...!!! It is more profitable because of speed, and less skilled labor can do the work. Vegetable, brain, egg, soap/lye, uric acid, alum, glycerin (and their combination) are all far superior in tanning processing and yield a much higher quality end product. Chrome tanning is also more environmentally impacting and degrades the leather over time as well as breaks the leather down when exposed to sebaceous oils in human skin...among other long-term care issues...

I would like to ask if you think there is a market for those of us left that work in bespoke customer work of certain things (like Alligator skin) and methods like burnishing by hand (what you called "high gloss")?

Thanks again for an overall great video presentation on this topic!!!

[Aries]

How would you compare shell cordovan leather to crocodile/alligator leather? Which one is more durable?

[raraavis]

It's beautiful materials, no doubt about it.
This was very interesting, thank you 🙂

[aluminasgmg]

I really like this video, nice delivery of the.knowdlege

[AUClay]

My friends kill over 20 alligators every year in Florida, and their skins are so cheap. So the designers raise the prices due to their name! They’re not rare! The meat is literally given away because they have too much to keep.

[Fush]

Australia makes fantastic croc belts. At an amazing price too