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Crocodile leather finishes 

Classic high-gloss and Safari semi-gloss finish

Crocodile skins are available in a variety of colors and in two primary types of finishes:

* The Classic high-gloss
* The Safari gloss or semi-gloss.

The Classic finish is the more processed, smooth shiny patent leather look that was historically associated with the finest quality exotic leather luxury items.
To achieve this high gloss a natural protein, typically albumen or raw egg-whites, is polished into the skins under high-pressure. Using a hard smooth object under the force of a high pressure glazing jack the skin is compressed and polished to a high-gloss shine. The resulting leather is smooth, thin high-gloss leather with tightly spaced scales. The tighter the scale pattern, the higher the pressure utilized. The downside is that the skin becomes relatively stiff and much less durable.
This finish has long been favored by European manufacturers because it actually expands the useable area of the skin and hides otherwise visible natural imperfections. While this finish initially looks great and appears to be durable because of its hard surface it is difficult to bend without marring with small wrinkles and, depending upon the application, it can be susceptible to damage from abrasion in normal use.
The Classic finish is well suited for flat surfaced luxury items that are protected from abrasion and do not require much dynamic movement e.g. a man's dress suit belt, a breast-pocket wallet, a lady's evening bag or clutch and other items that are carried within a purse or briefcase, such as a business card holder or writing journal.

The Safari finish is increasingly more popular due to its understated more natural semi-gloss look and its exceptional durability. The Safari finish is the result of low-speed, low-pressure buffing using a combination of natural waxes and oils. Because the Safari finish has not been subjected to excessive pressure the leather remains soft and supple and the surface retains the natural scale pattern and the minor imperfections characteristic of a genuine alligator or crocodile skin. The Safari finish can be flexed repeatedly with little or no signs of wear and it is also extremely resilient to abrasion. Since the color and surface finish penetrate deeper into the leather and the surface is naturally more 3 dimensional scratches to the Safari finish are much less apparent. Rather than looking worse for wear with daily use the patina of the Safari finish actually gets richer and deeper over time. In addition to the practical wear advantages there is a growing preference for this more natural look, which is difficult to imitate.

 COLORS
Through the tanning and dyeing process the skins can be dyed to almost any color. While black and browns are the most common colors, beautiful gray/silver, reds, oranges and blue are also available. Consistency and depth of color is important and is easier to achieve with the darker or more vivid the color. Lighter colors can be inconsistent and discolor easily over time.

Crocodile leather items