Different types of Alligators – DRWATCHSTRAP

Different types of Alligators skin leather material

Today we are going to instruct you on how to recognize different types of alligators, Alligator skin belly leather, square scale, round scale, alligator printed material, different types of calfskin, as well as ostrich material.

  • Why are some of the alligator skin products very expensive but some of them very cheap?
  • How can you tell whether it is genuine alligator skin or fake?
  • How do you know the alligator skin quality difference?
  • Which alligator material is the best grade? How can I tell different types of alligators?

First, let me introduce you to several easy ways to tell the different types of alligators between American alligators, Siamese, and other crocodiles. Square scales vs round scales. Alligator leather vs alligator embossed calfskin leather material.

Alligator leather grade

It is generally divided by I, II, III, and IV grades. Grade I skin is the highest grade, which means that the abdominal scars are the least, the texture arrangement is the most uniform, but the price is the highest. Level II skin has subtle flaws, sometimes it is not obvious if you don’t look carefully, and III and IV have obvious scars or uneven texture.

Different types of alligators: real vs fake

What is American alligator skin?

Our Alligator skin leather material comes from farmed American Alligators (Alligator Mississippiensis) – a gorgeous exotic hide. Pieces with square scales come from the center of the skin. Alligator is soft and flexible, yet even more resilient than any other leather type. Genuine Mississippiensis Alligator skins leather watch strap in square scale. Unique exotic American alligator leather is one of the world’s most elegant. As every exotic skin is unique, no two watch straps will look exactly the same.

American Alligator leather material pro and cons

Different types of Alligators area: Belly-Scale vs round scale

Why the belly leather is the most expensive part? Why alligator leather strap so expensive?

Different types of alligators: Grade I American Alligator belly scale square grain skin

What is round scale alligator leather strap? 

Different types of alligators: American Alligator round scale grain watch band material skin

What is alligator print or embossed material? is it a real alligator? or calfskin?

Calfskin alligator grain is actually NOT alligator leather. Some websites describe it as Alligator grain, alligator embossed, Alligator print material or Alligator pattern does not mean it is real alligator leather. Most of them are actually calfskin. The alligator grain is embossed on, not nature.

Be sure to read the material: If it says alligator grain cowhide, bamboo grain leather, or square-scale embossed, they are actually all calfskin. When you buy a genuine alligator leather watchband online, read the material carefully, and make sure it is a genuine American Alligator with a square scale (or belly scale). Not embossed calfskin.

Different types of alligators: Calfskin alligator embossed grain leather watch band strap type

Do you know how to tell different types of alligators now? if not, please feel free to contact us. We are going to instruct you how to tell different types of calfskin hide below

Different types of calfskin: leather watch band strap material type pro and cons

Smooth calfskin leather watch band strap

Epsom pattern Leather

Epsom calfskin leather watch band strap

Epsom calf leather is a classic. It is used for high-end leather products by Hermes and other brands and it is incredibly water and scratch-resistant. It has an embossed grain and is the perfect complement to your Hermes watch. Epsom leather is a term used to describe leather that has a raised, pebble-shaped texture applied to the surface. All of our Hermes watch bands are handcrafted. All details are meticulously made by experienced craftsmen. Soft to the touch and comfortable on the wrist. Welcome to wholesale and retail.

A product made from Epsom leather keeps its shape from time to time. Along with its durability, a floating surface allows it to be waterproof, and less likely to show scratches. The skin is also light and easy to clean, just a simple damp cloth. Basically, it’s a great option for people who travel a lot or who might not be too fussy about skin protection.

Project ideas
Lychee pattern leather is often used in leather products such as sofas, bags, handbags, clutches, waist bags, shoulder bags, backpacks,
card package, wallets, clothing, shoes, and so much more.

Lychee pattern Leather

Full Grain calfskin leather watch band strap
  • lt also called full Grain leather Acquired while tumbling in a mill which is a big drum lined with pegs that tumbles the hides for more than 24 hours. This results in very unique leather with a very soft hand, and irregular finish, where each part of the hide has a different grain pattern.
  • The lychee pattern leather is the first layer of the leather that has the original skin characteristics with vivid pores and skin features
  • The surface texture is clear, the fastness to folding is high, and it is durable and does not crack.
  • This kind of leather is more soft, comfortable, and beautiful, wildly used on clothing, shoes, and handbags.

Full Grain Leather

Full-grain leather is often regarded as the most authentic type of leather because it keeps all of the texture from the original hide. This allows the leather to retain a lot of its original textures and markings. It also goes through a finishing process that enhances its durability. It’s s known for being very soft and pliable.

Smooth calfskin – Semi-gloss

Smooth calfskin leather watch band strap semi gloss

Patent leather

Patent leather watch band strap high gloss pro and cons

Suede Leather

Suede is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish. Suede is a type of leather made from the underside of the animal skin, giving it a soft surface. Suede is a high-quality product generally, but not for the same reasons as other types of leather. Since it is thinner and softer, suede is more vulnerable to damage. It’s difficult to keep in good standing, clean, and care for.

Suede leather watch band strap pro and cons

Ostrich leather

Genuine Ostrich Leather is a leather with a very specific texture. The “bumps” found on the ostrich skin, also referred to as “Crowns”, are follicles out of which ostrich feathers used to grow, the crowns also present a hole on their very top: this hole stands for the feather follicle that is used to grow on that one crown. The natural markings and lines of natural ostrich leather. Dipped in a deep brown Cognac flavor and finessed with an elevated but still elegant camber and pure white lining. The Ostrich leather watch strap fits many vintage timepieces from the 1970s but will also look great with modern watches.

Different types of Ostrich: Ostrich leather material watch band strap crowns vs full grain instruction

Get to know the three different leather patterns found in every ostrich hide

  1. Crown: Being a very large animal, the ostrich subsequently produces a very large hide. This hide does not have the same pattern all over it. As previously mentioned, the most sought-after part of the ostrich hide is the Crown, where the largest-in-diameter crown follicles can be found. This represents only about 40% of the total of the hide and can be found right in its middle.
  2. Full Grain: Zooming out of this centered, high-quality area, we find large areas of “Full Grain” leather: this areas are the ones that lack feathers and for this reason do not have any crown follicles. The texture is very smooth and soft to the touch, with a great quantity of “leather veins”. In most cases it can look a lot like dollar-printed bovine leather. Its thinness makes this part of the hide very easy to work with albeit not particularly marketable. At OstriTec, with the nature of our leathers being up-cycled, we often find ourselves working with parts of ostrich hides that have a majority of Full Grain leather.
  3. Neck Area: Finally, the neck area (just above the crown area) together with all the extremities found around the border of the hide makes for the second type of texture described in the info-graphic below. This texture consists of much smaller-in-size crown follicles, with deeper and higher-in-numbers veins between them. Those follicles and the leather around them are also much stiffer than the other parts of the ostrich, that is instead incredibly soft (one of the many characteristics that has made ostrich leather so famous among its fans). This part of the ostrich is not really used in leather crafting as its stiffness makes it a very difficult material to work with.
Ostrich leather material watch band strap crowns full grain instruction (2)

WHAT WATCH BRANDS ARE DRWATCHSTRAP MADE FOR?

Custom leather watch bands for watch brands include Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, Breguet, Bvlgari, Breitling, Cartier, Chopard, Corum, Franck Muller, Glashutte, Graham, Hamilton, Hermes, Hublot, IWC, Jaeger LeCoultre, Omega, Oris, Panerai, Patek Philippe, Piaget, Rado, Richard Mille, Rolex, Tudor, Ulysse Nardin, Vacheron Constantin, Zenith and more watches watch bands & straps.

Please check your watch to make sure the band fits before choosing one. If you need help, please email us pictures of your watch and old strap at Drwatchstrap and we will be happy to help!

More Youtube videos

Drwatchstrap is a watch strap manufacturer and has no connection to any watch brand. Focus on custom leather watch bands, We offer all the information above to assist with choosing the right watch strap for your watch – regarding size, compatibility, and aesthetics. If your watch needs a different attachment to the watch, such as curved ends, indents or notches, padding, inserts recovery, and specific strap thickness, just let us know, every leather watch band we sell is custom handmade! leather color, stitching color, lug size and length all can be personalized. Buy custom leather watch bands now.

apple watch band adapter

Santos de Cartier quickswitch

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top