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Alligator vs Caiman vs Crocodile

16K views 7 replies 3 participants last post by  hushnel 
#1 · (Edited)
What's the difference between them? Does either offer an advantage over the other? Does one last longer than the others? I see that Caiman is the cheaper of the three from several Internet sites. Does this translate into poorer quality? How long do these straps last? How do they compare to lizard and ostrich as far as elegance?

Questions, questions as I try to find a strap for my Stowa Antea KS.

:thanks
 
#3 ·
Cayman= small kind of alligator. Central America, I think. Extinct here on Cayman Islands, unfortunately. Which means I can not make my own "homegrown" strap. ;-)
It would be perfect, the meat on the barbie, the skin on my wrist :-d

Alligator lives in the US and China
Crocodile lives in the tropics, but not in the US.

Why is a cayman strap cheaper? More of them, easier to catch, less dangerous? Do not know!
A cayman is smaller, so it should have smaller scales.

In my experience, they do not last as long as Ostrich. They seem to break or crack easier.
 
#4 ·
I think the biggest problem with making this call is the quality of the tanning process. Some of the stuff coming up from Central and South America is rather poorly tanned, the American alligator and the American Crocodile, would both be good depending on the tanner. The younger animals will have a tighter pattern and thinner skin, which I think would be preferred. The gator I have is from a 5 foot animal and the skin is pretty thick, it bends well and I have made a few wallets out of it but I would have to skive down the flesh side to remove some bulk.

I've been thinking of using the emu leg pieces lined with Kangaroo for a watch band, very reptililian looking but much tougher, that would be one tough band, the spring bars or your wrist would give before that band would.
 
#7 ·
I think the biggest problem with making this call is the quality of the tanning process. Some of the stuff coming up from Central and South America is rather poorly tanned, the American alligator and the American Crocodile, would both be good depending on the tanner. The younger animals will have a tighter pattern and thinner skin, which I think would be preferred. The gator I have is from a 5 foot animal and the skin is pretty thick, it bends well and I have made a few wallets out of it but I would have to skive down the flesh side to remove some bulk.
Hushnel, can I assume that the higher the price, the better the tanning process? I guess I always assumed that gator/croc made better straps because they were thicker (than say leather), which translated into a longer life.

Most of the Louisiana alligator straps I've considered are priced between $120 and $160 and are made by the major strap makers (Di-modell, Hirsch and Hadley Roma).
 
#5 ·
Aha! You have Crocs in the US too! Exotic country, the US!
A question: Does the hide keep its colour after tanning? Some reptilians have a very nice colouration, {mainly snakes)
 
#6 ·
It's not as white as it is on the animal. This wallet was made from the one I mentioned above.



Some are tanned without removing the scales and for my purposes unusable. I've seen a wide range of colors from grey to beige it takes dye pretty well.

I saw a snake skin once that was exceptionally well done. Nice and strong leather with good color, the guy wanted $400.00 for it and it was a deal but I didn't have the money at the time. There was enough leather to make a nice vest or a couple pair of boots. Not at all flimsy like the rattle snake and cobra I see all the time.
 
#8 ·
"Hushnel, can I assume that the higher the price, the better the tanning process? I guess I always assumed that gator/croc made better straps because they were thicker (than say leather), which translated into a longer life. "

In the most general terms, yes. The better tanning process is more expensive and produces a sturdier product.. I can tell you that the wallets I've made sure seem sturdier. I am amazed at the strenght of emu and kangaroo. I would think gator/croc lined with kangaroo would be as indistructable as you could get. I think at equal thickness the gator would be stronger than leather.

I'm not familure with any strap manufacture but I would guess that Louisiana alligator if tanned locally would be very good. My tanner lives outside of Titusville, he used to be a NASA engineer, I didn't know this when I first met Dale and was jokeing that gator tanning didn't take a rocket scientist his wife raised an eyebrow and told me Dale was a rocket scientist.

 
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