Tanning the crocodile skin

Only the skin of the lower 'abdominal' part of a crocodile flayed entirely can be used for making clothes, shoes and accessories. The back part is covered with ribbed plates or osteoderms and is not used in the 'refined' business.

Treating the crocodile skin is a complicated process consisting of lots of stages with own technological features. For this very reason, there are only a few companies in the whole world that deal with currying and dying of the crocodile skin. Before the skin is ready to be used for sewing shoes and bags, the experts carry out the following procedures:

1. Clean away the salt, sand, dust, remnants of meat.

2. Whiten the skin several times and peel away the scales. After this procedure the skin gets a neutral-white color.

3. Chrome to give it softness.

4. Scrape it on different stages of the processing till the necessary thickness is achieved.

5. Harden with synthetic (to dye the skin bright colors) or vegetal (to give beige color) substances.

6. Soften the skin with special dubbing and oils.

7. Dry during 2 weeks.

8. Dye. Companies dealing with crocodile skins treating have their own 'proprietary' color set.

9. Draw and dye.

10. Glaze.

11. Dry once more.

12. Finally glaze the glossy skin to give it luster - gloss processing; or use matt processing.

Emerald-green (matt finish)

Pink (glazing finish)

Pink (matt finish)

© Art Work Design Bt., 2004-2007