Raw vs tanned crocodile skin: what buyers receive

Short answer: raw crocodile skin is a preserved hide that has not been tanned, so it is not yet leather. Tanned skin has been turned into stable leather and then finished in a colour and surface. What a manufacturer cuts is the tanned, finished skin.

Raw skin: preserved, not usable

After skinning, a hide has to be preserved before it can travel or wait. Done well, this protects the grain; done badly, it is where damage starts. Raw skin cannot be cut into products: it is stiff, it can spoil, and its real quality is hard to judge.

Tanned skin: leather you can cut

Tanning converts the hide into leather that is stable, flexible and durable. The skin is then dyed and given a surface. The result is what appears in our portfolio, in the colours and finishes you choose from.

Raw and tanned side by side

Why some defects only show after tanning

Several defects in our grading reference are linked to the stages around tanning: holes can open during tanning or come from poor skinning, wrinkling can come from raw-skin issues or tanning, and grain damage can come from poor preservation or overheating in tanning. A raw skin that looks fine can therefore still change once tanned, which is one reason buyers who want predictable results work from graded, finished skins.

What to specify when you order

Name the species, belly width, grade, finish and colour. The buyer’s checklist lists all six items, and how skins are graded and measured explains width and grade.

Questions buyers ask

Is raw crocodile leather the same as raw skin?

Not quite. Raw skin has not been tanned, so strictly it is not leather yet. Leather is the tanned result.

Which one do you supply?

Tanned and finished belly skins, in the species, colours and finishes shown in the portfolio.

Where do I start?

Tell us what you plan to make and the largest piece you need to cut. Contact us with it.