Crocodile suede - exactly what is that?

[ehemelay]

So, I just noticed the gorgeous Medium PS1 in "crocodile suede" that has been added to the online inventory at proenzaschouler.com.

At just under $10K, it's not a purchase option for me, but I am still curious - what exactly is "crocodile suede?" Suede is the inside, or flesh side, of a leather hide - so why would it be patterned? I presume, since the website notes that this item can't be shipped to CA, that it is truly an exotic leather (as the price seems to support, too).

Is anyone familiar with crocodile suede? I don't doubt what PS is advertising; I'm sure that the suede is actually from crocs. But do they have to stamp it or otherwise enhance the material to create the crocodile pattern effect? It seems to me that the inside of any animal hide would be smooth, rather than patterned.

Any leatherworkers out there who can shed some light?

Beautiful bag, however its made!!

 

[Elliespurse]

^That PS1 is gorgeous!! looks soft too!

I would rather call this "sueded croc" where the outer skin is not polished but just "drummed", at least I think so. Below is an interesting quote from docride, the leather care expert in the Hermes forum, it explains the normal suede:

All of the leathers at one point go through the following processes the hair is slipped off after soaking...the skin is split or shaved down to a desired thickness (the lower portion which is shaved off is called a split and is used for suede and rough out leathers...) at this point it is untanned and is called "rawhide" it can be used now for drums,saddle edging,lacing,horn wrapping,rattles etc...or it can be "Tanned".
Leather tanning in an industrial fashion means that the next step is "drumming" and " tumbling" which "breaks" the hide and softens it..
The oils that were almost completely absent at the rawhide stage will now be added...
In the "tanning process" which uses various chemical mixes (some with various enzymes ) which help to further break down the hide...some are natural and some are chemical...(veg.tanning (VN)analine,Oil tanned (barenia),etc...)
Then the hides are tumbled some more and finished..if colored the skins are pulled and flattened and dried and color is applied to the top...these bright colors are either acrylic based (these lay on top of the leather),ethanol based or other chemically based (these sink deeply through most or the entire skin)and are often dyed in vats.
How are we doing so far??? I am skipping some info here..because it will become over whelming boring to most readers...
I am looking for you to gather just a basic grasp...of the processing of leather from hides.

 

[ehemelay]

^ ^ ^ Thank you! That makes a lot more sense to me.

Such a pretty bag... although I can't imagine making a $10K purchase sight unseen!