How Can You Tell the Difference Between Real and Fake Alligator Leather? – Expert Insights

How Can You Tell the Difference Between Real and Fake Alligator Leather?

Real authentic alligator leather is a highly sought-after material for use in cowboy boots as well as other fashion products such as handbags and belts. Due to its high-end luxury appeal coupled with its unique texture, it also often comes with a premium price tag.

As a response to this we find that the market has seen an influx of fake or print alligator leather products. If marketed and sold as prints this is perfectly acceptable and faux exotic leathers are commonly sold and quite popular. The problem lies when they are not identified as such and some prints are highly convincing to the untrained eye. As an exotic cowboy boot consumer, it’s important that you know how can you tell the difference between real and fake alligator leather when making a buying decision.

Especially with the rise in purchases of cowboy boots on secondhand marketplaces like eBay or Poshmark knowing how to spot real from print alligator leather will allow you to make informed spending decisions.

Here we will walk through some of the qualities of genuine alligator leather to help you ensure you are buying what you want and are paying for. By being aware of factors such as price, texture, natural skin features, and quality indicators, you can feel more confident in being able to distinguish real alligator leather from faux or print alligator leather.

Key Takeaways

• Real alligator leather is known for its unique texture and luxury appeal.
• Examining the price, texture, natural skin characteristics, and quality indicators can help in distinguishing genuine alligator leather from fake products.

Understanding Alligator Leather

Let’s jump right in and get started with some key factors to look for that will help you differentiate between genuine and fake alligator leather.

Grain Patterns

Authentic alligator skin is going to have unique grain patterns that are fairly distinct from imitation alligator patterns. Fake alligator leathers will often attempt to mimic these natural patterns, but upon closer inspection, you’ll usually be able to notice the design flaws compared to a natural skin. Many times it is the too similar look of the each boot in a pair that makes it clear there is a print being used. A natural pair of skins will be similar if matched properly, but still exhibit variation in scale shape and size.

Texture and Softness

The texture of an actual alligator skin has a feel that can be difficult to recreate in synthetic or print alternatives. When you touch genuine alligator leather, you should be able to feel individual scales and natural variations. Imitations will often have a too smooth feel or a uniform texture that lacks the detail of real alligator skin.

By taking the time to examine the grain patterns and texture of your alligator leather boots, you can more confidently identify if they are genuine alligator or prints before you drop a large amount of cash on a pair.

Identifying Fake Alligator Leather

Artificial Patterns

Artificial patterns and too uniform matches between boot pairs are tell tale signs of fake alligator leather. When you’re examining a product made from alligator leather, you’ll want to pay close attention to the pattern of the scales. Real alligator skin will have distinctive, but somewhat irregular patterns as you would expect in nature, while fake alligator leather will usually have a more uniform, repeating pattern that is created through artificial printing or embossing methods.

If you notice that the pattern appears to be just a little too consistent or with exact matches between the left and right boots, it is an indication that the item could be made from synthetic or artificial materials. You would expect to see some amount of natural variation in real alligator leather.

Texture Differences

Another aspect to consider when making your analysis is the texture of the leather. Genuine alligator leather will tend to have a denser, thicker feel in comparison to alligator leather prints made from other materials that might feel thinner and smoother to the touch. When you touch the surface of real alligator skin it should have a distinct, natural texture, whereas faux versions may feel more artificial.

By examining the patterns and texture of your alligator skin cowboy boots you can get a more confident assessment of whether they are made from genuine alligator leather or a faux or print leather alternative.

Price Indicators

Another key indicator to aid in determining whether alligator leather is real or fake is also going to be the price. The combination of the influence of luxury branding and the actual cost of genuine alligator skin leather both play a significant role in the price of real bs fake alligator leather boots.

High End Luxury Brand Influence

While it isn’t a definitive method there is some truth to the fact that the presence of a high-end brand name may serve as an indicator of authenticity. A high quality brand is more likely to produce quality products made from genuine alligator leather or else to clearly mark it as imitation as they don’t want to tarnish their brand reputation. You should always do your research on the brand before buying.

Genuine Alligator Leather Cost

In general, authentic alligator leather is going to be a more expensive exotic leather due it’s relative rarity of the material and the skills required for processing and crafting products from it.

If the price of a product seems too good to be true compared to the market price for genuine alligator leather, there’s a good possibility that it’s not authentic alligator leather. For example, if you see a really low price tag you’ll want to watch out for thinking you got a great deal as it is a good probability that means it’s imitation alligator leather.

A few things to remember as it relates to price and branding on alligator skin products.

• Real alligator leather items will usually have a premium price due to their relative rarity and craftsmanship.
• An unusually low price could be indicative of fake alligator leather.
• Always conduct thorough research on the brand and product in question to make an informed decision.

Examining Quality Indicators

Natural Imperfections

When trying to identify authentic alligator leather, you’ll want to keep in mind that genuine leathers often present with natural imperfections. Authentic alligator skin is going to have some amount of irregularities and pattern variance such as slightly uneven scales or varying color tones. In comparison, faux or synthetic leathers will usually present uniform patterns and consistent hues, indicative of manufacturing production vs natural leathers.

Scarring

Another somewhat unique aspect of genuine alligator leather can be the presence of scarring – especially in more natural leather colorings. Since alligators are wild animals, their skin typically exhibits some signs of battles with other creatures or occurring from natural encounters in their environment. You should keep an eye out for small scratches, blemishes, or imperfections, which counterintuitively may help signal that the leather has originated from a real animal. Faux leather will typically lack such markings, giving you another opportunity to recognize the difference between the two.

To summarize these two indicators to help verify the authenticity of alligator leather, you should be on the lookout for natural imperfections and scarring in your alligator leather. In general, genuine alligator leather will have more unique characteristics, while fake leather tends to look more uniform and flawless. These indicators paired with the rest should really help point you on your way to determining if you have a real pair of alligator leather boots or if it is a print.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to distinguish genuine alligator boots from fake ones?

To distinguish genuine alligator boots from fake ones, you should closely examine the texture and pattern of the leather. Authentic alligator skin has a distinctive pattern that will also exhibit a mix of larger and smaller scales and natural pattern variation, while imitation skins often will have a more uniform pattern.

What characteristics reveal real versus print alligator leather?

Real alligator leather is going to have a distinctive feel and appearance, with scale patterns that vary in size and shape. Comparatively, printed alligator leather will often have a more uniform and repetitive pattern with close matches between the left and right boots. If you look closely, you may find that genuine alligator leather scales have a natural contour and depth, while print alligator leather may appear more flat and smooth.

You can watch a Youtube video that is based on a summary of this article by going here: https://youtu.be/BYJosQOkdm8