I am a dress shoe enthusiast, and I am very experienced in the aging of cowhide. I can easily judge whether it is good or bad.
In the past, I thought crocodile leather and cowhide might be completely different worlds.
But later I learned that the logic is consistent.
What cowhide is good? Quite simply, the less coating on the surface, the better. Because leather without coating shows its original state, such as scar or bite. So if a leather without coating shows no defect, you know it is top quality.
Then, aniline process is the best for dyeing, because it is a kind of through dyeing, unlike pigmented leather, which still forms a coating on the leather surface.
Crocodile leather is the same, thick coating reads that it is likely to be low-grade skin with many scars. The water dyeing process is only mastered by a few manufacturers (worldwide).
Therefore, the aging of good crocodile leather, like cowhide, forms Patina.
Brown colour feels more penetrating, but the gloss increases instead of decreasing. The warm touch of leather is maintained.
This card case was made by myself when I was learning hand sewing. I have used it for more than three years.
The lower edge of the bag is grayish white, which is the original color, and the upper part is deepened, not only because the oil slowly seeps out, but also because of frequent extrusion.
This is the charm of natural aging, unique colour without loosing the tender touch.