Gator Hide

[Vaquero]

Evening Y’all,
Just wondering if anyone might know where to find any bark-tanned alligator hide? I’ve been toying with the idea of making a possibles bag with some.

Thanks for any leads,
Davison

[Tim Crosby]

 They are out there, try a Google search. The price may surprise you.

      http://store.rojeleather.com/alligator/ 

   Tim C.

[Marcruger]

I saw a small piece in Tandy’s one day. It would make a bag flap. The price was $250. Yikes! I think that unless you were in the deep South, a gator skin bag would be nonexistent. Not sure the strength either, unless laminated to something.  The piece I saw was at most 1 ounce.  God bless, Marc

[Robby]

https://www.vaughangators.com/store/#!/Alligator-Skin-Brown/p/142779136/category=8268132
https://www.ebay.com/b/Alligator-Hide/83938/bn_7023283506
http://www.creative-aztec.com/hides.htm
Lots of places out there, and a very wide discrepancy of asking prices. Crative aztec advertises 'bark tan'. Good luck!!!
Robby

[Vaquero]

 Thanks for all of the suggestions! I’m seeing that it is definitely not the cheapest leather for a bag. Worse comes to worse, I guess I’ll get a gator permit for next year’s season 

[Gremcat]

I’ve got an 11’ I had tanned. Clothing tan at the time was $3k or thereabouts. I had a head and neck mount so my Wife wasn’t giving me anymore to spend. Harpooned him 6’ over head trying to jump into the boat in the dark. A belt maker wanted it and offered to pay the tanning for a non clothing tan. Afterward the tanner added a lot to his estimate and I ate the difference. Then the Belt Maker decided it was too thick/stiff in a non clothing tan. A friend tried making a holster from a small piece and struggled a lot. It’s been a decade almost since that hunt but I thought about using some for a Lock cover. Maybe make a few table tops from the rest. There are ways to shave it down some but it’s probably easier to buy a clothing grade piece already.

I think clothing tanning is a lot cheaper now. At that time gators were still getting publicity.
I drew another permit and passed on an easy 11’ and ate the tag. Still after a 12.5-13’ monster. I had the hornback preserved as well. Someday I’ll get a monster and want to build a diorama of them fighting. I don’t have any other taxidermy and antler pile grows but the gator reminds me of the hunt every time I walk by it. To this day it’s not even been hung on a wall. Just sits on the ground mouth up. I always want to put halloween candy in there but my Wife won’t let me traumatize anyone😁

If you do make something I’d be really interested in seeing it and hearing about the process.

[Mike from OK]

Laminate it onto some heavier veg tan and make a knife sheath... Wouldn't take a big piece and might look pretty sharp.

Mike

[Vaquero]

Pretty cool story behind the gator Gremcat, hope you find that monster. There’s definitely plenty that size on the Hillsborough River here.

Thanks for the ideas guys. I hope to find something a little bit cheaper at Rendezvous coming up. If not, i’ll try my hand at bark tanning. I made some rawhide out of a small gator for a friend...it was so tough I had to use tin snips to trim the hide when I was done!

[RoaringBull]

Here is a nice example of what can be done with alligator hides...

http://contemporarymakers.blogspot.com/2019/06/2019-cla-live-auction-bag-and-horn-set_13.html