Many different beasts throughout the series are using leather equipment. It's not hard to imagine where the evil beast's leather would come from, but how do the goodbeasts get it? Leather comes from dead animals, of course, but I find it very hard to believe that supposedly "civilized" beasts would be willing to use the hides of slain creatures.
Indeed, I have been curious about this as well, and the only way good beasts might get something like leather without killing a creature that would make them a murderer, is from sharks. But then, how many sharks are land creatures really going to get, let alone seafarers? I really don't know as to a concrete answer for this. :P
Also, since leather will deteriorate (albeit it takes a while), how many times has the handle for Martin's sword have to have been replaced?
I would think that some un-civilized-but-nice creatures would make leather, and then trade it to the Redwallers... I guess.
But... Leather comes from dead animals. How could the Redwallers use dead animals and not have any qualms? Is it possible that there are non-sentient creatures that are killed for leather?
I know they used shark and snake skins fir belts. Any other leather would have most likely come from dead animals as mention.
Quote from: Izeroth on November 12, 2014, 09:20:05 PM
But... Leather comes from dead animals. How could the Redwallers use dead animals and not have any qualms? Is it possible that there are non-sentient creatures that are killed for leather?
Maybe...
Quote from: SilentSam on November 13, 2014, 09:18:20 PM
Quote from: Izeroth on November 12, 2014, 09:20:05 PM
But... Leather comes from dead animals. How could the Redwallers use dead animals and not have any qualms? Is it possible that there are non-sentient creatures that are killed for leather?
Maybe...
Like
Narnia They have the "Dumb" Animals and the "Talking" ones!
Quote from: Izeroth on November 12, 2014, 09:20:05 PM
But... Leather comes from dead animals. How could the Redwallers use dead animals and not have any qualms? Is it possible that there are non-sentient creatures that are killed for leather?
There probably were a lot of non-sentient creatures that they used, but there is also the possibility that BJ put in leather simply to make the story more relatable.
If I'm not mistaken, eelskin is mentioned several times throughout the series. I've never skinned an eel before, but might that be the source of some of the leather?
eel skin is possible but I don't see Redwallers actively searching out eels and killing them for their skin.
Quote from: Izeroth on November 12, 2014, 09:20:05 PM
But... Leather comes from dead animals.
Doesn't have to be made of mammals, leather can be made out of snakes as well, not to mention the varieties of artificial leather that exist.
Artificial leather is a recent invention, though, isn't it?
I believe snake and shark skins were used for leather, but that may be the only source that wouldn't have the good guys go against their moral code. (No killing.)
Quote from: The Skarzs on November 18, 2017, 04:04:23 AM
Artificial leather is a recent invention, though, isn't it?
Aye it is, but Redwall is fantasy and who's to say they didn't come up with the mixture to make artificial leather much early then it happened IRL, not to mention you can also make leather from plants--though if I want to verify pedantic it's not technically leather.
Indeed.
There's a parallel here to the concept of greensap milk. How is there so much cheese at Redwall despite no cows? You can just get a fantastical version of milk from plants. You could probably argue leather from plants is even less of a reach.
Quote from: a crumb on November 18, 2017, 05:38:29 AM
Indeed.
There's a parallel here to the concept of greensap milk. How is there so much cheese at Redwall despite no cows? You can just get a fantastical version of milk from plants. You could probably argue leather from plants is even less of a reach.
I was thinking the same thing they could make rope out of grass or something like that and they could also use it as a belt as well.
So, like a resin and fiber composite. That actually sounds feasable.
I've actually watched a video on how to make a survival rope out of grass. They're pretty strong and look like actual rope--I wouldn't be shocked.
Yes, but rope isn't leather; the two aren't interchangable.
Martin's sword handle is always described as being leather-bound. That is definitely not rope.
I know.
Dunes mentioned rope so I mentioned rope. Rope!
Quote from: The Skarzs on November 18, 2017, 04:04:23 AM
Artificial leather is a recent invention, though, isn't it?
I believe snake and shark skins were used for leather, but that may be the only source that wouldn't have the good guys go against their moral code. (No killing.)
Apart from snake, shark and eel skins, they could also use fish skins as a source of leather. On a few different occasions Redwallers do kill fish to eat them so the skin maybe a by-product and source of leather. It would also be the easiest source of leather to come by.
There was actually some guy on a show that I saw that was making leather products from walleye skins and selling them, so it is feasible too...
Fascinating. I didn't know that.
One other source of leather that they might use would be lizard skin. . . as borderline as that would be since lizards have some intelligence but seem to be considered less than vermin. Perhaps for more brutal species like shrews and maybe the Salamandastron inhabitants.
Quote from: The Skarzs on November 19, 2017, 11:04:33 PM
Fascinating. I didn't know that.
One other source of leather that they might use would be lizard skin. . . as borderline as that would be since lizards have some intelligence but seem to be considered less than vermin. Perhaps for more brutal species like shrews and maybe the Salamandastron inhabitants.
This has went offtopic but I found the guy I was referring too:
http://www.cbc.ca/dragonsden/pitches/big-eye-leather
http://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/manitoba-man-turns-walleye-skin-into-wallets-1.2574618
Interestingly enough he is not the only one doing it- there's a few vids on youtube about it too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW3wak22m7c
Or vermin skins. :o :'(
Quote from: Ashleg on November 20, 2017, 03:26:30 AM
Or vermin skins. :o :'(
Like our dear friend Skor in rogue crew--though those still had fur on them.
Quote from: Ashleg on November 20, 2017, 03:26:30 AM
Or vermin skins. :o :'(
Like I said. . . More savage groups. The Rogue Crew would definitely be part of that