Where do they get leather from?

[Izeroth]

 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.

[The Skarzs]

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.

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?

[SilentSam]

I would think that some un-civilized-but-nice creatures would make leather, and then trade it to the Redwallers... I guess.

[Izeroth]

 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?

[Gonff the Mousethief]

I know they used shark and snake skins fir belts. Any other leather would have most likely come from dead animals as mention.

[SilentSam]

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...

[CaptainRocktree]

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!

[Søren]

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.

[Albrithr]

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?

[LT Sandpaw]

eel skin is possible but I don't see Redwallers actively searching out eels and killing them for their skin.

[Steelinghades]

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.

[The Skarzs]

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.)

[Steelinghades]

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.

[a crumb]

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.

[Sanddunes]

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.