[TheForge] Fw: [medieval-leather] Leather or wool

[marilyn traber 011221]

---------- Forwarded Message -----------
Wrom: HYUCDDJBLVLMHAALPTCXLYRWTQTIPWIGYOK
To: <medieval-leather at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Fri, 15 Oct 2004 10:27:03 -0700
Subject: [medieval-leather] Leather or wool

The price of leather in England was artificially kept low in order to
compete with the cheap leather from the continent. Making leather was
relatively passive - soak it in urine to get rid of the hear - soak it in
bark tanning solution for a few months - work it to soften it and make
durable leather objects. It was one of the most common working material
available.

Leather is very expensive today and fabric is cheap. Historically cloth was
expensive and leather was cheap, especially if it was likely to have holes
burned in it while working metal. I get comments like that too from time to
time but they seem to come from people who buy cheap cloth at a store and
don't have to spin the thread, set up the loom and hand weave the fabric.

Smile - correct the misconception if you can and go on. Where ignorance is
bliss, tis folly to be wise.

-- Alan



______________________________________________
99main Internet Services http://www.99main.com