Leather was the processed hide or skin of an animal, widely used in Faerûn and beyond for various crafts.[2]
Description[]
Leather could be made from the skin of practically any animal, though each had their advantages and disadvantages. Some of the most common hides used came from cows, oxen, rothé, horses, and donkeys, which had large and durable skins. The hides of deer, wolves, bears, lions, manticores, and other beasts were also desirable, though harder to obtain. Scaly hides such as from bulettes, lizards and dragons could also be used like leather, but the product was quite different.[4][1]
Production[]
In some areas, the professions of skinners, tanners, and leatherworkers were controlled or regulated by trade guilds, like the League of Skinners and Tanners in Waterdeep, which supplied the bulk of leather used by artisans of other guilds such as the Saddlers' and Harness-makers' Guild, Order of Cobblers and Corvisers, and Order of Master Tailors, Glovers, and Mercers.[5][6]
Because of the foul smell and toxic waste produced by tanning and tawing (a rich mixture of dung and other chemicals), tanneries were almost always kept on the outskirts of towns, or entirely separated.[1][7][3][4]
Materials used in the production of leather goods included:
- Salt, for preserving unworked hides while in storage.[2][1]
- Tannin, for tanning, derived from bark and leaves,[1] such as senna.[2]
- Alum and tincal, for tawing.[2]
- Lime, for removing hair and neutralizing acids.[2][1]
- Vinegar, or "tanner's liquor", for neutralizing alkalines.[2]
- Fat, fish oil, beeswax and pitch, for sealing and preserving.[2][1]
- Dyes, for coloring the material.[2][1]
- Grain alcohol, for cleaning.[1]
Tools used included:
- Round knife, a half-moon-shaped blade.[2]
- Swivel knife, a chisel-like precise blade.[2]
- Awl, for punching holes.[2]
- Barrels, for holding large quantities of water infused with materials like tannin, vinegar, or lime for soaking.[1]
Usage[]
Leather was broadly used for all sorts of durable and flexible goods, ranging from practical heavy-duty waterproof gear to luxurious accoutrements. This included belts, shoes, boots, gloves, hats, bracers, breeches, cloaks, aprons, riding tack, saddles, armor, scabbards, pouchs and bags, shields, waterskins, balls, strops, baldrics, whips, and more. Even when not the main material, leather was used as a flexible connective material or underlay for other materials like suits of plate armor.[3][2][6]
Smooth scaly hides from creatures like lizards or dragons were often brittle or slippery, making them inappropriate for items that required a firm grip like weapon handles.[4]
Parchment was a writing surface made from thin sections of hide, carefully prepared. Vellum was a particularly thin and delicate high-quality surface made from calfskin.[2]
Spell Components[]
- Bigby's hand and its variants used a leather glove as a component.[8]
- Displacement used a strip of displacer beast leather.[9]
- Freedom of movement used a leather thong.[10]
- Levitate could use a leather loop.[11]
- Mage armor used a piece of cured leather.[12]
- Suspension used a small leather loop hanging from a gold wire.[13]
Notable Leatherworkers[]
- Anaster's Leatherworks, a leather shop famed for its leather balls.[14]
- Eagleshield Fine Horse Leathers, a luxury leathergoods shop in Waterdeep.[15]
- Falthryn and Daughters Tannery, a tannery in Lannort.[4]
- The Leatherworkers' Conglomerate in Daggerford was a guildhall and shop for leatherworkers.[16]
- Lhuin's Fine Leathers, a tannery and leatherwork shop in Ashabenford.[3]
- Old Dulwar's Leatherworks, a tannery and leatherwork shop outside of Dagger Falls.[7]
- Sorkryn's Soft Hides of Scornubel, a trader in hides and animals in Scornubel.[4]
- Telethar Leatherworks was a prominent Waterdhavian leathergoods shop.[6]
- Torpus's Tannery, in the Dock Ward of Waterdeep.[17]
- Whelanxdryn's of Elturel, a tannery and metalworking shop that specialized in scabbards.[4]
- Several large tanneries were located in Calaunt, contributing to the city's foul odor.[18][19][20]
Appendix[]
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Appearances[]
Video Games
External Links[]
Leather article at Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.- Tanning (leather) article at Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Dave Rosene (June 1985). “Knowing what's in store”. In Kim Mohan ed. Dragon #98 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 31, 32.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 Cryptic Studios (June 2013). Neverwinter. Perfect World Entertainment.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Ed Greenwood (January 1996). Volo's Guide to the Dalelands. (TSR, Inc), p. 187. ISBN 0-7869-0406-2.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Ed Greenwood (2013-11-05). Thaelon Morgyr's Map. Forging the Realms. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2016-10-31. Retrieved on 2017-08-27.
- ↑ Christopher Perkins, James Haeck, James Introcaso, Adam Lee, Matthew Sernett (September 2018). Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. Edited by Jeremy Crawford. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 13. ISBN 978-0-7869-6625-7.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Ed Greenwood (1987). Waterdeep and the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 41. ISBN 0-88038-490-5.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Ed Greenwood (January 1996). Volo's Guide to the Dalelands. (TSR, Inc), p. 87. ISBN 0-7869-0406-2.
- ↑ Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams (July 2003). Player's Handbook v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 203, 204. ISBN 0-7869-2886-7.
- ↑ Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams (July 2003). Player's Handbook v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 223. ISBN 0-7869-2886-7.
- ↑ Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams (July 2003). Player's Handbook v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 233. ISBN 0-7869-2886-7.
- ↑ Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams (July 2003). Player's Handbook v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 248. ISBN 0-7869-2886-7.
- ↑ Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams (July 2003). Player's Handbook v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 249. ISBN 0-7869-2886-7.
- ↑ Thomas Reid (October 2004). Shining South. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 51. ISBN 0-7869-3492-1.
- ↑ Jeff Grubb, Julia Martin, Steven E. Schend et al (1992). Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue. (TSR, Inc), p. 108. ISBN 0-5607-6327-2.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (1993). Volo's Guide to the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 25. ISBN 1-5607-6678-6.
- ↑ slade, et al. (April 1996). “Daggerford”. In James Butler ed. The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier (TSR, Inc.), p. 22. ISBN 0-7869-0391-0.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (June 2005). City of Splendors: Waterdeep. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 106. ISBN 0-7869-3693-2.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Julia Martin, Jeff Grubb (1993). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 2nd edition (revised), A Grand Tour of the Realms. (TSR, Inc), p. 72. ISBN 1-5607-6617-4.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (October 1998). The City of Ravens Bluff. Edited by John D. Rateliff. (TSR, Inc.), p. 149. ISBN 0-7869-1195-6.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 214. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.