Leather?

Contains_Mild_Peril

It's not as daft as it sounds. In India, where a large proportion of the population are Hindu, it's not unusual for cows to be kept for milk but not slaughtered for meat. However, there's also a large trade in illegally slaughtered cows, and it's usually impossible to verify the source of the leather.

geordie_joe

What happened here?

I answered this post on another board, but for days there's been no activity in here, then someone asks a question and people come from all over to answer.

This thread has become the best I've read for days, thank you all.

I too think the OP will never find such a leather as animals aren't kept that long.

Talking of animals, have you noticed that if a mongrel dog damages it's legs so bad they have to remove them they will give the dog a set of wheels to replace the legs. But if a race horse which is worth millions breaks it's leg they shoot it on the spot.

That's the difference between pets and animals for business. perhaps the OP should be looking for a dog hair sofa!

OverlandLandy

Ophie wrote: »

Yes actually she does only drink soya milk. However, I don't think I said that she was a vegan.

She doesn't drink red wine due to fish being used. Nor does she eat any gelatin etc etc. But again, thank you for questioning my Mother's ethical stance.

Well good on her. I meet very few 'real vegetarians'. I work in the Food industry and many people fail to recognise (or care) what is in many different products.

Very few Vegetarians that I have met have given up Cows Milk, Jelly Sweets, Chewing Gum etc..... They generally just cut out the obvious stuff. It is a minefield. I could never be one (I have Coeliac Disease...so I know how difficult it is...and I don't have a choice in what I eat).

So respect to her.

Try one of the Rare breeds farms for the leather - it may cost a lot if its possible to get it such a thing, but if it would make her happy why not.

Let us know how you get on.

geordie_joe

Ophie wrote: »

Because if an animal has died naturally and not given it's life to provide her with a product she would be happy to use what is left of an animal. I don't see that there is any problem in that if there was such a thing.

It's a nice thought, but the fact is that animals we get leather from are part of a business and therefore only kept as long as they are making money.

On the other hand those animals would never have lived if we humans didn't want to eat them.

Quasar

geordie_joe wrote: »

What happened here?

I answered this post on another board, but for days there's been no activity in here, then someone asks a question and people come from all over to answer.

This thread has become the best I've read for days, thank you all.

I too think the OP will never find such a leather as animals aren't kept that long.

Talking of animals, have you noticed that if a mongrel dog damages it's legs so bad they have to remove them they will give the dog a set of wheels to replace the legs. But if a race horse which is worth millions breaks it's leg they shoot it on the spot.

That's the difference between pets and animals for business. perhaps the OP should be looking for a dog hair sofa!

This thread was started in the Arms where there is a lot of chatter, so Ophie got a lot of replies. Then the board guide moved the thread here because there was a better chance of the needed information coming in here.

Ophie has just asked a question, and I hope that she gets a straight answer without her mother's lifestyle being overly analysed, which is not only irrelevant, but a bit unkind imho (this is not directed at you, geordie ).

geordie_joe

Contains_Mild_Peril wrote: »

It's not as daft as it sounds. In India, where a large proportion of the population are Hindu, it's not unusual for cows to be kept for milk but not slaughtered for meat.

Yes but once the cow stops producing meat do they still keep the cow?

We also keep cows just to produce milk, I think they are called dairy herds. Not to sure of the process but I think it involves the farmer picking out a cow and telling it "OK, I'm not going to kill you just yet, but I'm going to get the bull to knock you up every year and then kill your calves so I can sell your milk"

Edit: In the first sentence I meant to type milk not meat.

Ophie

Thank you everyone for your ideas and views.

I was hoping as Contains Mild Peril stated that perhaps someone who was Hindu may have had some suggestions, but again I suspect that due to the sacred nature of a cow in hinduism they may not be able to utilise any of the cow. However, I shall duly pass on to my Mother the fact that it appears to be very hard to source natural death leather.

JCD_Capulet

Ophie, in reply to the oiginal question, I'm afraid you won't find leather produced in the way you require. Generally the cattle raised for meat are allowed to roam fields, stand out in horrid weather, get little cuts and scratches ect from fences ect. The skins of theese cattle is non important because they are being raised purely for their meat. Cattle which give us leather on the other hand are treated diferently and their meat is far less important than the condition of their hides. In the livestock market it is pretty unheard of for an animal to die of old age.

If you have your heart set on this idea, why not consider vintage leather. I'll try to explain my rambling chain of thought.

If you found say a 50 year old chesterfield available for purchase, in theory, umpteen cattle have been saved by re-using the one couch.
.........ok.........I can't what I'm trying to say out.

geordie_joe

Quasar wrote: »

This thread was started in the Arms where there is a lot of chatter, so Ophie got a lot of replies. Then the board guide moved the thread here because there was a better chance of the needed information coming in here.

Ophie has just asked a question, and I hope that she gets a straight answer without her mother's lifestyle being overly analysed, which is not only irrelevant, but a bit unkind imho (this is not directed at you, geordie ).

That explains it, and I hope I wasn't unkind in my replies, although I did joke about getting a dog hair sofa.

The original question is a nice idea, but it comes down to economics. We get leather from animals we feed and look after. Leather would cost a fortune if we had to feed and pay vets bills for an animal until it died of old age. It's far cheaper to kill the animal when it has grown as big as it is going to get. Sad but true.