Seal products.

Samurai Stu

Samurai Stu

Joined
Nov 8, 2008
Messages
244
I recently posted a knife for sale containing a sheath made form seal skin. A view was expressed that this product was undesirable. Now the intention was not to condemn the use of this product but the concerns of international customers with regards to the legality and perhaps the methods used to obtain it.

What follows is my opinion only and some related articles from the web for your information about seal products. I am not entering into any arguments.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201007080376.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_hunting

While I am against cruelty to animals I am aware that there are certain evils in this world that are undertaken to service mankind. Take the beef industry. More cows die in one week than seals in one year and I can assure you that they are not treated much more kindly than seals. We all use leather on our sheath but we don't for one second consider the beast that donated it. Because seals have cute fuzzy faces they appeal to our kinder side and we feel compelled to prevent the cruelty that has been inflicted on them. Not all seal hunting is humane by any means but there is no such thing as a humane way to kill something. In the end it is still dead.

The Namibian seal industry uses culling rather than hunting to control its seal population and preserve the fish population in the area for harvesting. Hunting all over the world is a multi million dollar industry where one man gets a gun and shoots another living thing. But because the prey they hunt is beautiful it is cruel. I don't hunt nor could I kill an animal like that but I am under no illusions that I use many animal product in my knife making. No one complains when I use buffalo hide or even warthog tusk on my blades. We all would love a piece of ivory for our knives. It wasn't donated willingly I tell you now.

My point, if you bothered to read this far is that wherever we go we find animal products. We wear eat and even drink animal products. Lets us not forget that to get these beautiful pieces that something has to die. There is no way around it...... unless you are a vegan.
 
This one may get moved Stu but.........

All I can say is thank G-d for Great White's otherwise we in Cape Town would be buried under the bloody things......

This is the same story as trying to explain to certain people why we have to cull Elephants in the Kruger. Or trying to explain to them why a whole herd of Elephants needs to be destroyed.....babies and all.

The knives are looking good Stu...........
 
Last edited:
For what its worth, I once had a vegetarian dog breeder tell me that the first ingredient in any quality dog food is meat. Apparently it's okay for animals to die for her pets but its cruel for humans to eat it. :rolleyes:

Obviously she understood that dogs are carnivores and require a diet of meat but it was unthinkable to consume part of that same animal.

I've also spent the last 15 years watching the woods and fields around where I work be cleared for half million dollar homes and golf courses owned by the same people that are vegans and against killing animals. Decimating their habitat is fine as long as they can get in nine holes before dark.

As for me, I customized two meat cleavers so a member here, living with the Inuit in Alaska, would have some heavy duty whale and seal processing knives. I got a Dancing Man Ulu with Walrus tusk handle in trade. I'd rock a Seal skin sheath without hesitation.
 
I think you are in good company. We have dominion over the animals. We should preserve their habitat, manage their populations at a healthy level. Sometimes the worst thing you can do is "protect" a species, and then watch the habitat become destroyed due to over population. Some people will never get it. The only thing I do not like is killing for target practice only. I prefer shooting squirrels than to poisoning them. I have tried to keep pigeons from roosting in my eves, I had to shoot them with my pellet gun to finally get rid of pigeon poop on my front porch. I hunt, and eat what I kill, even though I much more enjoy hunting than eating the meat, I cannot kill for target practice.

How well does the seal hyde hold up? I think it sounds very interesting.
 
Location: Johannesburg South Africa



If it's legal for you in South Africa, then it's fine. There may be issues with importing it into the US; I don't know.

Environmentalists are strange people because they often look at things through the proverbial drinking straw.

My favorite example is the recent ellimination of lead in common electrical solder. Until just a few years ago, most solder was about 2/3 lead and 1/3 tin. We've soldered that way for 70 or so years. Then we got told that we had to elliminate the lead for fear that when the electronics are disposed of, the lead will harm the environment. First of all, where do you think the lead came from? But second, the new solder is almost 100% tin with a pinch of silver and a smidge of copper thrown in. The use of tin in electrical solder almost trippled. Mining and refining tin is much more damaging to the environment than mining and refining lead. The US EPA says that the increased mining and refining of tin will do significantly more damage to the environment than the lead would ever have. Oppsie! But try to get the environmentalist whackos to admit that maybe they made a mistake.
 
Very Well Said Samurai Stu

I cannot add much but to say, that if animal rights activist had any clue as to what they are talking about I would listen. But since they do not I just disregard and listen to people that do. And that is hunters and wildlife resource agencies that realize the need for controled hunting and sometimes even culling to prevent starvation and disease. I must say I would probably like a ray skin sheath over a seal skin one, but I would not hesitate to own any sheath out of any animal product which was obtained in a leagle maner.

I must say though I would much prefer a knife with pre-ban elephant ivory done by T. Bose. I love his single blade Izulu spear blades I think is the right name. I love most of his knives and I absolutly love the way in which he makes them. Actually the ones with plain green micarta apeal to me almost as much as Ivory. If I had a ivory one I would not want to use it but with micarta that work of art would ride in my pocket and be used every day.

Again thanks for that great write up Samarui

Daniel
 
Last edited:
Gollnick said:
Location: Johannesburg South Africa



If it's legal for you in South Africa, then it's fine. There may be issues with importing it into the US; I don't know.

Environmentalists are strange people because they often look at things through the proverbial drinking straw.

My favorite example is the recent ellimination of lead in common electrical solder. Until just a few years ago, most solder was about 2/3 lead and 1/3 tin. We've soldered that way for 70 or so years. Then we got told that we had to elliminate the lead for fear that when the electronics are disposed of, the lead will harm the environment. First of all, where do you think the lead came from? But second, the new solder is almost 100% tin with a pinch of silver and a smidge of copper thrown in. The use of tin in electrical solder almost trippled. Mining and refining tin is much more damaging to the environment than mining and refining lead. The US EPA says that the increased mining and refining of tin will do significantly more damage to the environment than the lead would ever have. Oppsie! But try to get the environmentalist whackos to admit that maybe they made a mistake.
Click to expand...


And lead just works so so much better.

Daniel
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top