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Message: <blockquote data-quote="mmadsen" data-source="post: 5682054" data-attributes="member: 1645">I guess we need to define what you mean by plot device then, because to me it's something that exists to advance the plot -- particularly something contrived or arbitrary.  How are you using the term?To me, it makes perfect sense for mithril shirts to be extremely rare in Tolkien's world, and it's plausible that Frodo might end up with one, even though the shirt's worth a king's ransom.It also makes sense for elf-knives to be rare, in the same way any extremely high-end side-arm would be rare.It does not appear to me at all that Tolkien broke the internal logic of his world -- by making these things unreasonably rare -- in order to make his plot work.As I recall, he does have an elf blade, just not one of the great named blades.First, Frodo's mithril shirts stops an Orc captain's spear from running him through.  He's still left for dead though.Second, I believe the palace guards of Gondor are mentioned as having mithril helmets leftover from ages past.Mithril is described as worth ten times its weight in gold while it's still being mined from Moria.  After the Balrog's release, it becomes priceless.Does Tolkien work this into his plot?  Sure.  Is it contrived?  I guess we disagree on that.</blockquote>