Leatherworking Guide 1-375

Since Vanilla, Leatherworking has been one of the best ways for Leather and Mail wearers to outfit themselves with gear. By gathering the leather, hides, scales, and pelts of beasts and dragonkin, Leatherworkers are able to craft some of the most powerful gear in the game. In TBC, Blizzard has expanded on this, not only by adding a huge number of BoP and BoE drop recipes but also by expanding the profession’s range through specializations. While the specializations themselves are not new, in TBC, they can make powerful pieces like Primalstrike Vest, Windhawk Belt, and Ebon Netherscale Bracers. Without specialization, Leatherworkers can also make items like Carapace of Sun and Shadow and Living Earth Shoulders.

Skinning is the only gathering profession that is able to gather the necessary materials for Leatherworking, so most players opt to pair the two. And, in terms of class and spec, Leatherworking is suitable for almost all Leather and Mail wearers, but the exception in this case is Hunters. Because of the stats available on the mail gear Leatherworkers can make, Hunters should carefully evaluate whether or not Leatherworking is right for them.

Training Leatherworking

Vanilla

Since patch 2.3, Blizzard has turned Leatherworking into one of the professions which can be learned entirely from trainers in any major capital. So, the choice of where to train is yours.

TBC

After crossing through the Dark Portal, all players will find Master trainers in their faction’s first questing area. For the Alliance, you’ll learn from Brumman at Honor Hold. Barim Spilthoof will do the same for the Horde at Thrallmar.

All players can also be trained by Darmari of Lower City in Shattrath.

Specializations (see Specializations section for quest details)

For Dragonscale Leatherworking, Alliance players will need to go to Peter Galen in Azshara, between The Forlorn Ridge and the Ruins of Eldarath. The Horde trainer is Thorkaf Dragoneye, who can be found in Badlands west of Lethlor Ravine.

To train Elemental, Alliance players should speak with Sarah Tanner, who can be found at the Tanner Camp in the southwest of Searing Gorge; the Horde will learn from Brumn Winterhoof in Arathi Highlands, north of Stromgarde Keep.

Tribal Leatherworking is taught to Alliance players by Caryssia Moonhunter on the edge of Thousand Needles, and it’s taught to the Horde by Se’Jib in the ruins south of Grom’gol Base Camp in Stranglethorn Vale.

Required Materials

Vanilla

• 275x Light Leather
• 20x Light Hide
• 75x Salt
• 110x Coarse Thread
• 25x Medium Hide
• 100x Fine Thread
• 25x Gray Dye
• 10x Heavy Hide
• 410x Heavy Leather
• 75x Black Dye
• 160x Silken Thread
• 20x Bolt of Silk Cloth
• 10x Iron Buckle
• 565x Thick Leather
• 400x Rugged Leather

Vanilla and TBC

• 165 – 215x Rune Thread

TBC

• 50x Knothide Leather Scraps
• 820x Knothide Leather
• 45x – 95x* Fel Scales
• 100x – 150x Heavy Knothide Leather
• 30x Primal Mana
• 200x – 262x* Thick Clefthoof Leather
• 40x Primal Earth
• 40x Cobra Scales
• 80x Primal Air
• 10x Primal Nether
• 30x Fel Hide*
• 15x Primal Fire*
• 15x Primal Water*

* = Not exact, based on reputation levels and recipes chosen

Leveling Leatherworking

1-300

1 – 35: Light Armor Kit

• Convert Light Leather into Light Armor Kit.

35 – 55: Cured Light Hide

• Cure Light Hide with Salt to make Cured Light Hide.

After you’ve finished curing the hides, return to your trainer and learn Journeyman.

55 – 85: Embossed Leather Gloves

• Use Light Leather and Coarse Thread to make Embossed Leather Gloves.

85 – 100: Fine Leather Belt

• Combine Light Leather and Coarse Thread to make Fine Leather Belt.

100 – 120: Cured Medium Hide

• Cure Medium Hide with Salt to make Cured Medium Hide.

120 – 125: Fine Leather Belt

• Continue combining Light Leather and Coarse Thread to make Fine Leather Belt.

125 – 150: Dark Leather Belt

• Convert Fine Leather Belt, Cured Medium Hide, Fine Thread, and Gray Dye into Dark Leather Belt.

Once you’ve completed crafting the belts, it’s time to become an Expert Leatherworker.

150 – 160: Cured Heavy Hide

• Cure Heavy Hide with Salt to make Cured Heavy Hide.

160 – 170: Heavy Armor Kit

• Use Heavy Leather and Fine Thread to make Heavy Armor Kit.

Before continuing, you’ll need to acquire Pattern: Dusky Leather Leggings. It’s a fairly common world drop, so if you are unable to loot it yourself, it should almost certainly be on the Auction House at a reasonable price.

170 – 180: Dusky Leather Leggings

• Combine Heavy Leather, Fine Thread, and Black Dye to make Dusky Leather Leggings.

180 – 190: Barbaric Shoulders

• Use Heavy Leather, Cured Heavy Hide, and Fine Thread to make Barbaric Shoulders.

190 – 195: Dusky Bracers

• Convert Heavy Leather, Fine Thread, and Black Dye into Dusky Bracers.

195 – 205: Dusky Belt

• Combine Heavy Leather, Black Dye, Bolt of Silk Cloth, and Iron Buckle to make Dusky Belt.

205 – 225: Nightscape Headband

• Use Thick Leather and Silken Thread to make Nightscape Headband.

After you’re done stitching this set off headbands, you can visit a trainer to become an Artisan.

225 – 230: Nightscape Headband

• Continue using Thick Leather and Silken Thread to make Nightscape Headband.

230 – 250: Nightscape Pants

• Combine Thick Leather and Silken Thread to make Nightscape Pants.

250 – 260: Nightscape Boots

• Use Thick Leather and Silken Thread to make Nightscape Boots.

To continue, all players must purchase Pattern: Wicked Leather Gauntlets. Alliance players will have to venture to the Western Plaguelands and find Leonard Porter south of the Ruins of Andorhal, and the Horde will be able to buy the recipe from Werg Thickblade in Tirisfal Glades, just outside of the Western Plaguelands border.

This is also an opportune moment to either farm or purchase Pattern: Wicked Leather Bracers and Pattern: Wicked Leather Headband. If they’re not on the AH, or you cannot afford to buy them, you must first head to Azshara and farm Legashi Rogues along the northwestern coast for the bracers pattern. To get the Headband, you’ll need to go to the northwest area of Felwood and farm Jadefire Trickster.

260 – 270: Wicked Leather Gauntlets

• Combine Rugged Leather, Rune Thread, and Black Dye to make Wicked Leather Gauntlets.

270 – 280: Wicked Leather Bracers

• Convert Rugged Leather, Rune Thread, and Black Dye into Wicked Leather Bracers.

280 – 300: Wicked Leather Headband

• Use Rugged Leather, Rune Thread, and Black Dye to make Wicked Leather Headband.

Once you’ve completed the Wicked Leather set, it’s time to cross through the Dark Portal and become a Master Leatherworker.

300-375

300 – 310: Knothide Leather

• Combine Knothide Leather Scraps to make Knothide Leather.

310 – 325: Knothide Armor Kit

• Use Knothide Leather to make Knothide Armor Kit.

To continue, you’ll need to purchase Pattern: Heavy Knothide Leather. The most advisable vendor is Cro Threadstrong in Lower City in Shattrath. Otherwise, the Horde will have to head to Silvermoon City to find Zaralda and the Alliance will have to go to Azuremyst Isle to speak with Harefet.

325 – 335: Heavy Knothide Leather

• Convert Knothide Leather into Heavy Knothide Leather.

335 – 340: Thick Draenic Vest

• Combine Knothide Leather and Rune Thread to make Thick Draenic Vest.

340 – 350: Felscale Breastplate

• Use Knothide Leather, Fel Scales, and Rune Thread to make Felscale Breastplate.

From skill level 350 through 375, the only way forward is to use recipes earned through faction Reputation rewards. The path involving the least materials requires you to be Honored with the Scryers, Friendly with Cenarion Expedition, and Exalted with your Hellfire Peninsula faction. There are alternatives for the Scyers and Hellfire Peninsula tiers — the Aldor and Sha’tar, namely –, but both alternatives require the same level of reputation and will use more materials.

350 – 355: Enchanted Felscale Gloves (Scryers) or Blastguard Belt (Aldor)

• Gloves: Heavy Knothide Leather, Fel Scales, and Primal Mana
• Belt: Heavy Knothide Leather, Fel Hide, Primal Fire, and Primal Water

355 – 365: Heavy Clefthoof Boots (Cenarion Expedition)

• Heavy Knothide Leather, Thick Clefthoof Leather, Primal Earth, and Rune Thread

365 – 375: Nethercobra Leg Armor (Hellfire Peninsula) Drums of Battle (Sha’tar)

• Leg Armor: Heavy Knothide Leather, Cobra Scales, Primal Air, and Primal Nether
• Drums: Heavy Knothide Leather and Thick Clefthoof Leather

And with that, you’ve finished! Congratulations! Keep reading to find out about Specializations and Endgame Leatherworking Patterns.

Specializations

Leatherworking, like several other professions, offers you the chance to hone your abilities in a specific area once you reach level 45 and skill level 200. For Leatherworking, these are Dragonscale, Elemental, and Tribal. To discern which specialization is right for you, one of the easiest ways is to look at the specialization-specific endgame gear you’ll be able to craft. But, in short, Dragonscale is for spell using Mail-wearers, Elemental is for physical DPS Leather-wearers, and Tribal is for spell using Leather-wearers.

To train in any of these, all players will have to complete unique quests, requiring you to either craft certain pieces of gear or bring specific reagents to your trainer. Check out the details below.

Dragonscale Leatherworking

To start the Dragonscale Leatherworking quest players will need to find their respective trainers. For the Alliance, this is Peter Galen in Azshara, between The Forlorn Ridge and the Ruins of Eldarath, and for the Horde this is Thorkaf Dragoneye in Badlands west of Lethlor Ravine. From there, you’ll be required to bring them:

• 2x Tough Scorpid Breastplate
• 2x Tough Scorpid Gloves
• 10x Worn Dragonscale
  • Skinned from various dragonkin lvl 45 – 60

The total materials you’ll need are:

• 36x Thick Leather
• 40x Scorpid Scale
• 12x Silken Thread

Once you hand that in, you’ll learn Dragonscale Leatherworking.

Elemental Leatherworking

The Elemental Leatherworking quest can be taken by Alliance players from Sarah Tanner at the Tanner Camp in the southwest of Searing Gorge, and the Horde can start by finding Brumn Winterhoof in Arathi Highlands, north of Stromgarde Keep. Instead of crafting gear, they’ll have you bring several elemental reagents to them. These are:

• 2x Heart of Fire
• 2x Globe of Water
• 2x Core of Earth
• 2x Breath of Wind

Once you do, you’ll learn Elemental Leatherworking.

Tribal Leatherworking

To start the Tribal Leatherworking quest, the Horde must speak with Se’Jib in the ruins south of Grom’gol Base Camp in Stranglethorn Vale, and the Alliance will need to find Caryssia Moonhunter on the edge of Thousand Needles. They’ll ask you to bring them two specific pieces of Leather armor. These are:

• 1x Wild Leather Vest
• 1x Wild Leather Helm

To craft them, the total materials you’ll need are:

• 22x Thick Leather
• 4x Wildvine
• 2x Cured Thick Hide

After you’ve handed them in, you’ll learn Tribal Leatherworking.

Endgame Leatherworking

In TBC, some most of the important recipes you’re able to craft after skill level 350 are either earned through reputation grinding or found in various chests, raids, instances, or zones in Outland. In fact, the only useful high-level recipes that you can really learn from trainers are those in your specialization. Otherwise, you’ll need to find the patterns elsewhere. Below is a comprehensive list of patterns for each Specialization, faction based on reputation levels, and world drop based on source. Click through to find out more about the pieces, which mobs drop them, or the drop rates of each.

Specializations (All learned from trainers):

• Dragonscale
  • Ebon Netherscale Bracers
  • Ebon Netherscale Belt
  • Ebon Netherscale Breastplate
  • Netherstrike Bracers
  • Netherstrike Belt
  • Netherstrike Breastplate

• Elemental
  • Primalstrike Bracers
  • Primalstrike Belt
  • Primalstrike Vest

•  Tribal
  • Windhawk Bracers
  • Windhawk Belt
  • Windhawk Hauberk

Reputation Rewards: 

• Hellfire Peninsula Faction (Either Quartermaster Urgronn or Logistics Officer Ulrike)
  • Friendly
    • Pattern: Felstalker Belt
  • Honored
    • Pattern: Felstalker Bracers, Pattern: Felstalker Breastplate, Pattern: Cobrahide Leg Armor
  • Revered
    • Pattern: Netherscale Ammo Pouch
  • Exalted
    • Pattern: Nethercobra Leg Armor

• The Consortium (Either Paulsta’ats in Terokkar Forest, just south of the lake by Sunspring Post or by Karaaz at the Stormspire in the Netherstorm)
  • Friendly
    • Pattern: Fel Leather Gloves
  • Honored
    • Pattern: Fel Leather Boots
  • Revered
    • Pattern: Fel Leather Leggings

• Cenarion Expedition (Feydryen Swiftspear at Cenarion Hold in Zangarmarsh)
  • Friendly
    • Pattern: Heavy Clefthoof Boots
  • Honored
    • Pattern: Heavy Clefthoof Leggings, Pattern: Heavy Clefthoof Vest, Pattern: Clefthide Leg Armor
  • Exalted
    • Pattern: Nethercleft Leg Armor

• The Mag’har/Kurenai (Provisioner Nasela in Garadar, Nagrand for Mag’har/Trader Narasu in Telaar for Kurenai)
  • Friendly
    • Pattern: Netherfury Belt
  • Honored
    • Pattern: Netherfury Leggings, Pattern: Drums of Restoration, Pattern: Drums of Speed
  • Revered
    • Pattern: Netherfury Boots

• Sha’tar (Almaador in the Terrace of Light in Shattrath)
  • Honored
    • Pattern: Drums of Battle

• Lower City (Nakodu in Lower City, Shattrath)
  • Revered
    • Pattern: Quiver of a Thousand Feathers

• Ashtongue Deathsworn (Okuno in Black Temple)
  • Friendly
    • Pattern: Boots of Shackled Souls, Pattern: Bracers of Shackled Souls, Pattern: Redeemed Soul Cinch, Pattern: Redeemed Soul Leggings
  • Honored
    • Pattern: Greaves of Shackled Souls, Pattern: Waistguard of Shackled Souls, Pattern: Redeemed Soul Moccasins, Pattern: Redeemed Soul Wristguards

• The Violet Eye (Apprentice Darius outside of Karazhan)
  • Revered
    • Pattern: Shadowprowler’s Chestguard
  • Exalted
    • Pattern: Cloak of Darkness

• Keepers of Time (Alurmi in the Caverns of Time, Tanaris)
  • Honored
    • Pattern: Drums of Panic

BoE/BoP:

• Rare zone drop (<1%) from mobs in Sunwell Plateau and are contained in Cache of the Shattered Sun
  • Pattern: Carapace of Sun and Shadow
  • Pattern: Embrace of the Phoenix
  • Pattern: Fletcher’s Gloves of the Phoenix
  • Pattern: Gloves of Immortal Dusk
  • Pattern: Leather Chestguard of the Sun
  • Pattern: Leather Gauntlets of the Sun
  • Pattern: Sun-Drenched Scale Chestguard
  • Pattern: Sun-Drenched Scale Gloves

• Rare zone drop (<1%) from mobs in Tempest Keep
  • Pattern: Boots of Natural Grace
  • Pattern: Hurricane Boots
  • Pattern: Boots of Utter Darkness
  • Pattern: Boots of the Crimson Hawk

• Rare zone drop (~1 – 8%) from mobs in Black Temple
  • Pattern: Bindings of Lightning Reflexes
  • Pattern: Shoulders of Lightning Reflexes
  • Pattern: Bracers of Renewed Life
  • Pattern: Shoulderpads of Renewed Life
  • Pattern: Living Earth Bindings
  • Pattern: Living Earth Shoulders
  • Pattern: Swiftstrike Bracers
  • Pattern: Swiftstrike Shoulders

• World Drops
  • Pattern: Belt of Deep Shadow
  • Pattern: Belt of the Black Eagle
  • Pattern: Monsoon Belt
  • Pattern: Belt of Natural Power
  • Pattern: Cobrascale Gloves
  • Pattern: Cobrascale Hood
  • Pattern: Windslayer Wraps
  • Pattern: Windscale Hood
  • Pattern: Netherdrake Gloves
  • Pattern: Netherdrake Helm
  • Pattern: Gloves of the Living Touch
  • Pattern: Windstrike Gloves
  • Pattern: Hood of Primal Life
  • Pattern: Living Dragonscale Helm
  • Pattern: Thick Netherscale Breastplate
  • Pattern: Earthen Netherscale Boots