Since the release of Vanilla, Leatherworking has been one of the best ways for players to outfit themselves with leather equipment. To train in this profession, you will have to gather materials like Scales, Beast Pelts, Leather, Hides, and Dragonkin. It’s a known fact that Leatherworkers are able to craft some of the best and most powerful gear in the game. Thanks to TBC, Blizzard has added a variety of BOP & BOE drop recipes, as well as expanded the profession’s range through specs. Even though specs are not a new addition, within The Burning Crusade, you can make powerful gear pieces, such as Ebon Netherscale Bracers, Primalstrike Vest, and Windhawk Belt. Also, without any specs, Leatherworks can make items like Living Earth Shoulders and Carapace of Sun & Shadow, which are known to be highly beneficial in Warcraft and in this wow TBC leatherworking guide.
The only material-gathering profession for Leatherworkers is Skinning in this wow TBC leatherworking guide, and that’s the primary reason why the players opt to pair both these professions. The leatherworking profession is suitable for almost every Leather & Mail wearer class, but that’s not the case for Hunters because the stats that are available on the crafted equipment must be carefully evaluated by the Hunter – whether choosing the Leatherworking profession is right for them or not in this TBC lw guide.
Trainers
Since the 2.3 Patch, Blizzard has reformed Leatherworking into a profession that can be learned from trainers in any major capital city. So, where you want to train is entirely up to you. However, once you cross the Dark Portal, you will have to find a trainer, respective of your faction, which is the first questing area. For the Alliance Faction, you have to locate Brumman at the Honor Hold, and the Horde Faction players should head out to locate Barim Splithoof at Thrallmar in this TBC lw guide.
Moving on, if we talk about specializations – To learn Dragonscale Leatherworking, Alliance Faction players need to locate Peter Galen in Azshara (between The Forlorn Ridge and The Ruins of Eldarath), and the Horde Faction Players need to locate Thorkaf Dragoneye in Badlands (West of Lethlor Ravine). To learn Elemental Leatherworking, Alliance Faction players need to locate Sarah Tanner at the Tanner Camp (Southwest of Searing Gorge), and the Horde Faction players need to locate Brumn Winterhoof (North of Stormgarde Keep). To learn Tribal Leatherworking, Alliance players need to locate Caryssia Moonhuter on the Edge of Thousand Needles, and Horde players need to locate Se’Jib in the Ruins of Stranglethorn Vale (South of Grom’gol).
Approximate Materials Required
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, and 400x Rugged Leather.
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, and 15x Primal Water.
For both Vanilla and TBC, you will need 165 to 215 Rune Threads (Approximately).
Levels 1 to 300
Make sure that you visit the trainer at levels 55, 150, 225, and 300 to become Journeyman Leatherworker, Expert Leatherworker, Artisan Leatherworker, and Master Leatherworker, respectively.
Start off with converting Light Leather into Light Armor Kit till level 35, Light Hide with Salt into Cured Light Hide till level 55, Light Leather and Coarse Thread into Embossed Leather Gloves till level 85, Light Leather and Coarse Thread into Fine Leather Belt till level 100, Medium Hide with Salt into Cured Medium Hide till level 120, Light Leather and Coarse Thread into Fine Leather Belt till level 125, Fine Leather Belt, Cured Medium Hide, Fine Thread, and Gray Dye into Dark Leather Belt till level 150, Heavy Hide with Salt into Cured Heavy Hide till level 160, Heavy Leather and Fine Thread into Heavy Armor Kit till level 170. Now, before you continue, you have to acquire the Pattern called Dusty Leather Leggings, which is a common world drop. However, if you can’t loot one for yourself, then purchase it from the Auction House at a fairly affordable price.
Combine Heavy Leather, Fine Thread, and Black Dye to make Dusty Leather Leggings till level 180, Heavy Leather, Cured Heavy Hide, and Fine Thread into Barbaric Shoulders till level 190, Heavy Leather, Fine Thread, and Black Dye into Dusty Bracers till level 195, Heavy Leather, Black Dye, Bolt of Silk Cloth, and Iron Buckle into Dusty Belt till level 205, Thick Leather and Silken Thread into Nightscape Headband till level 230, Thick Leather and Silken Thread into Nightscape Pants till level 250, Thick Leather and Silken Thread into Nightscape Boots till level 260. Before you continue ahead, you will need to purchase the Pattern called Wicked Leather Gauntlets – Alliance players will have to travel to the Wester Plague Lands and locate Leonard Porter (South of the Ruins of Andorhal), and the Horde players can purchase it from Werg Thickblade in Trisfal Glades (Outside the Western Plague Lands Border).
While you’re taking a pause to purchase the pattern from your respective faction vendors, it’s also a good opportunity to farm or purchase the Wicked Leather Bracers and Wicked Leather Headband Pattern, as you will need them for the further levels.
Anyhow, let’s continue. Start by combining Rugged Leather, Rune Thread, and Black Dye to make Wicked Leather Gauntlets till level 270, Rugged Leather, Rune Thread, and Black Dye into Wicked Leather Bracers till level 280, and then Rugged Leather, Rune Thread, and Black Dye into Wicked Leather Headband till level 300.
Levels 300 to 375 (TBC Leatherworking)
From levels 300 to 310, start combining Knothide Leather Scarps to make Knothide Leather, and then use Knothide Leather to make Knithide Armor Kit till level 325. Now, before continuing ahead, head to the vendor named Cro Threadstrong in the Lower City (Shattrath) to purchase the Pattern called Heavy Knothide Leather. Alternatively, Horde players can travel to the Silvermoon City and locate Zaralda, while Alliance players can head to Azuremyst Isle to speak with Harefet. After that, start converting Knithide Leather into Heavy Knothide Leather till level 335, Knothide Leather and Rune Thread into Thick Draenic Vest till level 340, and Knothide Leather, Felscales, and Rune Thread into Felscale Breastplate till level 350.
The only way possible to move forward from level 350 to 375 is by earning recipes through Faction Reputation Rewards. Even though the path has a lesser material requirement, you still need to be of Honored Reputation rank with Scryers, Friendly with Cenarion, and Exalted with the Hellfire Peninsula faction. You can alternatively go with Aldor and Sha’tar, instead of Scryers and Hellfire Peninsula, but the reputation rank requirement will still remain the same.
For the final few levels, you can make Scryers Enchanted Felscale Gloves (Heavy Knothide Leather, Felscales, and Primal Mana), or Aldor Blastguard Belt (Heavy Knothide Leather, Fel Hide, Primal Fire, and Primal Water) till level 355. Heavy Clefthoof Boots (Cenarion Expedition), requiring Heavy Knothide Leather, Thick Clefthoof Leather, Primal Earth, and Rune Thread, till level 365. Lastly, till you reach level 375, you can make Nethercobra Leg Armor (Hellfire Peninsula), requiring Heavy Knothide Leather, Cobra Scales, Primal Air, and Primal Nether, or Drums of Battle (Sha’tar), requiring Heavy Knothide Leather and Thick Clefthoof Leather.