Leatherworking is far from being the most popular WotLK profession there is. As a non-gathering profession, it’s arguably on the weaker side. Still, if you are adamant about leveling it, look no further than this WotLK leatherworking guide.
The biggest od advantage of leatherworking is the stronger enchants you can do on your bracers:
- Fur Lining – Attack Power gives 80 more attack power than the normal enchant
- Fur Lining – Spell Power gives 46 more spell power than the normal enchant
- Fur Lining – Stamina gives 62 more stamina than the normal enchant
You will also be able to enchant your bracers with 70 arcane, fire, frost, nature, or shadow resistance. However, apart from some niche situations, magic resistances aren’t that important in WotLK, so you’ll rarely see someone enchant their bracers like that.
With leatherworking, you’ll have access to a wide variety of epic items you can craft (more about those at the end of this guide). Thankfully, all roles – tank, healer, and DPS – will use some leatherworking items in one way or another. And that can become your primary source of income.
As the expansion progresses through phases and more raids become available, you will be able to get and learn new recipes. The items you will be able to craft after learning such recipes are sort of a catch-up mechanism for players, and thus usually bind on equip. Make sure to sell the crafts.
Total mats needed for 1-450 Leatherworking
Classic content
- 57x Ruined Leather Scraps
- 233x Light Leather
- 135x Medium Leather
- 20x Heavy Hide
- 213x Heavy Leather
- 420x Thick Leather
- 100x Rugged Leather
- 130x Coarse Thread
- 15x Medium Hide
- 75x Salt
- 120x Fine Thread
- 40x Gray Dye
- 145x Silken Thread
Classic alternative 1
- 340x Rugged Leather
- 35x Black Dye
- 35x Rune Thread
OR
- 168x Rugged Leather
- 100x Heavy Scorpid Scale
- 42x Rune Thread
- 17x Essence of Water
TBC content
- 100x Knothide Leather Scraps
- 275x Knothide Leather
- 24x Fel Scales
- 51x Rune Thread
WotLK content
- 1658x Borean Leather
- 75x Crystallized Water or 75x Crystallized Shadow
- 17x Eternal Water
- 7x Frozen Orb
- 14x Nerubian Chitin or 14x Icy Dragonscale
- 14x Arctic Fur
Leatherworking guide WoW Classic
Start by learning leatherworking from one of these trainers:
Horde trainers
Kamari in Orgrimmar
Dan Golthas in Undercity.
Mak in Thunder Bluff.
Lynalis in Silvermoon City.
Alliance trainers
Randal Worth in Stormwind City.
Gretta Finespindle in Ironforge.
Darianna in Darnassus.
Akham in The Exodar.
Apprentice leatherworking (1 – 75)
- 1 – 20
19x Light Leather – 57x Ruined Leather Scraps - 20 – 35
17x Light Armor Kit – 17x Light Leather (This recipe goes yellow at 30, so you might need to make a bit more than 15.) - 35-50
20x Handstitched Leather Cloak – 40x Light Leather, 20x Coarse Thread (This recipe goes yellow at 40, so you might need to make a bit more than 15.)
Don’t forget to train Journeyman leatherworking (75 – 150) once you reach skill level 50.
- 50 – 55
5x Small Leather Ammo Pouch – 15x Light Leather, 20x Coarse Thread
Journeyman leatherworking (75 – 150)
- 55 – 85
30x Embossed Leather Gloves – 90x Light Leather, 60x Coarse Thread - 85 – 100
15x Fine Leather Belt – 90x Light Leather, 30x Coarse Thread
Also, don’t sell these, you will need them for later.
- 100 – 115
15x Cured Medium Hide – 15x Medium Hide, 15x Salt
Also, don’t sell these, you will need them for later.
- 115 – 135
25x Dark Leather Boots – 100x Medium Leather, 50x Fine Thread, 25x Gray Dye (This recipe goes yellow at 125, so you might need to make a bit more than 20.)
Don’t forget to train Expert leatherworking (150 – 225) once you reach skill level 125.
- 135 – 150
15x Dark Leather Belt – 15x Fine Leather Belt, 15x Cured Medium Hide, 30x Fine Thread, 15x Gray Dye
Expert leatherworking (150 – 225)
- 150 – 155
7x Heavy Leather – 35x Medium Leather (This recipe starts yellow, so you might need to make a bit more than 5.) - 155 – 165
20x Cured Heavy Hide – 20x Heavy Hide, 60x Salt (This recipe goes yellow at 160 and green at 165. Don’t stop crafting until you have 20, you will need them for later. You’ll probably level a bit higher than 165. ) - 165 – 180
20x Heavy Armor Kit – 100x Heavy Leather, 20x Fine Thread (This recipe goes yellow at 170, so you might need to make a bit more than 15.) - 180 – 190
10x Barbaric Shoulders – 80x Heavy Leather, 10x Cured Heavy Hide, 20x Fine Thread - 190 – 200
10x Guardian Gloves – 40x Heavy Leather, 10x Cured Heavy Hide, 10x Silken Thread
Don’t forget to train Artisan leatherworking (225 – 300) once you reach skill level 200.
- 200 – 205 7x Thick Armor Kit – 35x Thick Leather, 5x Silken Thread (This recipe starts yellow, so you might need to make a bit more than 5.)
Artisan leatherworking (225 – 300)
- 205 – 235
35x Nightscape Headband – 175x Thick Leather, 70x Silken Thread (This recipe goes yellow at 225, so you might need to make a bit more than 30.) - 235 – 250
15x Nightscape Pants – 210x Thick Leather, 60x Silken Thread - 250 – 265
20x Rugged Armor Kit – 100x Rugged Leather (This recipe goes yellow at 255, so you might need to make a bit more than 15. ) - 265 – 285
20x Wicked Leather Bracers – 160x Rugged Leather, 20x Black Dye, 20x Rune Thread
Pattern: Wicked Leather Bracers drops from Legashi Rogue in Azshara. You can also check for it on the auction house.
- 285 – 300
15x Wicked Leather Headband – 180x Rugged Leather, 15x Black Dye, 15x Rune Thread
Pattern: Wicked Leather Headband drops from Jadefire Trickster in Felwood. You can also check for it on the auction house.
However, if you don’t feel like farming these patterns, or they are too expensive on the auction house, you can go with this alternative:
- 265 – 285
25x Heavy Scorpid Bracers – 100x Rugged Leather, 100x Heavy Scorpid Scale, 25x Rune Thread
Pattern: Heavy Scorpid Bracers is a limited supply item sold by Zannok Hidepiercer in Silithus. You can also check if someone put it up on the auction house. This recipe goes yellow at 275, so you might need to make a bit more than 20.
- 285 – 300
17x Frostsaber Boots – 68x Rugged Leather, 17x Essence of Water, 17x Rune Thread
Pattern: Frostsaber Boots is a limited supply item sold by Qia in Winterspring. You can also check if someone put it up on the auction house. This recipe goes yellow at 295, so you might need to make a bit more than 15.
Leatherworking guide TBC
Master leatherworking (300 – 375)
Learn Master leatherworking (300 – 375) from one of these trainers:
Horde trainers
Barim Spilthoof in Thrallmar, Hellfire Peninsula.
Alliance trainers
Brumman in Honor Hold, Hellfire Peninsula.
Neutral: Darmari in Shattrath City.
- 300 – 310
20x Knothide Leather – 100x Knothide Leather Scraps (This recipe starts yellow and goes green at 305, so you might need to make more than 10.) - 310 – 325
25x Knothide Armor Kit – 100x Knothide Leather (This recipe will be yellow when you start crafing it, so you might need to make a bit more than 15.) - 325 – 335
39x Heavy Knothide Leather – 195x Knothide Leather (This recipe starts yellow and goes green at 330, but you will need around 39 of those for later, so might as well get the points now.)
Pattern: Heavy Knothide Leather is sold by Cro Threadstrong in Shattrath for both factions, by Zaralda in Silvermoon City for Horde players, and by Haferet in The Exodar for Alliance players.
You can stop making Heavy Knothide Leathers when you reach 335 and make the rest of them later.
- 335 – 340
5x Thick Draenic Vest – 15x Heavy Knothide Leather, 15x Rune Thread - 340 – 350
12x Scaled Draenic Boots – 24x Heavy Knothide Leather, 24x Fel Scales, 36x Rune Thread (This recipe goes yellow at 345, so you might need to make a bit more than 10.)
Leatherworking guide WotLK
Grand master leatherworking (350 – 450)
Learn Grand Master leatherworking (350 – 450) from one of these trainers:
Horde
Howling Fjord: Gunter Hansen
Borean Tundra: Awan Iceborn
Alliance
Howling Fjord: Bernadette Dexter
Borean Tundra: Rosemary Bovard
Neutral trainers
- Dalaran: Diane Cannings
- 350-380
32x Borean Armor Kit – 128x Borean Leather (This recipe goes yellow at 375, so you might need to make a bit more than 30.) - 380-385
5x Arctic Boots – 40x Borean Leather - 385-390
5x Arctic Gloves – 50x Borean Leather - 390-405
226x Heavy Borean Leather – 1356x Borean Leather
You will need at least 226x Heavy Borean Leather for later, so might as well get the points now.
- 405 – 410
7x Arctic Wristguards – 84x Borean Leather (This recipe will be yellow when you start crafting it, so you might need to make a bit more than 5.) - 410 – 420
15x Dark Frostscale Leggings – 60x Heavy Borean Leather, 75x Crystallized Water
Or
15x Dark Iceborne Leggings – 60x Heavy Borean Leather, 75x Crystallized Shadow
Both of these recipes will be yellow when you start crafting them, so you might need to make a bit more than 10.
- 420 – 425
5x Overcast Bracers – 40x Heavy Borean Leather, 5x Eternal Water
Pattern: Overcast Bracers is sold by Braeg Stoutbeard in Dalaran for 3x Heavy Borean Leather.
- 425 – 435
12x Overcast Handwraps – 120x Heavy Borean Leather, 12x Eternal Water (This recipe goes yellow at 430, so you might need to make a bit more than 10. )
Pattern: Overcast Handwraps is sold by Braeg Stoutbeard in Dalaran for 3x Heavy Borean Leather.
- 435 – 440
7x Frosthide Leg Armor – 14x Arctic Fur, 14x Nerubian Chitin, 7x Frozen Orb
Or
Icescale Leg Armor – 14x Arctic Fur, 14x Icy Dragonscale, 7x Frozen Orb
Both of these recipes will be yellow when you start crafting them, so you might need to make a bit more than 5.
You can get Arctic Fur by skinning, buying it off the auction house, or buying it from Braeg Stoutbeard in Dalaran for 10x Heavy Borean Leather.
Between 440 – 450 you can start creating some epic items – to try and sell them on the auction house or to gear your characters. I’ll list them here in no particular order, base your decision on your server’s economy and your needs. Since this is your personal decision, the mats for these items won’t be included in the total mats needed list.
- Durable Nerubhide Cape – 2x Arctic Fur, 40x Nerubian Chitin, Frozen Orb
- Ice Striker’s Cloak – 2x Arctic Fur, 6x Eternal Fire, 4x Eternal Shadow, Frozen Orb
- Revenant’s Treads – 10x Heavy Borean Leather, 10x Eternal Water, Frozen Orb
- Revenant’s Breastplate – 12x Heavy Borean Leather, 12x Eternal Water, Frozen Orb
- Earthgiving Boots – 10x Heavy Borean Leather, 5x Eternal Life, 5x Eternal Water, Frozen Orb
- Earthgiving Legguards – 12x Heavy Borean Leather, 6x Eternal Life, 6x Eternal Water, Frozen Orb
- Giantmaim Bracers – 10x Heavy Borean Leather, 5x Eternal Water, 5x Eternal Air, Frozen Orb
- Giantmaim Legguards – 12x Heavy Borean Leather, 6x Eternal Water, 6x Eternal Air, Frozen Orb
- Trollwoven Girdle – 10x Heavy Borean Leather, 5x Eternal Fire, 5x Eternal Shadow, Frozen Orb
- Trollwoven Spaulders – 10x Heavy Borean Leather, 6x Eternal Fire, 6x Eternal Shadow, Frozen Orb
- Windripper Boots – 10x Heavy Borean Leather, 5x Eternal Air, 5x Eternal Water, Frozen Orb
- Windripper Leggings – 12x Heavy Borean Leather, 6x Eternal Air, 6x Eternal Water, Frozen Orb
Thank you for reading our WotLK leatherworking guide! Unfortunately, leatherworking has the same stat bonuses as some of the other professions, but not the same money-making potential, or other advantages. That’s why you won’t see many minmaxers learning it.
Your main source of income will be selling epic endgame items to other players. You will be able to buy the recipes for those items from Braeg Stoutbeard in Dalaran. He’ll sell them to you for Heavy Borean Leather and Arctic Fur. I suggest you first buy the recipes for the items you will use yourself and afterward buy the recipes you think you will be able to sell the easiest.