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Leatherworking - Probably one of the more boring crafts to want to become a Master in, in the Merchants' Guild.
Why? Simple: Masterpieces need to be items only accessible very late in the crafting tree.
What does leatherworking get, which would even remotely classify as something you could with reason claim to be a masterpiece of an item in that list..

Fur Rugs. Fur Coats/Robes. Oh right. And costlier alternatives of a similar thing.

I'm almost sure, by now, the Guild has a special chest full of ex-Leatherworkers masterpieces of which likely around 95% would be (costly) fur rugs/cloaks.
I'd love for something else to become available, and heck, our level 75 recipe? It's Parchment. Not sure it's really that tough to make you'd have to be a true grandmaster in the art, and it's hardly worth anything, easy to make mat-wise, there's close-to-zero demand for it.
Mean.. Can't any level of leatherworker already, basically, treat any kind of fur and hide into pieces of workable hide/pelt? Parchment's sort of in line with that.

Some random ideas of mine:

- Croc/Snake-leather attire, or at least boots/purses, perhaps. Imagine fancy-ass crocodile leather items or those with the scale-coat of exotic snakes.
- Exotic Animal Mounted Heads? Think being able to taxidermize up an actual rare lion's head (new item to add somewhere at rare chances?) - one of a tiger, a giraffe, a desert gazelle, hell - a and so on.. Something uncommon and not available in Lithmore. Why this would be a higher-level recipe probably has to do with it being such costly and precious, uncommon a thing to work on that it'd require good knowledge to work on - perhaps?
- Ceremonial Scabbards (or bow cases, frogs, etc). Something that uses exquisite fur, suede/leather, perhaps even gold leaf.
- Perhaps fur kilts/skirts of sorts? There's coats, there's robes, there's cloaks.. But I'm quite sure at least the Hillfolk'd be down for fur kilts... Right? Someone?

I might/hope to see the falcon hoods become a new recipe, and perhaps with the current project of a coded falconry usage, the falconer's glove joins the list too - a necessity to use raptors to hunt small game? Wouldn't be a too end-game recipe ofc.

Another question/suggestion: Is leather armour embellishable? If not, maybe worth considering? Allow for somewhat prettier/ornamental leather armour items to be made in which you can use your bison/bear/wolf fur as lining - get yourself a pauldron with your house's emblem in silver/gold, some mint-looking ermine/white fox/giraffe/lion fur *waggles eyebrows*

It's honestly quite hard to come up with things we're still lacking. But I definitely feel like, at least, Leatherworking needs a different 75-recipe. If parchment is really the magnus opus (wasn't vellum a finer/more exquisite variant of parchment anyways) of a leatherworker, at least bump that up a -few- levels and maybe consider something like a 'Leather/wood-bound journal of parchment'?

Parchment does seem a little silly for the sole grand master recipe... but on the other hand leatherworking is far from being in bad shape compared to some others, and is quite an in-demand trade skill.

Take a look at chandlery! They don't even have any master-level recipes, let alone grand master.

Wait. Is it?

From what I've experienced, not a soul on grid needs made anything from leather...
Aside from maybe boots that aren't made out of wool/linen, that is.

Why grab its armour, when everyone seems to walk around in full steel + a horse to kill the MV cost this heavier armour presents.
Why grab its bags, when tailored backpacks are both bigger, hold more weight, hold more max items.
Why grabs its waterskins, when those from blacksmithing hold more liquid contents.
I have yet to see anyone use a scabbard or something like that to store their weapon in, over from just sheathing it normally.
Hardly ever see any suede items. Cloaks seem to preferably be made out of silk/wool, not suede or leather.

Maybe it's me experiencing it this way. Haven't really gotten any commissions or heard of any interest in dealing with leatherworkers from pretty much anyone.
It's starting to feel like a waste of a craftskill, being outcompeted on every angle by other available crafts.
Aside from pretty, costly fur items that is, of course.

But you're right about Chandlery needing some love. I'm just no expert on chandlery or perfumy things, so can't offer too many suggestions

There's a lot of thoughts included in this thread that aren't true and I admit the tone makes me hesitant to want to dive in, but here goes:

Why grab its armour, when everyone seems to walk around in full steel + a horse to kill the MV cost this heavier armour presents.

This isn't true. There are plenty of people who don't wear plate armor but wear leathers instead (say ... all of the Charali I've ever met?)

Parchment is currently utilized in the "Illuminated Manuscript" Artwork recipe. (Which is level 65 itself.)

Maybe it's me experiencing it this way. Haven't really gotten any commissions or heard of any interest in dealing with leatherworkers from pretty much anyone.
It's starting to feel like a waste of a craftskill, being outcompeted on every angle by other available crafts.

This might not be because of the craftsets. There are people who certainly buy leather goods and desire them. Sometimes purely for the aesthetic if for no other reason.

Suggestions:

- Create other book-binding alternatives in Artwork that allow the use of parchment to encourage it's purchase/use more? (Perhaps as suggested above, a leather-bound book with parchment pages.)

- Request a peek at the holding capacity/weight mod on leather containers.

- An Exotic Leather set: Crocodile could go here, perhaps there could be other import/resources that could as well? Off hand I was thinking sharkskin (Tubori import) or seal skin (Vandagan import).

- A craft for a chamois cloth: could be used in Artwork (it's used for blending charcoal) and Jeweling/Blacksmithing for polishing gems/weapons

Yup, you can make bank with leatherworking once you get your character's name out there. I didn't even realize there was an active upper-level leatherworker currently.

Leather armor has minimal mv penalty, so is a lot of combat folks' daily wear.
leather backpacks have a greater weight reduction modifier than tailoring's backpacks
waterskins.... are useless I admit. Might be worth asking staff to consider bumping its capacity to 15 units.
Scabbards are one of the larger capacity waist container items. you can fit more than just a sword in it if you tool it for that. That's my utility belt.
I'd say you hardly ever see suede items because there's hardly ever any leatherworkers who can make them. I remember it being one LW's cash cow.

Further, horse tack and quivers are generally good sellers. Cover scent as a useful consumable has potential to be (though it has to be made fresh to order, which makes things tougher).

More than one, actually. Been advertising that craft since I joined to no avail

I didn't know there's a weight reduction modifier to leather backpacks however, that is good to know. But I'm not certain it's as good as you mention.
Leather backpacks have a weight cap of 300, with a multiplier of 80% -- Tailor gets 500, at 90% reduction.

I would indeed support waterskins being bumped up to at least 15 units.

Suede would be a bit easier to provide would goat/lamb provide it too, isn't that what suede tends to be made from irl?
I know I've had to hunt up about 60-70+ antelopes and bucks - and then get some more material supplied guild-sie, just to get enough suede in order to level through most of its recipes.

Don't know. Just hasn't felt like a skill worth levelling, it's been the skill I've invested most XP in yet only have had one person interested towards.
Maybe I just joined the game at a weird time for a leatherworker, when most are already provided their wares.
Could be an influx of new demand hitting the market some time soon.
Hope I'm completely wrong indeed

I like the ideas Sparkles supplied - from chamois cloth, book-binding, and exotic leather sets. Shark/Seal/Croc/Ostrich/Snake-skin. Plenty of options there!

Suede would be a bit easier to provide would goat/lamb provide it too, isn't that what suede tends to be made from irl?

Suede is the process of producing the leather, however IMHO it could also reasonably include calfskin and lambskin within how our husbandry system is set up. (As we don't actually produce lambs/calves/kids (baby goats, not children XD).

So perhaps a query is asking if what skins can go into suede production could be expanded?

Agreed there. I was also thinking calfskins be added.

Goats however already drop wool, so perhaps we shouldn't -also- add suede to them.
I don't know what breeding sheep would give upon butchering, but I'm sure it's also wool.
Maybe a chance to get wool, a chance to get lambskin, could be interesting?
Provide either for a tailor, or a leatherworker, giving those with herds an additional reason to seek out Leatherworkers.

Yeah, you really have to chase those sales at first, can't count on results from rumors or advertisements (though I do see more results from the latter).
The majority of my sales starting out was bringing it up in scenes. Eventually, I started getting more sales from referrals, and I don't have to fight so hard for them anymore.
I think a little reminder of your trade in your who title isn't frowned on either. I seemed to get more sales when I had a mention on mine.
Anyway, try to have some fun with it

I like the various ideas here as well. Croc skin recipes oughta get some folks in danger down in the sewers.

Seems fair to add sheepskins and goat skins to the suede pieces recipe, and to the skinning loot pool for those animals. I didn't realize deer were the sole source for suede currently.

Oh yeah, I mean I've hardly used rumors and ads, especially once I was told people do not use the notice boards ICly.
I've kind of mostly brought it up in scenes, and I reckon most people I meet will end up knowing pretty quickly I'm an active Leatherworker.
But I guess there's always more ways you can spam the news out.
Hopefully having my shop set up soon will help some there.

Croc skins - Well, maybe those should also become an exotic commodity for sale somewhere?
I hardly doubt Lithmore would be home to big saltwater crocs, and Cayman skin was also highly sought after irl I believe, so the reasons for it being a potential export are out there.
Not that I'm opposed to people risking their necks in the sewers, and I'm sure a few Physicians wouldn't mind the additional patients.

Oh - And yeah, deer are the only source of suede. 3 per.
With their limited respawns and past tendencies to run into room with 2 hostile mobs, it wasn't an easy grind at all.
I've killed too many to count, and netting you only 3 suede per, there's several points down the Leatherworking tree where you'll need to murder two to do a single craft.

So, so far:

- Chamois cloth. Like this one, also for it being useful in other crafts.
- Allow sheep/goat/cowskin to turn into suede
- Exotic attire
- Waterskins capacity increased,