Analysis, Discussion and Tips for Success

General Discussion

Dragonhide, tanned into dragon leather, is used to make ranging armor for mid- to high-level players. Three types of armor can be made -- vambraces for the hands, chaps for the legs, and bodies for the torso -- for each of four different colors of dragonhide. As you proceed from green to blue, red and black, the dragonhide is harder to get, the armor better to wear, and the Crafting XP goes up as well.

Making dragonhide armor is a powerleveling method used mainly by higher level players. Even though dragonhide armor is quite useful, most players just buy one set and never need any more, so there's a glut of finished product on the market. In fact, most of the dragonhide armor that is sold is in fact bought by people who intend to alch it for Magic XP; if you can't sell items you make, that's something worth considering.

Of the three types of armor, bodies are the fastest to make because you use three pieces of dragon leather at once, followed by chaps (which use two) and then vambraces. Some items of dhide armor sell better than others, in part because some have alch values much closer to the cost of their components than others, so be sure to do your homework. In particular, green dragonhide bodies are often the most popular choice for those training Crafting, because their high alch value of 4680 gp is not too much below the cost of three green dragonhides. Players for whom "price is no object" sometimes make black dragonhide bodies, despite losing a lot of money in the process.

Location and Access

You can craft dragonhide armor at any bank, but a one-click bank is preferred. Castle Wars is my favorite.

Required and Recommended Equipment

A needle.

Required and Recommended Supplies

You need 1 piece of dragon leather per set of vambs, and roughly one spool of thread for every five items. (Thread is cheap, so I recommend just buying lots of it so you don't worry about running out.)

Familiar Suggestions

Summon a foraging familiar to earn extra money for you while you work -- I prefer the magpie, given the high value of rings and gems today.

Technique and Tips

With a needle and thread in your inventory, withdraw a full load of dragon leather. Click the needle and then one of the pieces of leather; when the dialog box comes up, right-click the vambraces and choose "Make X". Quickly enter any number over 26 (I usually just reach for the number keys and enter "33" or "44" or something like that) and wait for the items to be made. When they are done, bank them and repeat the procedure.