Analysis, Discussion and Tips for Success

General Discussion

Snakeskin items are intended to fill the gap in the line of ranging armor between low-level equipment made of ordinary leather, and dragonhide bodies, chaps and chaps. There are five different items, all of which are made from snakehides that are tanned in the same way as other leathers.

At one time this may have been a viable method of training the Crafting skill, but now it is much more difficult to justify. The main problem is that a large number of snakeskins are required -- from 6 to 15, depending on the item -- and snakeskins have become very expensive because of the use of snake hides for the Summoning skill. The large number of skins also slows down stitching because you can only make from 1 to 5 items per inventory of raw materials.

On the demand side, few players use snakeskin items because they require level 30 Ranged and Defence, and at level 40 you can use the superior (and cheaper) green dragonhide armor.

Snakeskin chaps are the worst snakeskin items to make from a cost efficiency standpoint. In addition to the issues with high raw material costs, snakeskin chaps are dropped by skeletal wyverns and players dump them on the market, further suppressing their price.

Location and Access

You can craft snakeskin 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 12 pieces of snakeskin per set of chaps, 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.)

Note that you need snakeskin, not snake hides, which are the raw material you get from snakes before it is tanned.

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 snakeskins. Click the needle and then one of the pieces of snakeskin; when the dialog box comes up, right-click the chaps and choose either "Make 5" or "Make 10". You'll only be able to make two. Since you need only 24 inventory slots, you can save a bit of time by only banking the completed chaps after every other load of snakeskin you process.