Skinning

Overview

Skinning lets you harvest leather, hides and scales from the corpses of beasts and dragonkin after looting them. All you need is a Skinning Knife in your bags. Leather is the main reagent for Leatherworking and is also used by Tailoring, Engineering and Blacksmithing for many recipes, so there is always demand.

It is the most natural gathering profession for hunters and anyone who levels by killing beasts, because you gain skill and materials from mobs you were going to kill anyway. Endgame skinners also collect valuable items such as Devilsaur Leather, Core Leather and dragon scales.

Leveling tips

• Buy a Skinning Knife from a trade supplier before you start.
• The skill needed to skin a corpse scales with its level (roughly five times the mob level above level 20), so you level just by skinning what you kill while questing.
• If you fall behind, spend a short session in a zone full of beasts at or slightly below your level and skin everything.
• Good stops: Barrens and Westfall early, Stranglethorn and Arathi for mid levels, then Un’Goro, Winterspring and Burning Steppes for the final stretch.
• Combine with Herbalism or Mining for a gathering character; the two do not compete for time since skinning happens after each kill.

Making gold

Devilsaur Leather from Un’Goro is one of the best-known gold farms in Classic, though it is contested. Thick and Rugged Leather sell steadily to leatherworkers leveling armor kits. Scales and hides (such as Black Dragonscale and Heavy Scorpid Scale) feed specific recipes, so check prices before vendoring them.