Who makes leather armor?

[CombatWombat51]

As a DM, I'm suffering from anally-thinking-of-details-that-don't-matter-syndrome, and i'm making a list of random professions for NPC's. Anyhow, it came up to me that I can't think of who makes leather armor. A tanner turns hide to leather, and an armorsmith makes armor out of metal... but now that I type out my thoughts, do you think that realistically, there would be/was different types of armor craftsmen for different types of armor? Like plate-type armors would have a specialist, chain armors would have a specialist, etc. I know that's a rambling question, but can anyone offer me some insight on who makes what types of armor, or if one person should be skilled in all of the above, etc.

BTW, this is purely theoretical/historical question, so no need to tell me that someone with Craft: Armorer does all of the above

 

[Crothian]

Craft: Leather working possibly?

 

[Jolly Giant]

Well, if you're playing in MY game you need Craft: Leatherwork if you wanna make a leatherarmor! Same skill as for making boots... Not much smithing involved in stitching leather!

 

[Felix]

I would think that a decent tanner would be able to turn out a good set of leather armor, and might even have some on display in his shop...

When I was pledging my fraternity I had to buy a small strip of leather to have the brothers sign; when finished we pledges all attached the leathers to our fraternity paddles... Anyways, the shop I went to get the leather at was a tanner's. He knew somebody at some slaughterhouse and had been buying hide for years cheaply. In the shop he had cowboy boots, belts (with big ol buckles), vests, jackets, ten gallon hats on display. But his pride was a boiled-leather breastplate he displayed prominently. The old fella said he made them all, and I believed him.

 

[Umbran]

You may choose to say that metal armors and shields take Craft:Armorsmith, wooden shields take Craft:Woodwork, and leather armors take Craft:Leatherwork.

But, most metal armors require a cloth or leather padding underneath. What does that mean?

As to specialists - you'll get specialization if and only iff there's enough call for armorers that each specialist would be fully employed only doing his specialty. If there are enough people buying chainmail to keep a chainmail-smith working steadily, then fine. If there's only enough work in town to keep a single armor working at all, though, you won't hav separateones for different armor types.

 

[Agback]

G'day

Sounds like work for a saddler, to me. Or a cobbler, perhaps. Or possibly a cordwainer, theough they typically work in fine, supple leathers. Or an armourer, of course: they work in word and leather (making shields) as well as metal.

Regards,


Agback

 

[Wombat]

Depending on the world you have, any or all of the following might make leather armour: tanner, cobbler, armoursmith, tailor, cordwain, chandler (since most leather seems to be defined as cuirboulli -- leather boiled in wax), or possibly a Leather Armour Specialist.

Guess it depends on the world

If you want to get complicated, several of them get involved. For example, in a real medieval setting, a sword blade would be made by one person, the hilt by another, the two would be mounted together probably by a third, the scarrard by a fourth, and the swordbelt by a fifth, all of this assuming you don't want to do any fancy engraving or jewel mounting, which would also require extra specialists; in D&D people just tend to go to a weaponsmith and have done with it.

 

[fba827]

i'd say Tanner

 

[tarchon]

Cows

 

[Thresher]

I'd just say armourer, when you put together a suit of plate, chainmail or a combo of both there is a considerable amount of support fabric underneath. With the case of chain its just a leather quilted vest to help absorb blows. With plate its the quilted vest plus a large amount of leather to give the joins strength and Ive found its a lot easier to make using the leather as it lends a lot of strength to the articulation in the joins.
If some half-arsed blacksmith like me can make a leather jerkin to fit under armour then Im pretty sure a trained armourer can make it without too much effort either.