Wow classic skinning guide

Af Simon - 18 Jun 2025

Skinning is one of the most useful gathering professions in World of Warcraft Classic, especially for players looking to make gold or supply materials for Leatherworking. With the right guidance, leveling your Skinning skill from 1 to 300 can be efficient and rewarding. If you’re looking for a complete breakdown on where to go and what mobs to target, check out this comprehensive WoW Classic Skinning Guide.

Why Choose Skinning?

Skinning is ideal for classes that wear leather or mail armor, such as Rogues, Druids, Hunters, and Shamans. It’s also highly synergistic with Leatherworking, which uses the materials gathered through skinning to craft gear and armor kits. Even if you're not a Leatherworker, Skinning can be an excellent source of income since leathers are always in demand.

Getting Started with Skinning

Trainers and Tools

To begin Skinning, you’ll need a Skinning Knife, which is available from general goods or trade goods vendors. Visit a Skinning trainer in any major city or starter zone to learn the Apprentice Skinning ranks. As you level, return to your trainer to upgrade your profession at levels 75, 150, and 225.

Pairing Professions

Skinning pairs best with Leatherworking. However, it also works well with other gathering professions, especially Herbalism or Mining, giving you diverse ways to collect valuable resources.

Leveling Skinning: 1-300

Skinning 1-75: Starting Zones

In the early levels, you can skin nearly every beast-type creature. Focus on the starter areas such as:

  1. Elwynn Forest (Alliance)
  2. Durotar (Horde)
  3. Teldrassil, Dun Morogh, Mulgore, or Tirisfal Glades

Look for beasts around level 5-10, such as boars and wolves. You can also follow your questing route and skin mobs as you go, which keeps the leveling process organic.

Skinning 75-150: Intermediate Zones

Once you hit Journeyman Skinning, move on to areas with level 20-30 beasts. Recommended zones include:

  1. The Barrens (Horde)
  2. Wetlands (Alliance)
  3. Hillsbrad Foothills
  4. Ashenvale

Raptors, lions, spiders, and crocolisks are excellent targets, yielding useful Medium Leather.

Skinning 150-225: Advanced Zones

At Expert level, seek out mobs in the 30-45 level range. Great zones include:

  1. Desolace (Kodo beasts)
  2. Feralas (wolves, bears)
  3. Stranglethorn Vale (tigers, panthers, gorillas)
  4. Badlands (lions and hyenas)

These beasts drop Heavy and Thick Leather, which are commonly used in mid-to-high level Leatherworking recipes.

Skinning 225-300: High-Level Zones

For the final stretch, you’ll need to focus on high-level zones with elite or dense beast populations:

  1. Un’Goro Crater (dinosaurs and gorillas)
  2. Winterspring (saber cats and yetis)
  3. Silithus (sandreavers and desert creatures)
  4. Eastern Plaguelands (plaguehounds)

These mobs can give Rugged Leather and even rare hides, which are essential for endgame crafting and can fetch high prices at the auction house.

Tips for Efficient Skinning

  1. Always loot the beast before attempting to skin it.
  2. Stay in areas with many beasts and few humanoids for optimal efficiency.
  3. Group with friends or join skinning-friendly grinding parties to maximize mob access.
  4. If a beast is skinnable but in combat with another player, wait until it's dead to see if they loot it for you to skin.

Conclusion

Skinning is a straightforward and versatile profession that complements a wide variety of playstyles in WoW Classic. Whether you’re leveling up Leatherworking or just looking to make some extra gold, following a clear path and targeting the right zones can help you reach 300 skill quickly. Don’t forget to refer to the detailed WoW Classic Skinning Guide for step-by-step routes and tips for both Horde and Alliance players.