Hide Halterneck

A duo, one deer, twenty leather on the grass. One of you crafts a hide vest, the other this halterneck, and you both end up with the same thing on your torso in a different cut. Ten leather, no bench, nothing to research, the same leather back from the recycler: the two rows match line for line.

So it is a choice of looks, not an upgrade. Players generally see the same basic protection from both, mostly against the cold. Nobody should spend a second hunt on a halterneck when a vest is already in the box.

The real gain on the chest comes from layering. A hide poncho goes on top for more warmth, and later the halterneck can stay under armour until a cloth top replaces it. If leather is short after your first trip with a hunting bow, make boots and pants before a second top: no top does anything for bare feet.