When to use regular salvage vs. expert

Hi guys,

In the description for the expert salvage kit it says it can salvage rare stuff.
I was wondering what rare materials it is reffering to.
For example, a charr hide crafted with a regular salvage kit turns into a tanned hide square. Would it turn into a fur square or something different if I used an expert salvage kit on it?

Also, is it worth it to pay the NPC in Piken Square 400 for the kit, or try to get it cheaper through trade?


Thanks in advance.

Thanks.
Heres another example:
I just got a purple stalker armor salvage item. Not knowing the first time i got it, I used a regular salvage kit on it and got a plain old tanned square. I just got another one, and if i used an expert salvage kit on it, would i get something else? It would make sense because it is a purple item.

I stopped using regular kits a long time ago. I only ever use expert kits. I tend to get 4 or 5 of the craft item, and once got 6 steel off a single item.

I hope you are using an indentify kit on it first. if not you might lose a rune.

I dont know if the color of the item makes any difference in the chance of getting rare mats from salvage. The kit used and level of the item make the biggest difference.

one thing i've noticed on armor, hides, etc drops is that each drop has a value number that is assigned to it. The number tends to range from 12-25 and you can see it when you mouse over the drop.. The higher the number, the better/more crafting materials tend to come from them.

Also worth noting is if you get a drop which is marked "unidentified", you should *always* identify it (with an Indentification Kit) before attempting to salvage it, as it will display the ITEM UNLOCKED message from time to time. This is when you have the best chance of expert salvaging a Rune or Upgrade from the drop.