ok can someone help with armor and salvaging unlocks?

Ok first off i am a n/w and i have had the bonelace set from the cheaper armor crafter in searing ascalon. So then i come to this site to the armor compendium and it says i will get 7 choices of armor when i get to Yak's bend. So i was all stoked for Yak's Bend when i got there yesterday and i had been collecting material for a long time. So i get there and check the armorer and guess what? 2 choices! yes and one of them is the one i have, bonelace except it is 15 more armor than mine thats it so im like screw that. Then there is the fanatics set that does the EXACT same thing as bonelace, but cost more..... So i ask someone what the hell is the point of that and they say oh cause it looks different. How stupid is that? anyway im wondering where i can get some new armor? And now for my second question yes i know you pick up purple items and id em to unlock for pvp. Then if your lucky you get the rare piece when you use a expert salvage it. So i picked up 2 purple items yesterday and axe and hammer i id the axe and got a hilt unlocked and got it when i salvaged it too. Now i id the hammer and nothing happens... but i didnt salvage cause i wanna give it to a friend. Then i picked up a crappy blue sword and id it and i got a hilt unlocked..? thought that only happened with purple stuff? or is it random? sorry i know this is too long but anyone who will help thanks.

purple yellow and blue

the armour has changed locations since the gwg site was last updated; so far I've found armour in post-sear Ascalon, Yaks Bend and Lions Arch.

Salvaging runes etc happen on all magic items, but i think you will get better ones from purple items (as these are generally the better items anyway). I've had most of my weapon upgrades and runes from blue things; only found one purple thing so far.

I've expert salvaged quite a few purple items and gotten nothing. Overall I have found probably 10 different runes, almost all of them from the light-blue colored items. I got a couple from yellow items as well. My buddy says he has gotten runes from a purple item though, so who knows. The purple items confuse me.

When you say yellow item or purple item or light blue item what are you actually talking about? Is the name of the item colored or is the icon of the item colored itself? I am trying to remember if I have been a big dunderhead and regular salvaged a colored item...

The name of the item.