Leather

Leather is an item in Minecraft that was added July 20th, 2010 along with the introduction of cows. It can be acquired by killing cows, which will drop 0-2 pieces of leather upon death.

Leather is used to craft the lowest tier of armor, and has no other use. 24 pieces are required to craft the full set: Although it doesn't make very durable armor, leather is the easiest of armor materials to obtain in the beginning of a new save and can help the player survive the first few nights. In addition, it is the only renewable resource armor can be made from. Other armor materials include iron, gold, and diamond.
 * 5 pieces for the cap
 * 8 pieces for the tunic
 * 7 pieces for the pants
 * 4 pieces for the boots

Trivia

 * After Seecret Friday 8, chickens would drop leather if killed by fire or fall damage, although it has since been fixed

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