Scrimshaw

Scrimshaw is the sailor's folk art: carving bone, shell and whalebone into small charms you actually equip. It is the artisan trade with the clearest payoff, because it fills a socket nothing else can fill. Nineteen charms exist, from the Charm of the Gull at level 1 to the Charm of the Undertow at 92, and the one you wear is a real build decision rather than a cosmetic one.

How Scrimshaw works

You carve charms from Beachcombing's Tide Shell, Whalebone and Ambergris together with bones from combat: the early charms take Tide Shell and Bones, the middle ones Whalebone and Big Bones or Hallowed Bones, and the last three Dragon Bones and Ambergris. A carving knife speeds every carve, forged in Bronze, Silvern or Runesteel.

Most charms are a trade-off, a Gift and a Toll in the same lane. The Charm of the Gull gives 12% gathering speed and takes 12% of your gathering mastery XP; the Charm of the Anchor does the opposite. The three Leviathan-class charms at the top break that rule: the Charm of the Leviathan gives 4% XP in every skill and asks nothing back.

Your charm socket sits alongside your ordinary gear, one charm per equipment set, so a charm never competes with your weapon or armour. Scrimshaw has its own mastery and a Toolbelt slot, with the Bone Gouge and the Burnisher as two ways of working the bench.

Tips for training Scrimshaw

1. The charm socket is separate from your other gear, so carving a charm costs you nothing you are already wearing.
2. Read the Toll before the Gift. A charm whose Toll lands on something you do not care about is a free Gift.
3. Beachcombing is the steady source of carving stock, and it banks while you are away.
4. Equip the Narwhal familiar from Binding for a 5% chance to keep your materials.

Skills that pair with Scrimshaw

The 28 trades aren't isolated. Scrimshaw works best alongside these:

Frequently asked about Scrimshaw

Can I wear more than one charm?

No. There is a single charm socket for each equipment set, and swapping is free, so the choice is which one is right for what you are doing rather than how many you can stack.

Where does carving material come from?

Beachcombing brings the Tide Shell, Whalebone and Ambergris, and combat brings the bones. Neither needs to be maxed to keep Scrimshaw supplied.

Is Scrimshaw in the free game?

No. Scrimshaw is part of the one-time $9.99 unlock, along with Chartwork. Beachcombing and Shipwrighting are free.

Is this the Scrimshaw Ward from World of Warcraft?

Different game. The Scrimshaw Ward is a carved quest item in World of Warcraft's Midnight expansion, traded during the Knock-off Amani endeavor. Tideward is an idle RPG for Apple devices, Android and PC, and Scrimshaw here is a whole trade: carving bone and shell into nineteen equippable charms with a dedicated socket of their own. If you want a game that keeps progressing between raid nights, the free beta installs in about two minutes.