How effective is leather armor?

>>3231326
alright against slashes, utter shit against stabs, everyone who could afford it wore metal

>>3231326
Against skellies it's good enough, but by the time you've made it to the levels 9-12 and are fighting magma beasts and shit, you had better be rocking at the very least some splint mail.

padded cloth was apparently preferred

It's kinda shitty unless it's overlapping harderned leather plates. But that's very labor intensive and heavy.
Thick cloth is lighter and cheaper for about the same amount of protection.