you only need to make very little primitive stuff before being able to learn and make recipes stuff. and then the prim stuff is totally meaningless to the larger tier.
i.e, I only need to craft two set of leather to learn Ranger. Then Ranger start all over at Poor. Hide is very very easy to gather. Doesn't take long to get those two initial sets cooked . Longer now with being able to cook more at one time, but still.
I submit that Primitive should need to be maxed before a recipe could be learned. Or learn it at Level 2, but not craftable. At which point, Ranger would then start at Green, owing to the expertise (and time gate) in getting that far. Naturally, Metal still gets the shaft because it takes a heckuva lot longer to get to that point,
I didnt do any cloth crafting beyond the minimum require, but the they don't already then the higher tier material need to have some kind of gate as well. Perhaps a sewing station that take say maybe 8 hours to prepare Spider Silk or primal weave.
I like some of the changes made to crafting. Specifically being able to cook more at one time, thus needing fewer stations than before, but at the same time, there's still a lot of work to be done to properly balance everything. Or at least make it "fair"
Here's another random thought. Recipes could be gated as well. Beyond the drop rate. Say..the first Shortbow you find lets you craft Green. The seconds add to it and now you can craft Blue, etc etc. That adds not only a time suck, but incentive and duration to keep hunting. Would really help the economy as well.
Or..tiers of recipes when dropped. Not only does say a Dragon have a better chance to drop Shortbow, but he could drop the highest form of the recipe.