Let me say right of the bat that I don't know anything about your ability as a crafter and I am not blaming you but at lvl 16 you should be able to turn out viable combines that are far better than anything the IoR had to offer.
For what it's worth, I have 3 crafters all around lvl 30, (provisioner, tailor & woodworker), and a couple more in their teens so like you, I craft a lot. I sell a ton of goods from each of them... so someone must think the merchandise has value...
Now let me ask you a few questions...
What is the average quality level of the items you are crafting. Do you reach pristine with any degree of consistancy or regularity? (The quality level of the item will directly affect the stats you receive from it.)
At lvl 10, you got new sets of buffs (to maintain durability) for each of your three possible subclasses. Are you using these new buffs when you craft?
And speaking of buffs, do you buff every pulse or do you only buff to counter events? (Buffing each pulse can not only speed up the combine but more important, will allow you to control the process so that you can maintain the quality level you desire.)
Have you examined all of the recipes available to you? (Some may have better stats or are better suited to your character than others.)
To actually answer your question, although the T1 stuff you are making now is viable and even useful, the items that you will make from tier 2 and on, (you will start getting these recipes at lvl 19), is where you will really begin to shine.
I am currently entering tier 4 with my tailor and I still can't make tier 2 leather armor fast enough to keep up with demand. (I would stop making it, since at this point it is all gray to me and so has become a PITA, but the income derived from it is just too good to pass up!)
Edited, Wed Oct 12 11:48:54 2005 by OldBlueDragon