Silk

"It's so smooth!"

- Webber

Silk is a resource primarily obtained from Spiders or their Spider Dens, which is used in the creation of many useful items. Basic usage may be the sanity restoring Top Hat. Boomerang your basic ranged weapon. Winter Hat for moderate protection from cold Winters. Or Fishing Rod or Bird Trap to name a few common uses for Silk.

Farming
Spiders when on their own are not dangerous because consecutive hits on a spider stun-locks, causing them to become unable to strike back. Spiders in groups should be dealt with using proper fighting equipment (Log Suit and Spear obtainable early in game), or use Traps, unless you are experienced. Versus a tier 2 or tier 3 Spider Den, you must not attack any spider while they are standing within the perimeter of 'the web'. Doing so will spawn a large legion of Spiders and Spider Warriors to come after you, which is extremely dangerous. When farming spiders, first step on the web to lure out the first 1-3 Spiders, then kite them out of their web before attacking. To do this, keep within close distance. Walking too far away from the web causes the initial spiders to de-agro and return to the nest.

To farm with Traps, simply place down a trap then lure it in. Spiders and Warrior Spiders will not make any attempt to avoid traps or obstacles. The spider caught will be instantly killed and will drop its loot when the player picks up the trap.

An advanced strategy is to locate and destroy a tier 3 Spider Den to obtain a Spider Egg (you cannot burn spider dens or you will lose the egg). Earliest possible tier 3 nests is day 11. The Spider Egg will allow the player to place a tier 1 Spider Den down anywhere they choose. Place one near your base (not too near) to have easy access to a steady stream of spawning spiders. A spider den can also be placed near a large Pig village so that spawning spiders are killed by the Pigs, leaving their silk and healing salves on ground. The den itself is ignored by the pigs. The problem with this strategy is you will lose all Monster Meats because the pigs eat them, unless you supervise the action and pick them up before they do.

Spider Dens should be destroyed soon after they reach tier 3, because after 12.5 days at tier 3, they have a chance of turning into a Spider Queen. (Unless you want the Hat that drops from the queen). A tier 3 den will alway drops a Spider Egg (as well as 6 silk), enabling a new tier 1 nest to be placed without having to deal with the Queen.

Gathering
Silk is generally found after killing different types of Spiders. It has an approximate drop chance of 25% per kill. Silk is also dropped in bulk from the destruction of Spider Dens. A large Den yields 6 units of silk, a medium Den 4 units, and a small Den 2. Spider Dens will not drop any Silk if burned; it all turns to Ashes, although silk already on the ground will not light up. Spider Queens drop 4 Silk (along with a Spiderhat) when killed.

Reign of Giants icon.png of Giants
In the Reign of Giants DLC, destroying a Tumbleweed can grant Silk. Webber also grows a beard that can be shaved to gain Silk.

Usage
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