Morgant

What you're doing sounds fine. I tend to use expert whenever, but if you're looking to conserve cash, just use it on rare drops.
And no, don't use an ID kit on anything not blue/yellow.

static deathbringer

since id kits are alot less expensive now and hold 25 charges instead of 5 i pretty much id everything, even if its not yellow or blue, this is how i was lucky enough to use an expert salvage kit on a sword and got a nice hilt, same with a bow grip, its all random i think

Morgant

You can still salvage rare components like hilts, grips and strings without identifying the item though. So I typically salvage first (except with max dmg. weapons), and if I get something good from that, I ID it.

Lews

I'm not sure if I've ever actually used one, I never get good weapons worth it.

Freyas

Expert salvage kits will not generally get you better results than normal salvage kits. However, in some instances, they can get you rarer crafting materials(steel instead of iron, linen instead of cloth, etc), generally on higher-level items.

Expert Kit:
Any Armor(salvage item)- you can get runes out of any armor, and a rune is generally worth all the charges you waste on armors that don't give you runes. If you run into yellow or blue rare armors, definately use an expert kit- if you get them in ascalon, keep them around until you can get an expert kit in Yak's Bend.

Weapons that you want an upgrade from- Identify the weapon first, and if you decide that you want an upgrade component from it(hilt, haft, grip, wrapping, string, etc), use an expert kit. Remember that only the upgrades can be salvaged, so the "of enchanting" 20% increased enchantment duration can be salvaged out and used on another item, but an inherent bonus that doesn't have a name such as +15% damage while hexed cannot be salvaged.

High level focuses- Focuses(foci?) often salvage into rare crafting materials- elementalists will often give parchment/cloth, mesmer ones give glittering dust, etc. Often monk and necro foci are not worth an expert kit, as necro foci will generally give bones, and monk ones give wood more often than not.

Normal Salvage Kit- anything else. all bows will either yield a string/grip, or will salvage into wood, so unless you want one of the upgrades from it, you're better off using a normal kit. Similarly, most weapons will yield iron or wood, and sometimes granite, regardless of which kit you use.

__________________
Freyas- Spirits of War
~The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity

Elonis

when do you start to find armor.. so far all i get is weapons, shield, crafting materials, and misc.

Aria

You start getting armor as early as the charr.

And to clarify.. the armor that is dropped is always npc armor. So, for example, you can have drops of "Flame Wielder's Trappings" from various charr that are.. well.. flame wielders.

Vanquisher

Expert everything. You get steel and the like from the basic Hammers/Swords/Axes. Then again, it could just be that I really don't want to waste 2 inventory spots on salvage kits (except if one is running low on uses and I want to sell it back to half cost to outfitter).

Mirrasi

Do you salvage everythign you possibly can? Stuff like scrolls or gargoyle skulls..basically do you salvage anything you can possibly click on? I would think you'd lose money that way, I notice things like wood planks and bones don't sell back to the trader very much (usually around 10 gold) and at 400 gold for a kit that seems to be a big money loss. Sorry for thre newb question :P Im just trying to understand what's worth even salvaging at all (Other than blue or other clored items).

Also, when you say "unlocked" do you mean like when you ID an unditentified blue item with gives you, say, +10 health? Is that something "unlocked" or do you mean somethign else?
Thanks