Quote Originally Posted by tilt View Post
A blacksmith might be fine for a hamlet if there is no other blacksmiths close by - somebody has to fix horseshoes, scythes, wagon wheels and who knows what. A leatherworker might be a stretch, they'd probably buy their leather from pedlers.
Could you justify it as this place being the biggest concentration of people for a long way?

So the blacksmith and leatherworker aren't just supplying the hamlet, they're supplying a few hundred people in the surrounding lands too, via peddlers and occasional trading visitors.

Disclaimer: I have no clue what sort of population is needed to support a leatherworker, but I'm guessing it varies wildly depending on wealth and quantity of animals used by the locals.
e.g. you need gear for any animal pulling your plough, or riding animals, etc...