Hards and sharps

What is the best method for obtaining these, I have been just straight gathering these so far, it is time consuming. Since luck has no effect and lucky tools also have no effect I get a higher drop chance in retail.

I see quite a few people enhancing quite heavily, do they know something I do not? or are they just playing alot?

 

Its a mixture of getting normal black stones and gathering for shards. You need to find the right balance in fail stacking which is completely different here then retail. Eventually someone will come out with a nice guide but for now its pretty much trial and error.

As for getting shards get your gathering skill up to master+ by doing the guru quest line in suggested quest log. I still use lucky and magics just cuz i make them. With 240 energy I tend to get 15-25 shards, head back to town and refill energy at innkeeper and go at it again if you wish or let it regen naturally while you grind on mobs for blackstones.