I absolutelly Understand you, i have just tried to bring my Point Closer to the Other Points 
(With my very sheit English).
If an Item is in the Common Category (Like Fibrous Leaves) and if it is used like the Leaves in almost every Recipe, it should be as easy to aquire as wood, stone or sand.
I think they should just throw the Sackclooth and Glue Requirements for Copper and Iron Tools, the Leather Requirement for Gemstuff is, like you said, Okay cause you get Mighty Stuff from that.
After that you just have to Grind Sackclooth for Bufffoods and considering the Buffstrength, thats completely Okay for me.
The Coal Situation isn’t really that bad, cause the uncompressed coal produces now a lot of heat and it drops like the Leaves should