Easiest way to find out sub craft skill levels?

[Wort]

I've just finished levelling my Leathercraft and have started on levelling subcrafts. I've levelled Alchemy and Smithing to 60 and now I'm going to start on Clothcraft.
What I want to do is take this opportunity to find out some of the skill caps for the various leathercraft (main) clothcraft (sub) synths.

I've identified lots of recipes with unknown Cloth subcrafts. What I'm unsure of, is the best way to find the cap. It seems to me that I have two options;

1. Attempt to make each item as my Clothcraft level rises.
2. Attempt to desynth each item as my Clothcraft level rises (will the items be desynthable?).
When I can attempt the synth successfully, I will know that the real skill level is 15 levels higher than my current one.

Are there any more options?
Austere Sabots has a Cloth subcraft level 1, so it makes me wonder how people found that out.

[Jg]

1. Attempt to make each item as my Clothcraft level rises.
When I can attempt the synth successfully, I will know that the real skill level is 15 levels higher than my current one.

pretty much the best option imo. It's going to take real dedication for the items that people care most about though, i.e. the ones that are near tier1 or tier0 cap with unknown cloth and will cost you lots of money when you finally hit 15 levels below and end up breaking it. In the name of science I salute you though!

[DuracellPhoenix]

nono do this:

walk outside and engage an enemy (from far away, not close) then attempt the synth. if you are able to synth, it will lose the crystal but not any items. if you aren't able to synth, it will give you the message that you don't have the skill level required to do the synth. then all it will ever cost you is the crystal

[Narse]

nono do this:

walk outside and engage an enemy (from far away, not close) then attempt the synth. if you are able to synth, it will lose the crystal but not any items. if you aren't able to synth, it will give you the message that you don't have the skill level required to do the synth. then all it will ever cost you is the crystal

Was just going to mention this myself. As long as you only have the weapon drawn, and aren't hitting the mob/being hit, you'll only lose the crystal (won't even go into the synthing animation), even on 100% loss items like Venomous Claws.