They're just achievement rewards, not meant to be the best things ever..no upgrade necessary honestly. If you look at the requirements of synthesis for one it's literally designed in the way you'll get it shortly after hitting 50 if you don't strictly level on 10+ recipes over your current level.

Really, only the people who were long capped by their introduction had to grind for it but you can do every tool cheaply, even using the previous items you made for the next range. Gathering classes only does one thing: Gather, so of course it's a different set of requirements :|