It seems to be taking forever to perfect and it sucks not being able to know things like +dam, etc...

Can I just sit and lore one item a bunch of times until I perfect lore?

Or do you need to be using lore on lots of different items, only high level items, or does it matter? Any tricks I should know about this skill?

Observation points is great for getting lore up, especially with a dumber race. When I last played a fire giant, I had it close to mastered when I hit hero, without ever spamming lore. However, if you're a fighter class with very little use for mana, the trick is to just pay attention to your mana and spam it when you see that you have a lot. When I've been really dilligent about that I've had it above 95 by level 40 with something as dumb as a storm giant.

Lore will go up with observation experience, if I recall correctly. That'll take care of most of it.

However, if you aren't using mana much, just spam lore every so often when you aren't doing anything. It'll rarely improve but occasionally it will, and it costs you nothing.

Go exploring. After each area you explore discuss with your guildmaster. Lore goes up pretty often with discussion so you should get it up pretty quick.

Or do what the other guy suggested.

that if you are a warrior character and don't use much mana for anything other than berserk. Spam lore 10 times or so when full mana and then let it trickle back up to 100%. Helps work meditaton too to have it working 100% of the time. If you do use mana for cabal powers etc and don't want to be caught with your pants down. Spam it just before ranking for the ranking restore.

-----Abernyte

Seriously though, spam it on anything and it will go up the same.

I'd encourage you to explore a lot, I'm pretty sure lore goes up most of the time when you discuss with the guildmaster.