This document provides a more detailed breakdown of how smithing works in-game, for those who don't want to jump straight in and know it all right away... a sort of "spoiler guide", so to speak.

[note: a test barrel has been placed just outside the exit to the prison sewers with everything you need in large quantities, if you want to try things out right away]


The chances to receive ores from mining veins are:

Iron - Blunt skill/2
Silver - Blunt skill/3
Gold - Blunt skill/4
Glass - Blunt skill/5
Ebony - Blunt skill/5

and the gemstones may be found in these veins:

Iron - Topaz
Silver - Ruby
Gold - Sapphire
Glass - Emerald
Ebony - Diamond


The public forges and smithing hammers can be found in the following locations (note that not all of these locations have forges, brackets show what armours/weapons can be made at each location):

Anvil - Morvayn's Peacemakers (Iron, Mithril, Silver, Steel)
Bravil - outside the Fighters Guild (Chainmail, Iron)
Bruma - Hammer and Axe (Chainmail, Iron, Steel)
Cheydinhal - The March Rider (Chainmail, Dwarven, Glass, Iron, Steel)
Chorrol - Fire and Steel (Chainmail, Ebony, Iron, Steel)
Imperial City - A Fighting Chance (Chainmail, Daedric, Ebony, Elven, Iron, Steel)
Leyawiin - The Dividing Line (Chainmail, Iron, Mithril, Orcish, Silver)
Skingrad - behind Hammer and Tongs (Chainmail, Iron, Orcish, Steel)

There are an additional forge and smithing hammers at Cloud Ruler Temple, for crafting ONLY Blades, Imperial Legion and Town Guard equipment.


The vendors stocking raw materials are as follows:

Agnete The Pickled - Iron Ore, Gold Nugget, Silver Nugget, Wolf Pelt, Lion Pelt, Bear Pelt, Iron Ingot, Steel Ingot
Daenlin - Iron Ore, Wolf Pelt, Lion Pelt, Bear Pelt, Iron Ingot, Steel Ingot
Fjotreid - Iron Ore, Wolf Pelt, Lion Pelt, Bear Pelt, Iron Ingot, Steel Ingot
Rasheda - Iron Ore, Wolf Pelt, Lion Pelt, Bear Pelt, Iron Ingot, Steel Ingot
Rohssan - Iron Ore, Gold Nugget, Silver Nugget, Raw Ebony, Raw Glass, Wolf Pelt, Lion Pelt, Bear Pelt, Iron Ingot, Steel Ingot, Elven Ingot, Ebony Ingot
Tertia Viducia - Iron Ore, Gold Nugget, Raw Ebony, Raw Glass, Wolf Pelt, Lion Pelt, Bear Pelt, Iron Ingot, Steel Ingot, Dwarven Ingot, Glass Ingot
Tun-Zeeus - Iron Ore, Gold Nugget, Silver Nugget, Iron Ingot, Steel Ingot, Silver Ingot
Varel Morvayn - Iron Ore, Gold Nugget, Silver Nugget, Iron Ingot, Steel Ingot, Silver Ingot


The mines containing ores are:

Iron Ore - Barren Mine, Derelict Mine, Echo Mine, Empty Mine, Exhausted Mine, Forsaken Mine, Pillaged Mine, Plundered Mine, Shattered Mine, Squandered Mine
Silver - Bleak Mine, Cursed Mine, Haunted Mine, Infested Mine
Gold - Abandoned Mine, Desolate Mine
Glass - Deserted Mine
Ebony - Gutted Mine


The materials required for each ingot are as follows:

Iron Ingot - 2 Iron Ore
Steel Ingot - 4 Iron Ore
Dwarven Ingot - 4 Iron Ore + 1 Gold Nugget
Silver Ingot - 5 Silver Nugget
Elven Ingot - 4 Gold Nugget + 1 Silver Nugget
Glass Ingot - 4 Raw Glass + 1 Silver Nugget
Ebony Ingot - 4 Raw Ebony + 1 Gold Nugget
Daedric Ingot - 4 Raw Ebony + 1 Daedra Heart


The levels at which you can craft certain items are as follows (brackets indicate 100% success rate):

Iron/Fur - 0+ (30)
Steel/Leather - 10+ (40)
Dwarven/Chainmail/Silver - 20+ (50)
Blades/Guard/Legion - 25+ (55)
Orcish/Mithril - 30+ (60)
Ebony/Elven - 40+ (70)
Daedric/Glass - 50+ (80)

Note that Dwarven and Elven equipment requite you to have the Elven Smithing book in your inventory, Glass equipment requires the Glass Smithing book, and Daedric requires the Daedric Smithing book.  The Imperial Smithing book is needed to craft Blades, Legion and Town Guard equipment.  These skill books have been added to the standard book lists, including those of the bookstores.


The number of ingots required to smith armour pieces and weapon types are as follows:

Boots - 6 ingots
Cuirass - 15 ingots
Gauntlets - 4 ingots
Greaves - 8 ingots
Helmet - 2 ingots
Shield - 7 ingots
Full suit - 42 ingots

10 Arrows - 1 ingot
Battle Axe - 10 ingots
Bow - 3 ingots
Claymore - 10 ingots
Dagger - 1 ingot
Longsword - 6 ingots
Mace - 6 ingots
Shortsword - 3 ingots
War Axe - 6 ingots
Warhammer - 10 ingots

The pieces yielded by animal pelts are as follows:

Wolf Pelt - Boots+Gauntlets+Helmet, Cuirass, Greaves+Shield (Full Suit requires 3 pelts)
Lion Pelt - Boots+Gauntlets+Cuirass, Helmet+Greaves+Shield (Full Suit requires 2 pelts)
Bear Pelt - Full Suit