Dwarven Smithing

[Sailor]

Everybody says that iron daggers are they way to level up smithing, but I have found a much better way.
Walk through already visited/cleared dwemer ruins and pick up all the metal pieces except scrap metal (bent scrap metal works, but not regular scrap metal).

It is all very heavy so I would recommend that you only take one weapon and armor and nothing else. I also recommend the deep pockets perk and/or the Steed Stone which give you 100 more carrying capacity each. Another tip is to bring a follower to help you carry it.

Do this in already cleared places because you won't have to deal with enemies and you can make a quick run through.

Some ruins will contain well over 600 or 700 pounds or grams or whatever unit of weight Skyrim uses.
Once you have all of this go to Whiterun and smelt it all at Adrianne Avenicci's shop right at the gate. You will have somewhere between 100-300 dwarven metal ingot. Next buy some iron ore and smelt it. Its much cheaper than ingot and there is a smelter 5 feet away. Then craft Dwarven bows (require 2 dwarven, 1 iron). Each bow levels you up more than a dagger and if you sell them afterward you makes tons of money.

I have found this method much faster, more fun, and more profitable than smithing daggers.

 

[butcherpete2277]

While you are completely correct, you're a bit late to the party...

 

[Jay-1410]

I never knew this but the Transmute iron ore to silver and silver to gold and then make gold rings is so much easier

 

[Sailor]

Jay, that's what I do on the lower levels before I have been through any dwarven ruins

 

[Jay-1410]

Jay, that's what I do on the lower levels before I have been through any dwarven ruins

So what level would you recommend going through the dwemer ruins at?
My smithing is 60 so should i go through them now?

 

[Sailor]

It doesn't matter what level your smithing is. I was talking about your characters level. if you haven't been through any ruins yet you can't do it. I go back through already cleared ruins to avoid enemies, but near the beginning of the game you haven't been to any ruins yet. Basically, if you have already been through the ruins, go back through them.

 

[Jaeger]

There is the Dwemer Storeroom southeast of Windhelm with no mechanical critters. Its part of the Mfulpt (sp) complex. There's also a tower in the Reach with no opposition.

 

[Jaeger]

OP, you can also kill something, give them all your baggage, raise zombie and fast travel to town. Save beforehand, just in case. Works most of the time, but there has been a few times where the body turning to ashes is not there. I reloaded, gave the wolf all my baggage, fast travel to the stables or Dragonsreach and that work.

 

[Dagmar]

Everybody says that iron daggers are they way to level up smithing.

No. This was true before patch 1.5 changed the leveling mechanics for Smithing and it would have been no less true if the mechanics didn't change, i.e. it would have been faster than forging Dwarven weapons or armor under the old system. No one who has actually ever tried to level this way since patch 1.5 claims this now. It's arguably the most inefficient way to level Smithing skill.

Leveling by forging Dwarven weapons and armor isn't practical unless you're using heavy armor. Unless you're intent on grinding Smithing skill it's more simple and efficient to buy/mine iron ore and convert it to silver and gold ingots to make jewelry. 4 gold ingots forged into 8 gold rings will yield roughly the same Smithing xp as 6 Dwarven Metal ingots and 2 iron ingots forged into 3 Dwarven Bows, and iron ore is abundant throughout Skyrim as iron veins, and from blacksmiths and general goods merchants. At higher levels almost any piece of jewelry with gemstones in it will outlevel a Dwarven Bow.

 

[Lansworthy]

I don't know about you all, but I've always leveled my smithing up as I unlocked new things...