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Smithing is a production skill in which players make useful metal items from ores and bars. It is one of the more popular skills since a player can make a profit from selling his/her bars and other smithed items if all or some of the raw materials are gathered by the player. The current minimum requirement to be ranked (at rank 2,000,000) on the hiscores for Smithing is level 43.
Smithing is a very slow process and can be expensive for quick levelling. Purchasing all raw materials and then selling bars will result in a modest profit, while selling smithed items will usually result in a net loss.
Smithing has two distinct parts: smelting and forging.
For a list of furnaces, see Furnace.
Smelting is the process of creating a metal bar by extracting metal from an ore, which can be obtained using the Mining skill. To smelt a metal bar, a player must use an unnoted, unrefined ore of the desired metal on a furnace, or left-click the furnace and select the appropriate bar. Some metals require different kinds of ore and smelting some metals require the furnace's temperature be raised by adding coal to the furnace.
When smelting just a few ores, it can be faster to choose the Smelt 5 or Smelt 10 options, as bars will be smelted until the player runs out of ores.
All metals have a 100% success rate of being smelted with the exception of iron. As a balance to iron bars only requiring one ore, the smelting of iron ore will fail approximately 50% of the time.* This success rate is raised to 100% under any of the following conditions:
Note: The last 2 conditions are available only to members. *Also, iron ore will not give exactly half the bars of the amount of iron ore smelted. Every ore's "purity" is determined individually, so it is possible that more or less iron ores are actually turned into bars.
With level 43 Magic, a player can smelt bars using the Superheat Item spell. Doing so grants the same amount of Smithing experience and has a few advantages:
However, the cost of Nature runes required to support one inventory is enough to put off many players.
A player will need a higher Smithing level to smelt progressively higher level metals. Bars that can only be smithed by members are italicised.
| Image | Product | Level | Primary ore | Secondary ore | Exp | Fabrication Exp | Total Exp | Number smeltable in one trip to the furnace | Xp per inventory when using a furnace | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze bar | 1 | 1 Copper ore | 1 Tin ore | 6.2 | 12.5 | 18.7 | 14 | 82.5 | The weakest kind of bar. | |
| Blurite bar | 8 | 1 Blurite ore | 8 | 17.5 | 25 | 28 | 224 | Used to make Blurite crossbow limbs and bolts. Members only, The Knight's Sword quest also required. Also is one of the few bars that cannot be sold on the G.E. | ||
| Iron bar | 15 | 1 Iron ore | 12.5 | 25 | 37.5 | ~14 (without Ring of forging) | 175 | Smelting typically has a 50% chance of success. See success rate. | ||
| Elemental bar | 20 | 1 Elemental ore | 4 Coal | 7.5 | 20 | 27.5 | 5 | 37.5 | Members only. Used for smithing Elemental shields after completing the quest Elemental Workshop, and Elemental helmets after completing the quest Elemental Workshop II. | |
| Silver bar | 20 | 1 Silver ore | 13.67 | 16 (Crafting) | 28 | 382.76 | ||||
| Steel bar | 30 | 1 Iron ore | 2 Coal | 17.5 | 37.5 | 55 | 9 | 157.5 | ||
| Gold bar | 40 | 1 Gold ore | 22.5/56.2 | varies | - | 28 | 630/1573.6 | If a player wears Goldsmithing gauntlets from the Family Crest quest, they will receive 56.2 experience per bar smelted. | ||
| 'Perfect' gold bar | 40 | 1 'Perfect' gold ore | Used only in the Family Crest. | |||||||
| Mithril bar | 50 | 1 Mithril ore | 4 Coal | 30 | 50 | 80 | 5 | 150 | ||
| Adamantite bar | 70 | 1 Adamantite ore | 6 Coal | 37.5 | 62.5 | 100 | 4 | 150 | ||
| Runite bar | 85 | 1 Runite ore | 8 Coal | 50 | 75 | 125 | 3 | 150 |
For a list of anvils, see Anvil.
Main article: Smithing tables
Smithing is the process by which a player makes metal items out of one or more metal bars.
Smithing is almost always done at an anvil; some require special anvils at certain locations. When a player uses a metal bar on an anvil, a dialogue is shown in which the player selects which item to forge. The player can either click the item to smith one such item, or may right-click on the item and select a higher quantity of items to smith.
All smithing done on an anvil requires a hammer.
Experience can be calculated by taking the experience for smithing 1 bar, and multiplying it by the number of bars required to smith the given item. For example, the bronze platebody requires 5 bars, each of them gives 12.5 experience, for a total of 62.5 experience. This works for all types of the standard smithable bars except when making cannonballs.
If a player just wants to sell their bars or ores he/she gets from mining, then these prices are what he/she should follow. However, these prices will change over time.
Steel bars are the bars most recommended to smelt for profit. Many players smith steel platebodies or cannonballs to level up their Smithing skill, so there is a large demand for these bars. The best places to sell or buy steel bars is in Falador due to its centralised location to specialty shops (i.e. battle axe store in Port Sarim, shield store in Falador). Also try Varrock, on the official forum, or at the Grand Exchange. For current prices see Grand Exchange Market Watch/Mining.
The costs of buying ores for normal furnace smelting are as follows:
If one wanted to get an approximate yield from a load of metal bars (excluding iron), one could use this formula based on the amount of wealth invested.
Y = ⌊X/M⌋*B
Y = Yield
X = Invested Wealth
M = Cost of materials for 1 bar
B = Cost of 1 bar of the type you're making
All prices are based on current Grand Exchange prices contained at the Grand Exchange Market Watch/Mining page. All profit per bar figures are based on buying coal at current market price.
| Item | Market price | Per bar profit | Per bar profit using the Blast Furnace |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze bar | 313 | 110 | 110 |
| Iron bar* | 395 | -17 | 189 |
| Silver bar | 319 | 33 | 33 |
| Steel bar | 957 | 213 | 482 |
| Gold bar | 108 | -205 | -205 |
| Mithril bar | 1,590 | 227 | 765 |
| Adamantite bar | 2,984 | 183 | 990 |
| Runite bar | 19,700 | 320 | 1,396 |
| Note: All amounts are in coins. *Iron is calculated at a 50% success rate when not using the Blast Furnace and/or a Ring of Forging. | |||
Smithing can be trained a variety of ways for both free players and members as well as in conjunction with training other skills. Note that the experience per ore varies.
Free players can train Smithing with a variety of ores, bars, and smithed metal items.
Here are recommended methods that a free player can use to raise their Smithing level.
For a Pay to Play training ,see Pay-to-play Smithing training.
Many players opt to train additional skills in conjunction with smithing training including skills such as crafting, fletching, magic, and mining.
For non-members, there are very few ways that players will be able to incorporate Crafting in conjunction with Smithing. Smelting silver or gold ore and using the remaining bars to gain experience to Crafting are namely the only methods, and since it is more cost effective to sell the gold ores, it is not recommended that players should use it at all without goldsmithing gauntlets. For tips on what you should use your silver bars on, please refer to the Crafting skill page.
For members, since smelting gold ores can be done with goldsmithing gauntlets, its use is much more effective, and creation of Jewellery can be a great way to counterbalance the lost opportunity costs from Mining their ores, or the costs that a player may have paid in exchange for their ores. Making sapphire and emerald bracelets can yield good experience, at 40 for each sapphire bracelet, and 60 for each emerald bracelet, and further be used in High Level Alchemy to increase the amount of experience gain even further. Though depending on if players buy, or mine their own gems, it may be more cost effective to sell the bracelets as they are.
Additionally, with the introduction of the Rogue Jewellery trader, players can craft sapphire, emerald or ruby necklaces instead, and increase profit by as much as 150 coins over making bracelets. This method requires completion of Spirit of Summer and Summer's End. The prices may also vary, as the Rogue Jeweller will pay the Grand Exchange minimum price of the piece of jewellery being offered.
Fletching is a skill that (only) members can use to make arrows, bolts, crossbows, or darts for Fletching experience. Note that there is a high level of market competition for all of these commodities, other than crossbows.
Players can smith arrowtips and use them to make arrows. Due to high competition, it is more profitable to sell such arrows as iron or steel. However, they provide fewer experience points per bar, feather, and log.
Members can also smith unfinished bolts which combined with feathers can be made into finished, usable bolts, which can have gem-tips added.
Players can smith crossbow limbs, which can be made into crossbows; however, due to the extra time involved making these, it is a slow method for training Fletching.
After completing The Tourist Trap quest, members can smith unfinished darts which combined with feathers can be made into finished darts.
Players can train Magic using the Superheat Item and High Level Alchemy spells.
Using the Superheat Item spell is a very effective way to simultaneously train Mining, Magic, and Smithing at the same time. To begin, bring a large amount of nature runes and a pickaxe in your inventory (as you will be wielding your fire staff). Mining iron ore and then super heating it now returns a profit! (For the moment at least.) Next, mine enough of the ore that you only have enough space left in your inventory for the right amount of coal. For example, if you were to superheat mithril, you would mine 22 mithril ore, which leaves just enough room for 4 coal, then you can then proceed to superheat into a mithril bar. After superheating, you can now mine another 4 coal and repeat the process until all 22 mithril ores are smelted. This is an effective way to mine longer without the need for banking. The Superheat Item spell requires a Magic level of 43.
Superheating can also be done at a bank if the player wishes not to train the Mining skill. It is recommended that members wear goldsmithing gauntlets any time they are smelting gold ore for the additional Smithing experience gain.
See also: Alchemy Guide
Many items made from smithing are more than worth casting high alchemy on them. This turns them into coins. Casting high alchemy requires a Magic level of 55.
Some items recommended for high alchemy include:
Additionally, some items in the crafting section above can be high alched for profit.
| Item | Bars | High alch / Specialist store price | Bronze value/bar |
Iron value/bar |
Steel value/bar |
Mithril value/bar |
Adamantite value/bar |
Runite value/bar |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | Iron | Steel | Mithril | Adamantite | Runite | ||||||||
| Dagger | 1 | 6 | 21 | 75 | 195 | 480 | 4,600 | 6 | 21 | 75 | 195 | 480 | 4,600 |
| Hatchet | 1 | 9 | 33 | 120 | 312 | 768 | 7,680 | 9 | 33 | 120 | 312 | 768 | 7,680 |
| Mace | 1 | 10 | 37 | 135 | 351 | 864 | 8,640 | 10 | 37 | 135 | 351 | 864 | 8,640 |
| Medium helmet | 1 | 14 | 50 | 180 | 468 | 1,152 | 11,520 | 14 | 50 | 180 | 468 | 1,152 | 11,520 |
| Sword | 1 | 15 | 54 | 195 | 507 | 1,249 | 12,480 | 15 | 54 | 195 | 507 | 1,249 | 12,480 |
| Scimitar | 2 | 19 | 67 | 240 | 624 | 1,536 | 15,360 | 9.5 | 33.5 | 120 | 312 | 768 | 7,680 |
| Longsword | 2 | 24 | 84 | 300 | 780 | 1,919 | 19,200 | 12 | 42 | 150 | 390 | 959.5 | 9,600 |
| Full helmet | 2 | 26 | 92 | 330 | 858 | 2,112 | 21,120 | 13 | 46 | 165 | 429 | 1,056 | 10,560 |
| Square shield | 2 | 28 | 100 | 360 | 936 | 2,304 | 23,040 | 14 | 50 | 180 | 468 | 1,152 | 11,520 |
| Warhammer | 3 | 28 | 103 | 384 | 996 | 2,472 | 24,900 | 9.33 | 34.33 | 128 | 332 | 824 | 8,300 |
| Battleaxe | 3 | 31 | 109 | 390 | 1,014 | 2,496 | 24,960 | 10.33 | 36.33 | 130 | 338 | 832 | 8,320 |
| Chainbody | 3 | 36 | 126 | 450 | 1,170 | 2,880 | 30,000 | 12 | 42 | 150 | 390 | 960 | 10,000 |
| Kiteshield | 3 | 40 | 142 | 510 | 1,326 | 3,264 | 32,640 | 13.33 | 47.33 | 170 | 442 | 1,088 | 10,880 |
| Two-handed sword | 3 | 48 | 168 | 600 | 1,560 | 3,840 | 38,400 | 16 | 56 | 200 | 520 | 1,280 | 13,400 |
| Platelegs/Plateskirt | 3 | 48 | 168 | 600 | 1,560 | 3,840 | 38,400 | 16 | 56 | 200 | 520 | 1,280 | 13,400 |
| Platebody | 5 | 96 | 336 | 1,200 | 3,120 | 9,985 | 39,000 | 19.2 | 67.2 | 240 | 624 | 1998 | 7800 |
This compares how much experience is earned for the number of ores used. Gold using the members-only goldsmithing gauntlets is first with 56.2 experience per ore; iron is second with 37.5 experience per ore (using either the blast furnace or a ring of forging. The Keldagrim blast furnace minigame requires only half the amount of coal for steel, mithril, adamant and rune smelting. Additionally smelting iron ore at the blast furnace gives a 100% smelting success rate without requiring a ring of forging.
For non-members the best experience per ore is gold with 22.5 experience followed by iron with approximately 18.8 experience and steel with 18.3 experience per ore.
| Ore | Number of ores | Smelting exp. | Smithing exp. | Total exp. | Total exp. per ore | Blast furnace total exp. per ore |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | 2 | 6.2 | 12 | 18.2 | 9.1 | 9.1 |
| Blurite | 1 | 8 | 17 | 25 | 25 | n/a |
| Iron | 1 (~50% success rate) | 6.25 | 12.5 | 18.75 | 18.75 | 37.5 |
| Iron | 1 + ring of forging | 12.5 | 25 | 37.5 | 37.5 | 37.5 |
| Elemental | 5 | 7.5 | 10 | 17.5 | 3.5 | n/a |
| Silver | 1 | 13.7 | n/a | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.5 |
| Steel | 3 | 17.5 | 37.5 | 55 | 18.3 | 27.5 |
| Gold | 1 | 22.5 | n/a | 22.5 | 22.5 | 22.5 |
| Gold | 1 + goldsmithing gauntlets | 56.2 | n/a | 56.2 | 56.2 | 56.2 |
| Mithril | 5 | 30 | 50 | 80 | 16 | 26.7 |
| Adamant | 7 | 37.5 | 62.5 | 100 | 14.3 | 25 |
| Rune | 9 | 50 | 75 | 125 | 13.8 | 25 |
Note: *Members can smith gold bars into two quest items at 30 xp per bar, however this in not an effective way to train as the items may fail and only one is allowed which requires the player to continually drop the items after smithing each item singly.
An additional factor which is often overlooked is the time taken to gain experience. In this regard both iron ore and gold ore excel.
For those that plan on gaining experience by making a lot of money to then buy lots of ores or bars, this shows the most cost effective way either to smelt the ore and smith the bar, or just smith the bar
| Ore | Coins needed for 1 exp by buying ores | Coins needed for 1 exp by buying bars |
|---|---|---|
| Bronze | 6.51 | 14.56 |
| Blurite | n/a | n/a |
| Iron | ~5.44 (~50% success rate) | 9.88 |
| Iron | 2.72 (ring of forging) | 9.88 |
| Elemental | n/a | n/a |
| Silver | 13.31 | n/a |
| Steel | 8.33 | 11.49 |
| Gold | 16.21 | n/a |
| Gold | 8.11 (goldsmithing gauntlets) | n/a |
| Mithril | 11.76 | 22.98 |
| Adamant | 21.14 | 37.14 |
| Rune | 134.59 | 228 |
Mod Mark has stated that there will be future updates in Smithing.
| “ | Lil Duck 99 asks: Do you plan on updating old skills such as Mining, Smithing that essentially lost most of it's purpose other than show?
Mod Mark: Yes.[1] |
” |
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— Mod Mark
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Mod Mark on mining and smithing update.
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