Why Train Smithing?

Before diving into the leveling process, it's good to understand why Smithing is valuable:

Access to Better Equipment: Higher Smithing levels unlock the ability to craft stronger weapons and armor.

Money-Making Opportunities: Certain smithing activities, like making cannonballs or high-level armor, can be profitable.

Skillcape: Level 99 Smithing rewards you with the coveted Skillcape of Smithing.

Self-Sufficiency: Smith your own gear instead of relying on the Grand Exchange.

Quest Requirements: Some quests require certain Smithing levels.

Basics of Smithing

Smithing requires ores that you smelt into metal bars using a furnace, and then you use these bars at an anvil to craft items. The two main components of leveling are:

Smelting: Turning ores into bars.

Smithing: Using bars to create items.

You can level Smithing by either or both, depending on your strategy.

Leveling Smithing 1-99: Methods Overview

Here's a broad breakdown of popular leveling methods:

1-15: Smelting copper and tin ores into bronze bars.

15-30: Smelting iron bars or crafting iron items.

30-52: Smelting steel bars or making steel items.

52-99: High-level bars and items like mithril, adamant, and rune equipment, or use more efficient methods like Blast Furnace or cannonballs.

Detailed Step-by-Step Guide

Levels 1-15: Bronze Bar Smelting

Method: Smelt copper and tin ores into bronze bars.

Location: Al Kharid furnace or Lumbridge furnace are good options.

Tips: You can mine your own copper and tin or buy ores/bars from the Grand Exchange.

Experience: Each bronze bar gives 6.25 XP.

Goal: Reach level 15 so you can smelt iron bars.

Levels 15-30: Iron Bar Smelting or Iron Items

Option 1: Smelt Iron Bars

Smelting iron bars is slightly risky due to the chance of failing and losing ores.

Each successful iron bar gives 12.5 XP.

Use a furnace and consider paying attention to the smelting animation to minimize waste.

Option 2: Make Iron Items

Use already made iron bars to smith items such as iron daggers or knives.

This method requires more bars but gives more XP per item.

Recommended: Smelting iron bars is faster and cheaper at this level.

Levels 30-52: Steel Bar Smelting or Smithing

Method: Smelt steel bars (one iron ore + two coal) or smith steel items like steel platebodies, which are expensive but offer good XP.

XP: Steel bars give 17.5 XP per bar.

Tip: Use the Blast Furnace minigame to smelt bars more efficiently with less coal required and less risk of waste.

Alternative: Smith steel items if you have a surplus of steel bars.

Levels 52-70: Mithril Bars and Items

Method: Smelt mithril bars (one mithril ore + four coal) or smith mithril items.

XP: Mithril bars give 30 XP each.

Efficiency: Again, the Blast Furnace is recommended for smelting mithril bars.

Smithing: Make mithril platebodies or other mithril gear for good XP, but it can be expensive.

Levels 70-85: Adamant Bars and Items

Method: Smelt adamant bars or smith adamant items.

XP: Adamant bars give 37.5 XP each.

Location: Use the Blast Furnace for efficiency.

Smithing: Adamant items like platebodies or swords give decent XP but at a high cost.

Levels 85-99: Rune Bars and Efficient XP Methods

Method: Smelt rune bars or use alternative methods like making steel or mithril darts, steel or mithril knives, or cannonballs for efficient XP.

XP: Rune bars give 50 XP per bar, but the cost is very high.

Recommended: Use Blast Furnace for smelting rune bars.

Alternative: Making cannonballs is one of the fastest and most cost-effective methods for smithing XP from 1-99. It requires steel bars and grants 5 XP per cannonball made.

Other: Darts and knives are also good low-cost options for faster XP.

The Blast Furnace: The Best Smelting Method

The Blast Furnace is a minigame located in Keldagrim designed to drastically improve smelting efficiency. Benefits include:

Using half the amount of coal normally required.

Less chance of ore loss.

Fastest smelting XP rates.

Can be done solo or with friends.

Requirements:

At least level 60 Smithing (for full benefits).

Completing the The Giant Dwarf quest to access Keldagrim.

Using the Blast Furnace can cut your costs and time dramatically, making it the preferred method for mid to high-level Smithing.

Alternative Smithing XP Methods

If you want to avoid high costs of bars or want to supplement smelting, consider these:

Cannonballs (Levels 1-99)

Requires steel bars.

Grants 5 XP per cannonball.

Very fast XP rates.

Great money-maker if you sell cannonballs.

Making Darts and Knives

Use steel, mithril, adamant, or rune bars.

Lower XP per item but cheap and fast.

Great for those on a budget.

Money-Making Considerations While Smithing

Smithing can be very costly, especially at higher levels. Here are some tips to manage costs:

Use the Blast Furnace for efficiency.

Buy ores or bars in bulk from the Grand Exchange at lower prices.

Sell high-demand items like cannonballs or darts for profit.

Avoid expensive items that won't sell well if you want to minimize loss.

Final Tips for Efficient Smithing

Always use the fastest furnace available.

Consider using experience-boosting items like the Ring of Forging (doubles chance to smelt bars without fail).

Watch for market prices to know when to buy/sell materials.

Complete quests that unlock smithing bonuses and access to Blast Furnace.

Use the bank and inventory space wisely to avoid unnecessary trips and buy OSRS gold easily.

Conclusion

Leveling Smithing in Old School RuneScape from 1 to 99 is a rewarding journey that blends resource management, gameplay strategy, and market savvy. Whether you're grinding out cannonballs for quick XP or meticulously smelting high-tier bars at the Blast Furnace, there are plenty of ways to suit your playstyle and budget.

With patience and planning, you'll reach level 99 Smithing and earn the Skillcape, all while crafting your way to power and wealth in Gielinor.