How to Master Blacksmithing in Elder Scroll IV

Purchase lots of blacksmith hammers. Until you become a master at this skill, your hammers will occasionally break as you repair items. Because you need these hammers to repair items and you must repair items to increase your skill, you must always have a supply of hammers.

Loot and repair armor and weapons from your opponents. The more armor you repair, the higher your skill gets, so repair your fallen opponents' armor. Even if you can't carry it back with you, you can increase your skill, and if you can carry it, repaired armor sells for more than damaged armor, so you can make some gold in the process.

Let enemies, particularly lower-level enemies, hit you. If the opponents you are facing are survivable, allowing them to strike you will damage your armor, giving you a chance to repair it. This will also increase the skill for the armor you're wearing, either Light Armor or Heavy Armor.

Repair your own weapons. Every time you use a weapon, it becomes worn. After battles, repair your weapon. Striking other objects, such as boxes, also damages weapons to make them repairable.

Read the skill books. Because they simply add skill points, you should read them once you're already skilled, because the lower levels are much easier to progress through. Find "Light Armor Repair" inside the castle barracks in Bravil and "The Armorer's Challenge" in the Fighter's Guild in Cheydinhal or the First Edition bookstore in Imperial City's Market. Find "Cherim's Heart of Anequina" in First Edition. "Last Scabbard of Akrash" is in the Fighting Chance store of the Imperial City Market. Finally, "Heavy Armor Repair" is occasionally marauder or tomb loot.