Can You Smith Bows in Skyrim? Crafting & Upgrading

Yes, you can smith bows in Skyrim. You craft them at a forge with the right materials and perks, and you improve them at a grinding wheel to increase their damage. This article explains the full process, from building your first longbow to tempering a legendary dragonbone bow.

How Bow Smithing Works

Smithing in Skyrim is a skill that lets you create and improve weapons and armor. For bows, the two relevant crafting stations are the forge (to create) and the grinding wheel (to improve). Your Smithing skill level, the perks you have unlocked, and the materials you carry all determine what you can make and how much you can upgrade it.

Every bow requires specific raw materials. The most basic bows need only firewood and iron ingots, while the most powerful require rare materials like ebony ingots and dragon bones. The game checks your Smithing level and perks against the recipe; if you meet the requirements, the bow appears in the craftable list at the forge.

Improving a bow at the grinding wheel follows a similar logic. You need one or more ingots (the same type used to craft it) and a high enough Smithing skill to get the best results. The damage increase from tempering is a percentage bonus, so a better base weapon and higher Smithing skill yield a larger improvement.

Smithing Perks for Bows

Perks are essential for crafting higher-tier bows. The Smithing perk tree is a linear progression, and you must invest points in order. The relevant perks for bows are:

• Steel Smithing (requires 30 Smithing) – Allows crafting and improving steel bows, iron bows, and longbows.
• Elven Smithing (requires 50 Smithing) – Unlocks elven and glass bows, as well as improved versions of those.
• Advanced Armors (requires 60 Smithing) – Unlocks scaled and steel plate armor, but also allows crafting of the dwarven and orcish bows.
• Glass Smithing (requires 70 Smithing) – Unlocks glass bows and armor.
• Ebony Smithing (requires 80 Smithing) – Unlocks ebony bows and armor.
• Daedric Smithing (requires 90 Smithing) – Unlocks daedric bows and armor.
• Dragon Armor (requires 100 Smithing) – Unlocks dragonbone bows and armor.

Note that the Advanced Armors perk is a bit of a misnomer; it also covers dwarven and orcish weapons, including bows. You do not need a separate perk for those.

How to Craft a Bow: Step by Step

To craft any bow, follow these general steps:

1. Find a forge. Most cities have one, often near a blacksmith. You can also use the forge in your own home if you have the appropriate add-on.
2. Open the forge menu and select the “Smithing” tab (if you have the optional interface mods, the layout may differ, but the standard menu lists categories).
3. Scroll to the “Weapons” section and look for the bow you want. The menu shows the required materials and your current Smithing level.
4. If you have the materials and the required perk, the bow is highlighted. Select it and craft. The bow appears in your inventory.

For example, to craft a hunting bow (a common early bow), you need 2 firewood and 1 iron ingot. You can buy firewood from many general goods merchants, or chop it yourself at a wood chopping block. Iron ingots are smelted from iron ore, which you can mine or buy.

How to Improve (Temper) a Bow

Improving a bow increases its base damage. The process is simple:

1. Find a grinding wheel. These are usually located right next to a forge, often under a small roof.
2. Open the grinding wheel menu. It will show a list of weapons you can improve.
3. Select the bow. The menu shows the required material (usually an ingot) and the current improvement level (e.g., “Fine”, “Superior”, “Exquisite”, “Flawless”, “Epic”, “Legendary”).
4. If you have the material and your Smithing skill is high enough, the option is available. Craft the improvement.

The improvement level depends on your Smithing skill, the relevant perk, and any active fortify smithing effects (from potions or enchanted gear). A higher Smithing skill allows you to reach higher improvement tiers. For instance, with a Smithing skill of 20 and the Steel Smithing perk, you might only be able to improve an iron bow to “Fine” (+1 damage), but at level 100 with the same perk, you could reach “Legendary” (+10 damage or more).

Best Bows to Craft and Use

The best bow depends on your playstyle and Smithing level. Here are the notable craftable bows, in order of increasing base damage (approximately):

• Longbow – Base damage 6. Requires 2 firewood and 1 iron ingot. Good for starting out, but quickly outclassed.
• Hunting Bow – Base damage 7. Requires 2 firewood and 1 iron ingot. Slightly better than the longbow.
• Imperial Bow – Base damage 8. Requires 2 firewood and 1 iron ingot. Found on Imperial soldiers, but craftable with the same materials as the hunting bow.
• Dwarven Bow – Base damage 10. Requires 2 dwarven metal ingots and 1 iron ingot. Requires the Advanced Armors perk.
• Elven Bow – Base damage 11. Requires 2 refined moonstone and 1 iron ingot. Requires the Elven Smithing perk.
• Orcish Bow – Base damage 12. Requires 3 orichalcum ingots and 1 iron ingot. Requires the Advanced Armors perk.
• Glass Bow – Base damage 13. Requires 2 refined malachite and 1 iron ingot. Requires the Glass Smithing perk.
• Ebony Bow – Base damage 14. Requires 3 ebony ingots. Requires the Ebony Smithing perk.
• Daedric Bow – Base damage 15. Requires 3 ebony ingots and 1 daedra heart. Requires the Daedric Smithing perk.
• Dragonbone Bow – Base damage 17. Requires 3 dragon bones and 2 ebony ingots. Requires the Dragon Armor perk.

Note that these are base damages before tempering and before any skill/perk multipliers. A tempered dragonbone bow with high Smithing can easily exceed 100 damage.

Common Problems and Misconceptions

Many players run into issues when trying to craft or improve bows. Here are the most common:

• “I have the materials but the bow isn’t showing up.” – You likely lack the required Smithing perk. Check the perk tree and make sure you have the right perk for the bow tier.
• “I can’t improve my bow beyond a certain level.” – Your Smithing skill is too low. Raise it by crafting items, taking smithing lessons, or using fortify smithing potions/enchantments.
• “I have the perk but still can’t craft it.” – You might not have the exact materials. Some recipes require specific ingots (like refined moonstone) that are not the same as raw ore. You must smelt the ore at a smelter first.
• “My bow damage is lower than I expected.” – Remember that the displayed damage includes your Archery skill and any perks. The base damage is only the starting point. Also, tempering adds a flat amount that scales with Smithing, so always temper at the highest level you can.

A common misconception is that you need the Arcane Blacksmith perk to improve enchanted bows. That perk is only for weapons with enchantments; if your bow is not enchanted, you do not need it. However, if you want to improve an enchanted bow, you must have that perk.

Costs and Materials

The cost of crafting a bow is essentially the cost of the materials. You can gather most materials yourself:

• Firewood – Chop at any wood chopping block. You can also buy it cheaply from merchants.
• Iron ingots – Smelt from iron ore (found in mines) or buy from blacksmiths.
• Refined moonstone / malachite – Smelt from moonstone ore and malachite ore, found in specific mines like Soljund’s Sinkhole or Gloombound Mine.
• Ebony ingots – Smelt from ebony ore, found in high-level mines like Redbelly Mine.
• Daedra hearts – Rare, found in some dungeons or purchased from the Enchanting vendor in the College of Winterhold (if you have the right inventory).
• Dragon bones – Obtained from killing dragons.

If you prefer to buy materials, blacksmiths and general goods merchants sell most ingots and ores, but prices vary. The cost of a fully crafted and tempered bow is therefore the sum of the materials, which can be significant for high-tier bows. However, you can often find bows as loot or buy them pre-made, which may be cheaper than crafting if your Smithing is low.

Alternatives to Smithing Bows

If you do not want to invest in Smithing, you have alternatives:

• Buy from merchants – Many blacksmiths sell bows, but the selection and quality depend on your level. High-level merchants may sell ebony or daedric bows.
• Loot from enemies – Bandits, soldiers, and dragons often drop bows. The quality scales with your level.
• Quest rewards – Some quests give unique bows, like the Firiniel’s End (a glass bow) from the Dark Brotherhood questline, or Auriel’s Bow from the Dawnguard DLC (which is not craftable).

However, even if you use a found bow, you can still improve it at a grinding wheel if you have the appropriate Smithing perk. This is often a cost-effective way to get a powerful bow without crafting it from scratch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a perk to improve a bow?

Yes, you need the same perk that allows you to craft the bow tier. For example, to improve an ebony bow, you need the Ebony Smithing perk. Without the perk, the option to improve will not appear.

What is the best bow in Skyrim?

The best craftable bow is the dragonbone bow, which has the highest base damage. However, the best overall bow in the game is Auriel’s Bow (from Dawnguard), which has a unique effect and can be improved with the Advanced Armors perk.

Can I improve a bow with an enchantment?

Yes, but you need the Arcane Blacksmith perk. This perk allows you to improve enchanted weapons and armor at a grinding wheel or workbench.

How do I get more Smithing experience quickly?

Crafting items gives Smithing experience. The fastest way is to craft many cheap items like iron daggers or leather bracers, but this was patched to give less experience in later versions. A better method is to craft jewelry (gold rings) or improve weapons at a grinding wheel, which gives experience based on the value of the item.

Does the Smithing skill affect bow damage directly?

No, Smithing does not directly increase bow damage. Only the tempering process (which uses Smithing) increases the weapon’s base damage. Your Archery skill and perks increase the damage you deal with a bow.

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