If you want to get seriously rich in Mount and Blade 2 Bannerlord, smithing is the answer.

As of 2026 it is comfortably the most denar efficient money maker in the game, with a single well crafted weapon selling for tens of thousands of denars.

The catch is that smithing has a real learning curve, from unlocking parts to managing stamina. This guide breaks down how it all works and exactly what to forge for maximum profit.

Short answer: Level smithing by refining charcoal and crafting cheap throwing weapons, unlock parts by smelting weapons of the type you want, and then craft two handed swords, swingable polearms like glaives, and especially javelins to sell.

Javelins in particular sell for around 8,000 to 15,000 denars at a fraction of the stamina cost of a big sword. Endurance is the key attribute.

How Smithing Works

The forge has three tabs, and you use all of them:

• Smelt. Break weapons down into raw materials. Crucially, smelting also has a chance to unlock the weapon parts used in that item, which is how you learn new pieces to craft with.
• Refine. Turn raw materials into usable metals, like hardwood into charcoal and crude iron into steel. You need charcoal and the right metals to craft anything.
• Craft. Assemble a weapon from the parts you have unlocked. You pick the blade, guard, grip, and pommel, and the resulting stats and value depend on the combination.

Smithing sits under the Endurance attribute, and every action costs stamina. When your stamina runs out, you have to rest or wait to recover, so smithing is a daily grind rather than an all at once bonanza.

Step 1: Level Smithing Fast

Smithing starts slow, so use these to climb quickly:

• Refine charcoal to skill 25. Buy hardwood in a town and refine it into charcoal in the Refine tab, over and over. It is cheap, it is fast, and it carries you to around skill 25.
• Grab Efficient Charcoal Maker. At skill 25, take this perk so you get two charcoal from one hardwood, which roughly doubles your refining efficiency and your income of materials.
• Craft daggers and throwing weapons early. They are cheap to make and give solid experience while you build toward the good stuff.
• Use the Curious perks. Curious Smelter and Curious Smith boost the experience you get from smelting and crafting. Spreading these across your main and a companion lets you level much faster.

Step 2: Unlock the Good Parts

You cannot craft a great weapon until you have unlocked great parts, and the only way to unlock parts is to smelt weapons of that type. A few rules make this far less painful:

• Smelt the category you want to sell. Want to make two handed swords? Smelt two handed swords. The part you unlock each time is random, so keep smelting to fill out the tree.
• Smelt higher tier weapons for better parts. Low tier weapons unlock low tier parts. Once you have decent parts, craft better weapons and smelt those to unlock the top pieces.
• Start with two handed swords. Their parts unlock faster than one handed, and unlike some other categories you do not start with complete junk, so you reach profitable crafts sooner.

Step 3: Craft the Money Makers

Once your parts are unlocked, these are the weapons worth your stamina:

• Javelins (the efficiency king). A well tuned javelin can sell for roughly 8,000 to 15,000 denars, and even a simple one made with mid tier steel can fetch tens of thousands, all at a fraction of the stamina a big sword costs. Pound for pound, javelins are the best return on your time.
• Two handed swords (the reliable earner). Consistently among the most valuable weapons in the game. They cost more stamina, but a high tier two hander sells for a small fortune and the category is easy to break into.
• Swingable polearms and glaives. High damage polearms you can swing sit right up there with two handers for value, so they are a strong option once you unlock the parts.

Step 4: Feed the Material Loop

The whole engine runs on materials, so keep them flowing. Smelt the weapons you loot from bandits, battlefields, and tournaments to reclaim their metals and unlock parts at the same time.

Buy hardwood and crude iron in towns to top up. A good rhythm is to arrive in a city, sell your finished weapons, buy raw materials, smelt your loot, refine, and craft until your stamina is gone, then move on and come back tomorrow.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Crafting before you have good parts, which just wastes materials on low value weapons.
• Ignoring stamina, and being surprised you can only make a couple of weapons a day. Plan around it.
• Chasing the longest blade, when the 2026 pricing rewards balanced, high performing weapons instead.
• Forgetting the perks, especially Efficient Charcoal Maker and the Curious line, which massively speed everything up.

FAQ

What is the best weapon to craft and sell in Bannerlord?

Javelins offer the best value for the stamina, often selling for 8,000 to 15,000 denars or more at a low crafting cost. Two handed swords and swingable polearms like glaives are the most valuable overall if you have the stamina.

How do I level smithing fast?

Refine charcoal from hardwood repeatedly to reach around skill 25, take the Efficient Charcoal Maker perk, craft cheap daggers and throwing weapons early, and use the Curious Smelter and Curious Smith perks to boost experience.

How do I unlock new smithing parts?

Smelt weapons of the type you want to craft. Each smelt has a chance to unlock a part, and higher tier weapons unlock better parts, so keep smelting the category you want to sell.

Why can I only smith a little each day?

Every smithing action costs stamina, which is limited and recovers over time. Smithing is a daily routine, so craft until your stamina runs out, then rest and continue later.

Is smithing really the best way to make money?

Yes. As of 2026 smithing is the most denar efficient money maker in Bannerlord, capable of tens of thousands of denars per weapon once you have unlocked good parts.

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