Smithing Guide: The Gold Bar Route and Every Alternative

Smithing has a clear fastest route and several slower ones that pay you instead. The table below lists every bar and item you can smith with xp and the current cost or profit per xp, so you can see what gold bars cost you today against what rune bars earn. First thing to check is your bank for goldsmith gauntlets, because the whole fast route depends on them.

Smithing training route

Time to 9934 hr +some steps have no typical rate

XP still to gain13,034,431from level 1

Average rate378K xp/hr5 steps left

Levels	Method	XP/hr	XP needed	Hours
1–29	The Knight's Sword12,725 Smithing xp. Needs 10 Mining.	–	12,031	–
29–33	Iron warhammers at an anvilBuy iron bars rather than smelting.	72,300	6,216	5 min
33–40	Iron platebodies, then steel warhammers at 39	104K	18,977	11 min
40–85	Gold bars at the Blast Furnace with goldsmith gauntletsNeeds Family Crest, ice gloves and The Giant Dwarf started. Costs gold on every bar.	380K	3,221,370	8.5 hr
85–99	Gold bars, or Giants' Foundry with adamantite and runiteFoundry gives about 253,000 xp an hour for far less gold.	380K	9,775,837	26 hr
Total			13,034,431	34 hr

Cost per xp of every method

Open the Smithing calculator

Filter methods

Members methods

Action	Level	XP each	Profit each	GP/XP
Bronze axe F2PBest profitBronze items	1	12.5	+65	+5.2
Bronze bar F2PSmelting	1	6.2	+11	+1.8
Bronze dagger F2PBronze items	1	12.5	+62	+5.0
Bronze mace F2PBronze items	2	12.5	+81	+6.5
Bronze bolts (unf)Bronze items	3	12.5	+123	+9.8
Bronze med helm F2PBronze items	3	12.5	+51	+4.1
Bronze dart tipBronze items	4	12.5	+383	+30.6
Bronze nailsBronze items	4	12.5	+3	+0.2
Bronze sword F2PBronze items	4	12.5	+42	+3.4
Bronze arrowtipsBronze items	5	12.5	+48	+3.8
Bronze cannonballCannonballs · Ammo mould at a furnace; 4 per bar. A double ammo mould makes 8 per 2 bars for the same xp per bar.	5	8.8	−25	−2.8
Bronze scimitar F2PBronze items	5	25	+14	+0.6
Bronze javelin tipsBronze items	6	12.5	+13	+1.0
Bronze limbsBronze items	6	12.5	−56	−4.5
Bronze longsword F2PBronze items	6	25	−15	−0.6
Bronze full helm F2PBronze items	7	25	+23	+0.9
Bronze knifeBronze items	7	12.5	+113	+9.0
Bronze sq shield F2PBronze items	8	25	−37	−1.5
Bronze warhammer F2PBronze items	9	37.5	−85	−2.3
Bronze battleaxe F2PBronze items	10	37.5	−76	−2.0
Bronze chainbody F2PBronze items	11	37.5	−111	−3.0
Bronze kiteshield F2PBronze items	12	37.5	+9	+0.2
Bronze clawsBronze items	13	25	+95	+3.8
Bronze 2h sword F2PBronze items	14	37.5	−4	−0.1
Iron bar F2PSmelting · Iron ore has a 50% chance to fail at a normal furnace without a ring of forging.	15	12.5	+110	+8.8
Iron bar (Blast Furnace)Smelting · At the Blast Furnace. Coffer upkeep not included; iron never fails here.	15	12.5	+110	+8.8
Iron dagger F2PIron items	15	25	−46	−1.8
Bronze platelegs F2PBronze items	16	37.5	+44	+1.2
Bronze plateskirt F2PBronze items	16	37.5	−78	−2.1
Iron axe F2PIron items	16	25	−1	−0.0
Iron mace F2PIron items	17	25	−32	−1.3
Bronze platebody F2PBronze items · Needs a hammer at an anvil.	18	62.5	−189	−3.0
Iron bolts (unf)Iron items	18	25	+73	+2.9
Iron med helm F2PIron items	18	25	−94	−3.8
Iron dart tipIron items	19	25	+423	+16.9
Iron nailsIron items	19	25	−52	−2.1
Iron sword F2PIron items	19	25	−64	−2.6
Iron arrowtipsIron items	20	25	+23	+0.9
Iron cannonballCannonballs · Ammo mould at a furnace; 4 per bar. A double ammo mould makes 8 per 2 bars for the same xp per bar.	20	17.2	−105	−6.1
Iron scimitar F2PIron items	20	50	−168	−3.4
Silver bar F2PSmelting	20	13.7	+60	+4.4
Silver bar (Blast Furnace)Smelting · At the Blast Furnace. Coffer upkeep not included.	20	13.7	+60	+4.4
Iron javelin tipsIron items	21	25	+878	+35.1
Iron longsword F2PIron items	21	50	−207	−4.1
Iron full helm F2PIron items	22	50	+28	+0.6
Iron knifeIron items	22	25	+43	+1.7
Iron limbsIron items	23	25	−48	−1.9
Iron sq shield F2PIron items	23	50	−233	−4.7
Iron warhammer F2PIron items	24	75	−425	−5.7
Iron battleaxe F2PIron items	25	75	−417	−5.6
Iron chainbody F2PIron items	26	75	−218	−2.9
Iron kiteshield F2PIron items	27	75	−400	−5.3
Iron clawsIron items	28	50	−130	−2.6
Iron 2h sword F2PIron items	29	75	−407	−5.4
Steel bar F2PSmelting	30	17.5	+211	+12.1
Steel bar (Blast Furnace)Smelting · At the Blast Furnace; coal use is halved. Coffer upkeep and entry fee (below 60 Smithing) not included.	30	17.5	+338	+19.3
Steel dagger F2PSteel items	30	37.5	−451	−12.0
Iron platelegs F2PIron items	31	75	−358	−4.8
Iron plateskirt F2PIron items	31	75	−396	−5.3
Steel axe F2PSteel items	31	37.5	−329	−8.8
Steel mace F2PSteel items	32	37.5	−452	−12.1
Iron platebody F2PIron items · Needs a hammer at an anvil.	33	125	−689	−5.5
Steel bolts (unf)Steel items	33	37.5	+118	+3.1
Steel med helm F2PSteel items	33	37.5	−364	−9.7
Steel dart tipSteel items	34	37.5	+338	+9.0
Steel nails F2PSteel items	34	37.5	−302	−8.1
Steel sword F2PSteel items	34	37.5	−458	−12.2
Steel arrowtipsSteel items	35	37.5	−17	−0.5
Steel cannonballCannonballs · Ammo mould at a furnace; 4 per bar. A double ammo mould makes 8 per 2 bars for the same xp per bar. Steel cannonballs are the ones used in a dwarf multicannon.	35	25.6	+316	+12.3
Steel scimitar F2PSteel items	35	75	−929	−12.4
Steel javelin tipsSteel items	36	37.5	+543	+14.5
Steel limbsSteel items	36	37.5	−386	−10.3
Steel longsword F2PSteel items	36	75	−900	−12.0
Steel studsSteel items	36	37.5	−260	−6.9
Steel full helm F2PSteel items	37	75	−912	−12.2
Steel knifeSteel items	37	37.5	−162	−4.3
Steel sq shield F2PSteel items	38	75	−928	−12.4
Steel warhammer F2PSteel items	39	112.5	−1,362	−12.1
Gold bar F2PSmelting	40	22.5	−48	−2.1
Gold bar (Blast Furnace)Smelting · At the Blast Furnace. Coffer upkeep not included.	40	22.5	−48	−2.1
Gold bar (goldsmith gauntlets)Smelting · Wearing goldsmith gauntlets; also applies at the Blast Furnace.	40	56.2	−48	−0.9
Steel battleaxe F2PSteel items	40	112.5	−1,383	−12.3
Steel chainbody F2PSteel items	41	112.5	−1,342	−11.9
Steel kiteshield F2PSteel items	42	112.5	−1,296	−11.5
Steel clawsSteel items	43	75	−830	−11.1
Steel 2h sword F2PSteel items	44	112.5	−1,239	−11.0
Steel platelegs F2PSteel items	46	112.5	−1,230	−10.9
Steel plateskirt F2PSteel items	46	112.5	−1,211	−10.8
Steel platebody F2PSteel items · Needs a hammer at an anvil.	48	187.5	−1,668	−8.9
Mithril bar F2PSmelting	50	30	+218	+7.3
Mithril bar (Blast Furnace)Smelting · At the Blast Furnace; coal use is halved. Coffer upkeep and entry fee (below 60 Smithing) not included.	50	30	+472	+15.7
Mithril dagger F2PMithril items	50	50	−404	−8.1
Mithril axe F2PMithril items	51	50	−674	−13.5
Mithril mace F2PMithril items	52	50	−742	−14.8
Mithril bolts (unf)Mithril items	53	50	−200	−4.0
Mithril med helm F2PMithril items	53	50	−606	−12.1
Mithril dart tipMithril items	54	50	+310	+6.2
Mithril nailsMithril items	54	50	+270	+5.4
Mithril sword F2PMithril items	54	50	−635	−12.7
Mithril arrowtipsMithril items	55	50	−135	−2.7
Mithril cannonballCannonballs · Ammo mould at a furnace; 4 per bar. A double ammo mould makes 8 per 2 bars for the same xp per bar.	55	34	−416	−12.2
Mithril scimitar F2PMithril items	55	100	−1,260	−12.6
Mithril javelin tipsMithril items	56	50	−140	−2.8
Mithril limbsMithril items	56	50	−451	−9.0
Mithril longsword F2PMithril items	56	100	−1,257	−12.6
Mithril full helm F2PMithril items	57	100	−1,079	−10.8
Mithril knifeMithril items	57	50	+300	+6.0
Mithril sq shield F2PMithril items	58	100	−1,034	−10.3
Mithril warhammer F2PMithril items	59	150	−1,631	−10.9
Mithril battleaxe F2PMithril items	60	150	−1,599	−10.7
Mithril chainbody F2PMithril items	61	150	−1,575	−10.5
Mithril kiteshield F2PMithril items	62	150	−1,451	−9.7
Mithril clawsMithril items	63	100	−374	−3.7
Mithril 2h sword F2PMithril items	64	150	−1,290	−8.6
Mithril platelegs F2PMithril items	66	150	−1,279	−8.5
Mithril plateskirt F2PMithril items	66	150	−1,266	−8.4
Mithril platebody F2PMithril items · Needs a hammer at an anvil.	68	250	−1,430	−5.7
Adamant dagger F2PAdamant items	70	62.5	−1,421	−22.7
Adamantite bar F2PSmelting	70	37.5	+497	+13.3
Adamantite bar (Blast Furnace)Smelting · At the Blast Furnace; coal use is halved. Coffer upkeep and entry fee (below 60 Smithing) not included.	70	37.5	+878	+23.4
Adamant axe F2PAdamant items	71	62.5	−1,228	−19.6
Adamant mace F2PAdamant items	72	62.5	−1,166	−18.7
Adamant bolts(unf)Adamant items	73	62.5	+67	+1.1
Adamant med helm F2PAdamant items	73	62.5	−1,036	−16.6
Adamant dart tipAdamant items	74	62.5	+17	+0.3
Adamant sword F2PAdamant items	74	62.5	−764	−12.2
Adamantite nailsAdamant items	74	62.5	−38	−0.6
Adamant arrowtipsAdamant items	75	62.5	−218	−3.5
Adamant cannonballCannonballs · Ammo mould at a furnace; 4 per bar. A double ammo mould makes 8 per 2 bars for the same xp per bar.	75	42.4	−1,113	−26.3
Adamant scimitar F2PAdamant items	75	125	−2,136	−17.1
Adamant javelin tipsAdamant items	76	62.5	−238	−3.8
Adamant longsword F2PAdamant items	76	125	−1,866	−14.9
Adamantite limbsAdamant items	76	62.5	−1,661	−26.6
Adamant full helm F2PAdamant items	77	125	−1,652	−13.2
Adamant knifeAdamant items	77	62.5	−513	−8.2
Adamant sq shield F2PAdamant items	78	125	−1,441	−11.5
Adamant warhammer F2PAdamant items	79	187.5	−2,762	−14.7
Adamant battleaxe F2PAdamant items	80	187.5	−2,779	−14.8
Adamant chainbody F2PAdamant items	81	187.5	−2,514	−13.4
Adamant kiteshield F2PAdamant items	82	187.5	−2,299	−12.3
Adamant clawsAdamant items	83	125	−1,696	−13.6
Adamant 2h sword F2PAdamant items	84	187.5	−1,639	−8.7
Rune dagger F2PRune items	85	75	−7,515	−100
Runite bar F2PSmelting	85	50	+867	+17.3
Runite bar (Blast Furnace)Smelting · At the Blast Furnace; coal use is halved. Coffer upkeep and entry fee (below 60 Smithing) not included.	85	50	+1,375	+27.5
Adamant platelegs F2PAdamant items	86	187.5	−1,641	−8.8
Adamant plateskirt F2PAdamant items	86	187.5	−1,651	−8.8
Rune axe F2PRune items	86	75	−4,789	−63.9
Rune mace F2PRune items	87	75	−3,644	−48.6
Adamant platebody F2PAdamant items · Needs a hammer at an anvil.	88	312.5	+640	+2.0
Rune med helm F2PRune items	88	75	−1,025	−13.7
Runite bolts (unf)Rune items	88	75	−10,809	−144
Rune dart tipRune items	89	75	−3,119	−41.6
Rune nailsRune items	89	75	−969	−12.9
Rune sword F2PRune items	89	75	+29	+0.4
Rune arrowtipsRune items	90	75	−8,319	−111
Rune cannonballCannonballs · Ammo mould at a furnace; 4 per bar. A double ammo mould makes 8 per 2 bars for the same xp per bar.	90	50.8	−9,221	−182
Rune scimitar F2PRune items	90	150	−9,136	−60.9
Rune javelin tipsRune items	91	75	−10,104	−135
Rune longsword F2PRune items	91	150	−5,500	−36.7
Runite limbsRune items	91	75	−2,558	−34.1
Rune full helm F2PRune items	92	150	−3,592	−23.9
Rune knifeRune items	92	75	−11,594	−155
Rune sq shield F2PRune items	93	150	−1,246	−8.3
Rune warhammer F2PRune items	94	225	−11,681	−51.9
Rune battleaxe F2PRune items	95	225	−11,262	−50.1
Rune chainbody F2PRune items	96	225	−6,351	−28.2
Rune kiteshield F2PRune items	97	225	−4,214	−18.7
Rune clawsRune items	98	150	−17,575	−117
Rune 2h sword F2PRune items	99	225	+1,813	+8.1
Rune platebody F2PRune items · Needs a hammer at an anvil.	99	375	−21,401	−57.1
Rune platelegs F2PRune items	99	225	+1,630	+7.2
Rune plateskirt F2PRune items	99	225	+1,797	+8.0

Profit each and GP/XP use current Grand Exchange mid prices, before the 2% GE tax. Negative numbers are a cost per action or per xp. XP/hr and GP/hr assume a typical efficient player.

The fast route in one line

The Knight's Sword to 29, anvil work to 40, then gold bars at the Blast Furnace with goldsmith gauntlets until 99. At around 380,000 xp an hour, nothing else in the skill comes close for a single player. Everything else on this page is for players who want profit, want to relax, or cannot face 40 levels of the same furnace.

Levels 1 to 40

The Knight's Sword gives 12,725 Smithing xp, enough to jump from 1 to 29. It needs 10 Mining and a little running around, and it saves the whole bronze stage. From there, smith at an anvil:

Levels	What to make	XP per hour
1 to 29	The Knight's Sword quest	12,725 xp in one go
29 to 33	Iron warhammers	about 72,300
33 to 39	Iron platebodies	about 104,200
39 to 40	Steel warhammers	about 108,500

Any anvil near a bank works; Varrock west bank has the shortest walk for most players. Buy bars on the Grand Exchange rather than smelting them yourself, the smelting xp is not worth the time at this stage. If you are also levelling Mining, the Mining training guide explains how an infernal pickaxe smelts some ore for you as you mine.

Blast Furnace gold bars, 40 to 99

What you need first

Goldsmith gauntlets from Family Crest. Without them gold bars give 22.5 xp instead of 56.2, and your rate falls to around 164,000.
Ice gloves from killing the Ice Queen (needs 50 Mining to reach her, boosts work), so you can lift bars straight off the dispenser.
Keldagrim access by starting The Giant Dwarf.
Stamina potions, plus gold for the coffer. The coffer drains 72,000 coins an hour, and below 60 Smithing you also pay the foreman every ten minutes.

How it plays

Fill the conveyor belt with gold ore, walk to the dispenser, take the bars, bank, repeat. About 380,000 xp an hour is realistic once your route is clean; a Smithing cape nudges it past 400,000. Players who pay runners to carry ore can reach 530,000 with one and 680,000 with three.

The catch is cost. Gold bars lose money on every one, and over 60 levels that becomes a large bill. The Smithing calculator shows the total gold needed from your level to 99 at today's gold ore price, which is worth looking at before you start.

Giants' Foundry: the fun alternative

After Sleeping Giants you can cast swords for Kovac in the Giants' Foundry. You melt two metals into an alloy, then work the mould on the trip hammer, grindstone and polishing wheel while keeping the temperature in range. It is more engaging than the Blast Furnace, cheaper per xp because you can use scrap metal items, and it rewards the Smiths' uniform.

Alloy	Level	XP per hour
Bronze and iron	15	about 97,900
Iron and steel	30	about 133,900
Steel and mithril	50	about 164,600
Mithril and adamantite	70	about 198,000
Adamantite and runite	85	about 253,100

At 85 the adamantite and runite alloy matches gold bars at roughly 250,000 xp an hour, so many players switch here for the last stretch and save a lot of gold.

Smithing for profit

Every other bar at the Blast Furnace earns while it trains. Coal is the main cost, and the furnace halves it: steel needs one coal per bar instead of two, mithril two instead of four, adamantite three instead of six and runite four instead of eight. A coal bag, from 100 golden nuggets at Motherlode Mine, speeds every trip.

Bar	Level	XP per hour	Why make it
Gold (goldsmith gauntlets)	40	about 380,000	Fastest xp in the skill
Steel	30	about 94,500	Steady seller, feeds cannonballs
Mithril	50	about 108,000	Profit while training
Adamantite	70	about 101,250	Profit while training
Runite	85	about 107,500	Usually the best gold per hour

Bar margins move with ore supply and demand, so check the mithril bar price and the runite and adamantite bars before choosing. Our Smithing money makers list compares them all at current prices per hour.

Anvil platebodies, 48 to 99

If you prefer to stand at one anvil, platebodies are the steady route: steel from 48 to 68 at about 144,000 xp an hour, mithril from 68 to 88 at about 200,000, then adamant to 99 at about 240,000. The adamant rate rises to around 300,000 with the Smiths' uniform at the Prifddinas anvil. Each inventory takes a few seconds of attention, so it pairs well with a second screen.

AFK Smithing

Steel cannonballs are the most relaxed option. After Dwarf Cannon, put steel bars and an ammo mould in your inventory at a furnace and walk away: about 13,800 xp an hour, or about 27,600 with the double ammo mould. At 87 Sailing, the ancient furnace in the Grimstone Dungeon halves the time per batch. The steel bar price decides whether cannonballs make or lose a little.

Dart tips and nails are the other AFK option, from about 16,000 xp an hour on bronze up to about 97,500 on rune nails with the Smiths' uniform. Both are slow but almost free of attention.

Free-to-play and ironman notes

Free players have no Blast Furnace or Foundry. The Knight's Sword is free-to-play, so do it, then smith platebodies at the Varrock anvil tier by tier as your level allows. The barronite deposits in Camdozaal, opened by Below Ice Mountain, are a slower but much cheaper free option.

Ironmen have to mine or buy every ore themselves, which changes the maths. Giants' Foundry is the usual main method because it turns unwanted metal drops into xp, and Motherlode Mine ore plus a coal bag keeps the Blast Furnace fed for bars you actually need. Gold bars are still possible with gold ore from Motherlode, but few ironmen have the volume to do them all the way.

Quests worth doing for Smithing xp

Dragon Slayer II (80,000 xp) and Song of the Elves (40,000) are the big ones, though both need 70 Smithing and much more. Defender of Varrock gives 15,000 and The Knight's Sword 12,725. Sleeping Giants, Elemental Workshop I and II, Cabin Fever, Devious Minds, Scrambled! and Between a Rock... each add 5,000 to 7,500. All Smithing quest rewards together come to 190,982 xp.

Levels that open things up

30 for steel bars, 35 for cannonballs, 40 for gold bars, 50 for mithril, 70 for adamantite and the big quests, and 85 for runite. Smithing at 70 also lets you take part in the Song of the Elves line that leads to Prifddinas and Zalcano, which ties straight back into Mining.

Questions players ask

What is the fastest way to train Smithing in OSRS?

Gold bars at the Blast Furnace with goldsmith gauntlets from level 40, at around 380,000 xp an hour. Get to 29 with The Knight's Sword and to 40 with iron and steel items at an anvil first. From 85, Giants' Foundry with adamantite and runite is a close and cheaper alternative.

Is Giants' Foundry good Smithing xp?

Yes, especially later on. It runs from about 98,000 xp an hour at 15 to about 253,000 at 85 with adamantite and runite. It costs less than gold bars, gives the Smiths' uniform, and many players prefer it to clicking the Blast Furnace for hours.

What is the most profitable Smithing method?

Making mithril, adamantite or runite bars at the Blast Furnace usually earns the most while still giving around 100,000 xp an hour. Runite needs 85 Smithing. Margins depend on ore and coal prices, so compare them on the day before committing to a long session.

Do I need goldsmith gauntlets for Blast Furnace gold?

Not to make the bars, but you should not train without them. They raise the xp for each gold bar from 22.5 to 56.2, which is the whole reason gold is the fastest method. You get them from the Family Crest quest.

What is the best AFK Smithing method?

Steel cannonballs at a furnace after Dwarf Cannon. You click once per inventory and wait, earning about 13,800 xp an hour, or about 27,600 with the double ammo mould. Dart tips and nails at an anvil are faster but need a click a little more often.

How many gold bars do I need for 99 Smithing?

From level 40 you need about 231,300 gold bars at 56.2 xp each with goldsmith gauntlets. At around 380,000 xp an hour that is roughly 34 hours at the Blast Furnace. Every bar costs a little more than it sells for, so check the current gold ore and gold bar prices to estimate the full bill.

By OSRS Math Team · 29 Oct 2026