Blacksmiths are the most important vendors in Crimson Desert. They handle all weapon, armor, and jewelry upgrades — referred to in-game as "refinement" — and you'll need to visit them constantly to keep pace with the escalating difficulty across Pywel's five regions. Finding them early and understanding how refinement works will save you a lot of frustration.
Quick answer: The first blacksmith is Turnali, located in the City of Hernand. A second blacksmith becomes available at the Greymane's Howling Hill Camp once you expand it during Chapter 3. Additional blacksmiths appear in later regions like Demeniss, typically inside major settlements near Equipment or Tailor shops — look for the anvil icon on your map.
Confirmed Blacksmith Locations in Crimson Desert
| Location | Region | When Available | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turnali's Smithy | Hernand (City) | From the start | First blacksmith; unlocked fully after completing "Turnali's Request" |
| Howling Hill Camp | Hernand (Greymane Base) | Chapter 3 onward | Sells gear, weapons, and ranged ammo refills; requires camp expansion via Faction Quests |
| Demeniss settlements | Demeniss | After reaching the second region | Found in major towns; exact NPC names not yet widely documented |
Blacksmiths in Crimson Desert follow daily routines, working at their forges during daytime hours. If you arrive at night, you may need to rest at a nearby bed or wait for the NPC to return to the anvil. In every settlement, the blacksmith tends to be positioned close to the Equipment shop or Tailor shop, so scanning for the anvil icon on the map is the fastest way to locate one.
Unlocking Refinement With Turnali's Request
You cannot refine gear the moment you walk into Hernand. The refinement menu only opens after you complete an optional introductory commission called Turnali's Request. It's one of the first Hernand Commissions you can pick up, either automatically upon entering the city or from the Notice Board.
Step 1: Find Turnali near his anvil in Hernand. If you entered from the northwest, follow the road east, pass the wooden staircase on your left, continue past the troll named Rhett, and go through the open arch.
Step 2: Speak with Turnali and listen to his request. He needs wood to repair his hammer and gives you a Logging Axe. Head outside town, equip the axe via Quick Slot 2 (left D-Pad on controller, F2 on PC), and chop a tree. Aim with L2 / CTRL to see a blue targeting circle, then strike until the tree falls. Chop the fallen log into segments and collect three Fine Timber.
Step 3: Return the Fine Timber to Turnali. He rewards you with a Logging Axe, a Medium Bag (extra inventory slot), a Bekker Shield, 10 Timber, +50 Trust with Turnali, and +100 Hernandian Contribution. He also gives you a Smithy Flyer — read it from your inventory.
Step 4: Speak with Turnali again and select the Refinement option. Refine the Bekker Shield to complete the quest. From this point on, full refinement is unlocked at every blacksmith you encounter.
How Gear Refinement Works
Interacting with any blacksmith and choosing Refinement opens a menu showing your currently equipped gear. Select a piece to see exactly which materials and quantities are required for the next upgrade tier. If you have everything, confirm to start the process. A short cutscene plays, and the item's stats increase immediately.
Early refinements require common materials. Higher-level upgrades demand rarer drops and eventually Abyss Artifacts, the cube-shaped objects that also serve as skill points and stat boosts. Spending Abyss Artifacts on gear refinement competes directly with spending them on your skill tree or Health/Stamina/Spirit stats, so plan carefully.
Refinement Materials and Where to Get Them
| Material Type | Source | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Iron Ore, Copper Ore | Mining ore veins; purchasing from vendors | Keep a Pickaxe or Mining Knuckledrill in your inventory. The Cairn House vendor north of Hernand Castle sells both ores at reasonable prices early on. |
| Timber, Fine Timber | Chopping trees with a Logging Axe | You can fell a tree with your sword (R1+R2 / RB+RT), but the axe is needed to split the log into timber consistently. |
| Leather, Bones, Animal Hides | Hunting wildlife | Always hunt animals you encounter while traveling. Meats double as healing food when cooked. |
| Rare enemy drops | Defeating bosses and elite enemies | Boss encounters and hostile faction camps drop materials that cannot be obtained through gathering. |
| Abyss Artifacts | Quests, Abyss Cresset puzzles, enemy defeats, Sealed Abyss Artifacts | Required for high-tier refinements. Sealed Abyss Artifacts must be manually used from your inventory after completing their challenge. |
Grindstones and Anvils for Temporary Boosts
Separate from permanent refinement, you'll find Grindstones and Anvils scattered at camps and outside blacksmith shops throughout Pywel. Using a Grindstone temporarily raises your weapon's attack power, while using an Anvil temporarily raises your armor's defense. These buffs fade over time — check the stat on the item in your inventory to see if it's still active. Hitting one of these tools before a boss fight is a small edge worth taking.
Abyss Gear and the Witch
Standard refinement at the blacksmith improves raw stats, but Crimson Desert has a second upgrade layer called Abyss Gear. By visiting a Witch, you can craft and socket Abyss Cores into your weapons and armor. Each Abyss Core grants a passive trait — think bonus damage types, resistances, or utility effects. Witches become accessible starting in Chapter 5, so don't worry about this system during the opening hours. Focus on blacksmith refinement first and layer in Abyss Cores once the option appears.
Tips for Efficient Blacksmith Use
Your starting weapon, the Sword of the Wolf, remains viable for a surprisingly long time if you refine it consistently. There's no need to chase new weapon drops early on — just keep upgrading what you have. Make a habit of stopping at the blacksmith every time you return to Hernand or your Howling Hill Camp after an expedition.
If you max out trust with Hernand Town shops by greeting vendors daily or giving them gifts, you can purchase Trade Agreements that let you buy their inventory directly from the corresponding merchant at your camp. This effectively turns Howling Hill into a one-stop resupply and refinement station without needing to trek back to Hernand.
Pets auto-loot items off the ground, which is especially useful when mining ore veins. You can tame a pet early by petting or feeding a domesticable animal until its trust meter hits 100. Just be ready to manage the inventory clutter that comes with automatic looting.
Crimson Desert's blacksmith system is straightforward once you complete Turnali's introductory quest, but staying on top of refinement is the single biggest factor in keeping Kliff competitive as you push into tougher regions. Gather materials on every outing, refine at every opportunity, and you'll have a much easier time with the boss fights waiting deeper in Pywel.