Blade Materials are the upgrade currency for melee weapons in Valor Mortis. They decide how far you can push the Saber, Rapier, and Claymore, and they come in four grades that gate different level ranges. You pick them up out in the world, pull them from chests, farm them off certain enemies, and buy a limited number from James at the Abandoned Church.
Quick answer: There are four grades. Crude covers levels 2–4, Pure covers 5–7, Distilled covers 8–9, and Quintessential is only for level 10. Only three Quintessential Blade Materials exist in the whole game.
Which Blade Material each weapon level needs
Every blade (Saber, Rapier, and Claymore) follows the same upgrade curve and needs the same amounts. The grade required climbs as the level climbs, and the quantity per step grows inside each grade’s range.
| Weapon level | Material needed | Amount per weapon |
|---|---|---|
| 2 |  Crude Blade Material | 1 |
| 3 | Crude Blade Material | 2 |
| 4 | Crude Blade Material | 3 |
| 5 |  Pure Blade Material | 1 |
| 6 | Pure Blade Material | 2 |
| 7 | Pure Blade Material | 3 |
| 8 |  Distilled Blade Material | 1 |
| 9 | Distilled Blade Material | 2 |
| 10 |  Quintessential Blade Material | 1 |
James’s Iron Bench at the Abandoned Church sells the lower three grades. Crude costs $1,500 each, Pure costs $3,000, and Distilled costs $6,000. Quintessential Blade Material is never sold, so the only three copies have to be found.
Crude Blade Material locations (levels 2–4)
Crude is the most common grade and shows up from the opening region onward. The first one sits in the ornate chest inside the altar tent at the very start of Chapter 1, and they stay plentiful across the early-game zones.
| Region | In chests | Loose in the world |
|---|---|---|
 The Battlefield | 2 | — |
 Fallen Village | — | 6 |
 Cursed Hollow | — | 5 |
 Valley of Ashes | — | 4 |
 Caverns | — | 4 |
 Vale of Wrath | — | 3 |
 The Outskirts | — | 2 |
 Abandoned Church | — | 2 |
 City of Orphans | — | 1 |
Several enemy types drop it as well. The Eternal Guardsman has the best rate at 3 percent, Volunteers drop it at 2 percent, and Risen Duellists, Lancers, Sapeurs, Soldiers, and Shambling Civilians each drop it at 1 percent. On top of that, James stocks two per restock from the start of the game and refreshes that stock in Chapter 5 and Chapter 9.
Pure Blade Material locations (levels 5–7)
Pure Blade Material starts appearing in the Valley of Ashes and runs through the mid-game zones. More of these are locked inside chests than the Crude grade, so clearing side rooms and guarded loot becomes worthwhile here.
| Region | In chests | Loose in the world |
|---|---|---|
| The Outskirts | — | 4 |
| Vale of Wrath | 3 | 2 |
| Cursed Hollow | 3 | 1 |
| Valley of Ashes | 2 | — |
| City of Orphans | — | 2 |
 University | — | 2 |
 Fortress | — | 2 |
| Fallen Village | 1 | — |
| Caverns | 1 | — |
For farming, the Eternal Guardsman and Volunteers each drop Pure at 2 percent, and a specific Shambling Civilian in the Caverns (the one with glowing red eyes and a skull icon by its health bar) drops it on death. James begins stocking Pure in Chapter 5 with one in stock, then carries two per restock from Chapter 9.
Distilled Blade Material locations (levels 8–9)
Distilled Blade Material is weighted toward the late-game regions, and the University holds the most chests. Because there are fewer of these, it helps to know exactly where the standout pickups sit.
| Region | In chests | Loose in the world |
|---|---|---|
| University | 3 | — |
| Cursed Hollow | 2 | — |
| City of Orphans | 2 | — |
| Fortress | — | 2 |
| Abandoned Church | — | 2 |
| Fallen Village | 1 | — |
| Vale of Wrath | 1 | — |
| The Outskirts | 1 | — |
| Napoleon’s Prison | 1 | — |
A few are easy to walk past. After you beat the Sphinx and return to the Abandoned Church, the door by the Lantern reopens and a grapple point outside leads up to the wooden upper floor, where one waits along the platforms. In the Vale of Wrath, head back to the Ship Graveyard Lantern once you can make Nephtoglobin formations, build a path across to the cave beside it, and open the chest a Remnant of the Iron Regiment guards. In the University, one chest sits beyond a poison hallway you can only cross with the Shield Transmutation active.
Risen Duellists in The Outskirts can also drop Distilled Blade Material, and James stocks a single one from Chapter 9.
Quintessential Blade Material locations (level 10)
Only three Quintessential Blade Materials exist, and none appear before the later regions. One is in The Outskirts and two are in the Fortress. Because each level 10 upgrade only takes one, grabbing all three is enough to max every blade, and maxing a single melee weapon pops the Bladesmith trophy.
The Outskirts (Lighthouse)
The first copy sits in a chest in the underground beneath the lighthouse, in the room where you fight the Experiment 83 boss. The Lighthouse Lantern is the closest checkpoint.
Fortress (Ramparts sewers)
Return from the Ramparts Lantern to the chamber with the blue pole, and swing across it to the doorway on the left. Go through, crawl beneath the web, descend the stairs, and enter the green room to your right. Its chest contains the second Quintessential Blade Material.
Fortress (Courtyard secret room)
The final one is locked in a secret room near the Courtyard Lantern. Enter the long-hall main building on the left, then head to its far-right end to locate the Eternal Guards symbol next to a hidden door. To open it, collect all 7 Mysterious Stone Pyramids dropped by the Eternal Guard mini-bosses; together, they form the Mysterious Stone Slab. Place the slab on the symbol to open the room, then take the chest on the right.
You cannot reach the Courtyard chest until every one of the 7 Eternal Guards is defeated, so this copy is effectively the last Blade Material you can collect.
Confirming an upgrade landed
When you apply a Blade Material, the weapon’s displayed level ticks up by one and the materials are consumed from your inventory. Carrying any blade to level 10 with its single Quintessential Blade Material unlocks Bladesmith, which is the clearest sign your maxed-out upgrade went through.
