It is a currency item in Path of Exile 2.
Stack Size: 1/20
Improves the quality of a martial weapon
Right click this item then left click a martial weapon to apply it. The maximum quality is 20%.
In Path of Exile 2, the Blacksmith’s Whetstone is a key currency item that allows players to improve the quality of their martial weapons, enhancing their offensive capabilities. This item is especially valuable for those focused on melee combat, as it provides a simple yet effective way to increase weapon damage and improve the overall performance of martial weapons, such as swords, axes, maces, and more. Whether you’re crafting the perfect weapon for your build or just looking to enhance your gear for tougher challenges, the Blacksmith’s Whetstone is a crucial item for any serious adventurer.
This guide will walk you through how the Blacksmith’s Whetstone works and how to make the most of it in Path of Exile 2.
The Blacksmith’s Whetstone is a currency item in Path of Exile 2 that is used to increase the quality of your martial weapons. Martial weapons refer to those typically used by melee builds, including swords, axes, maces, and other weapons that focus on close-range, physical combat.
Stack Size: 1/20 — This means you can carry up to 20 Blacksmith’s Whetstones in your inventory at once. Collecting multiple Blacksmith’s Whetstones allows you to enhance several martial weapons or to save up for your endgame gear.
Maximum Quality: The Blacksmith’s Whetstone improves the quality of your weapon by up to 20%. This increase is significant as it directly boosts your weapon’s effectiveness, particularly for those builds that rely on melee combat.
Using the Blacksmith’s Whetstone is straightforward and requires only a few simple steps:
Obtain the Blacksmith’s Whetstone: Blacksmith’s Whetstones can be acquired through drops from monsters, crafting, vendors, or trading with other players. They are often common currency items, so accumulating them as you progress through the game is fairly easy.
Right-click the Blacksmith’s Whetstone: Open your inventory and right-click on the Blacksmith’s Whetstone to activate it.
Left-click your Martial Weapon: After activating the Whetstone, left-click on the martial weapon you wish to improve. The Blacksmith’s Whetstone will apply a quality increase to the weapon.
Quality Increase: Each application of the Blacksmith’s Whetstone increases the weapon’s quality by a small amount, with a maximum of 20% quality. Once you hit 20%, the weapon is at its optimal quality.
Improving the quality of your martial weapon with a Blacksmith’s Whetstone provides several key advantages:
Increased Physical Damage: The most notable benefit of improving your weapon’s quality is the increase in physical damage. Whether you are wielding a sword, axe, or mace, improving the quality directly boosts the weapon’s base damage, making your attacks more powerful. This can be especially useful for melee builds that focus on damage output and close-range combat.
Improved Weapon Performance: Higher-quality weapons typically offer better overall performance. For melee combatants, this means your weapon will strike harder and potentially hit more accurately, resulting in faster kills and more efficient combat.
Better Crafting Potential: Weapons with higher quality often have more potential for crafting. High-quality martial weapons may allow you to apply stronger affixes, craft more potent mods, or use more advanced crafting recipes. This makes Blacksmith’s Whetstone an excellent tool for crafting high-end gear or improving rare and unique weapons.
Increased Critical Chance: Many melee builds rely on critical strikes for burst damage. By improving the quality of your martial weapon, you may also increase its critical chance or critical damage modifiers, making it more potent in high-stakes combat.
In Path of Exile 2, the quality of your weapon can make a significant difference in your overall damage output, survivability, and crafting potential. Weapons with higher quality are more effective in combat and often allow for better synergies with other gear and gems. Here’s how quality can impact your martial weapons:
Increased Base Damage: With better quality, your weapon’s base physical damage is enhanced, making your attacks more potent. This can be crucial for dealing with high-level bosses or elite enemies.
Faster Attack Speed: Some martial weapons may benefit from increased attack speed as part of their quality improvements, allowing you to deal damage more rapidly in combat.
Better Synergy with Melee Builds: Melee builds typically focus on physical damage, attack speed, and critical hits. Improving the quality of your martial weapon can result in significant improvements to these core attributes, which are vital for progressing through the game.
More Efficient Combat: When your weapon quality is higher, each hit in combat is more effective, meaning you’ll need fewer strikes to take down enemies, making your progression smoother and more efficient.
While the Blacksmith’s Whetstone is a valuable tool, you should consider the following factors before using it:
Endgame Weapon Upgrades: It’s generally best to use Blacksmith’s Whetstone on your endgame weapons, especially when preparing for high-level content. Enhancing your weapon’s quality before tackling difficult maps or bosses can make a noticeable difference in your damage output and overall combat efficiency.
Crafting and Modding: If you’re crafting or modding a weapon and want to ensure it’s as effective as possible, improving the quality with Blacksmith’s Whetstone is an essential step. The better the quality, the higher the potential for crafting powerful and valuable mods.
Optimal Weapon Choice: Be mindful of the weapon’s potential. If you’re using a weapon that is already near its maximum effectiveness, applying Blacksmith’s Whetstone will help you squeeze out that final bit of extra power. However, if you are still unsure about the weapon’s final form, you may want to wait before enhancing its quality.
The Blacksmith’s Whetstone is an essential tool in Path of Exile 2 for improving the quality of your martial weapons. Whether you’re wielding a sword, axe, or mace, enhancing the quality of your weapon by up to 20% will significantly boost your damage output and combat effectiveness. For melee-focused builds, this increase in quality can mean the difference between success and failure in high-level encounters.
As you progress through Path of Exile 2, remember to use Blacksmith’s Whetstone strategically. Apply it to your best weapons, optimize your damage, and craft the ultimate weapon for your build. By doing so, you’ll be better prepared to face the toughest challenges the game has to offer.