Smithing is an essential skill that every weapon-wielding Skyrim player should invest a lot of time developing. At maximum skill level, the Smithing skill lets players create some of the most powerful arms and armor available in the whole game - towards the end of the Smithing skill tree is the ability to create Ebony Ingots at a smelter.
Ebony Ingots are primarily used in Skyrim to smith end-game gear and is combined with other materials to forge even more powerful equipment. It's a great material for gold farmers, too, as it's easy to create and can be sold for a large chunk of cash, provided you have the Perk of course.
Updated May 2, 2022 by Erik Petrovich: Ebony Ingots are one of the strongest materials in all of Skyrim, so much so that it's actually used in three separate types of end-game smithing. There are a few candidates for Skyrim's best place to get Ebony Ingots, but of all the locations in the game where Ores can be found, only three will refresh over time. This makes it quite the rare material, so it's important to only mine and smelt as much as you need for a specific piece of armor or weapon. Smelting Ebony Ore into Ebony Ingots isn't difficult at all, though players must first find a Smelter to refine the raw materials at.
What Are Ebony Ingots Used For?
Ebony Ingots are used when forging Ebony armor, Ebony weapons, and other Ebony items at a Forge or Anvil. It's one of the highest-tier armor types available in Skyrim, and Ebony weapons are almost unparalleled. In fact, some of the few weapons that do more damage than Ebony weapons are only available in the Creation Club or Skyrim Anniversary Edition.
It is also used in creating Daedric and Dragonbone arms and armor, both of which are more defensive than Ebony on its own. However, Daedric smithing requires Daedra Hearts, and Dragonbone smithing requires Dragonbones. Ebony Ore on its own is rarer and more valuable than any other ore in Skyrim, though smelting it into ingots and then forging gear tends to be more efficient than selling the ores outright.
Where To Get Ebony Ingots in Skyrim
Like most Ingots in Skyrim, Ebony Ingots are created from Ebony Ore at a Smelter, which are usually found around Skyrim's forges and crafting areas in major cities. To get Ebony Ore, players can either mine it or buy it. There are a number of places out in the world where it can be found on the ground, on bodies, or in chests, but none are reliable, renewable sources of Ebony Ore.
It's possible to mine Ebony Ore anytime by equipping a pickaxe and heading to the Ebony mines of Skyrim, but it only starts to appear in vendor inventories at around Level 25.
First, Mine Some Ebony Ore
Ebony Ore can be mined from rare Ebony Veins out in the world, usually found in mines and caves, but there are only three Ebony Ingot Skyrim locations that renew: Gloombound Mine in Eastmarch, Redbelly Mine in The Rift, and Raven Rock Mine in Solstheim.
There are lots of other places where Ebony Ore can be found as loot, but these three mines are the only place it can be harvested and not found as ground loot. Just be sure to equip a pickaxe and swing at the vein to speed up the mining process.
Then, Smelt Ebony Ore Into Ebony Ingots
Once you have enough Ebony Ore, head to the nearest major city and find the Smelter. This is usually found near Blacksmiths and other crafting areas, for example in Whiterun the Smelter is right behind Warmaidens as players enter the city.
It takes two Ebony Ore to make one Ebony Ingot, so when mining or purchasing Ore cut the amount you have in half to get the number of Ingots Smelting them will produce. Ebony Ingots can then be used to create either Ebony Armor, Daedric Armor, or Dragonbone weapons. To make Daedric Armor you will need Daedra Hearts as well as Ebony Ingots, while Dragonbone weapons require Dragonbones in their smithing recipes.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition is available for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S