OSRS Fastest Smithing XP Guide: Level Up Quickly in 2025

Smithing in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is a skill that can feel like a grind, but with the right methods, you can blaze through the levels and hit 99 faster than ever. Whether you’re a new player or a seasoned veteran looking to optimize your XP gains, this guide dives into the fastest Smithing XP methods in OSRS as of April 2025. We’ll cover the best strategies, items, and tips to maximize your hourly XP rates, all while keeping your journey efficient and engaging. Ready to hammer your way to the top? Let’s get started!
Smithing isn’t just about crafting armor and weapons—it’s a gateway to self-sufficiency and profit in OSRS. However, it’s notorious for being expensive and time-consuming if you don’t use the right approach. By prioritizing the fastest XP methods, you can save time, reduce costs, and unlock high-level content quicker. Plus, with the Smithing Skillcape offering perks like acting as Goldsmith Gauntlets, reaching 99 is more rewarding than ever.
The Appeal of Speed in Smithing
Faster XP means less time spent at the anvil or furnace and more time enjoying other aspects of OSRS, like bossing or PvP. The methods below focus on high XP per hour, making your grind feel less like a chore.
Balancing Cost and Efficiency
While speed is key, some methods can burn through your gold pile. We’ll highlight ways to balance efficiency with cost, so you can decide what fits your playstyle—whether you’re a wealthy main or a budget-conscious Ironman.
Fastest Smithing XP Method: Blast Furnace Gold Bars
The Blast Furnace is the king of fast Smithing XP in OSRS, and smelting gold bars here reigns supreme. With the right setup, you can achieve XP rates of up to 400,000–425,000 XP per hour, making it the fastest method from level 40 to 99. Here’s how to make it work.
Requirements for Blast Furnace Gold Bars
- Level 40 Smithing: Unlocks gold bar smelting as a viable training method.
- Goldsmith Gauntlets: Obtained from the Family Crest quest—boosts XP per gold bar from 22.5 to 56.2.
- Ice Gloves: Dropped by the Ice Queen under White Wolf Mountain—eliminates the need for a bucket of water.
- Stamina Potions: Keeps your run energy up for continuous trips.
- Coins: 72,000 GP per hour on official Blast Furnace worlds (e.g., 352, 358) if under level 60 Smithing.
How to Smelt Gold Bars at the Blast Furnace
- Head to Keldagrim’s Blast Furnace (accessible after starting The Giant Dwarf quest).
- Fill the coffer with coins (2,500 GP every 10 minutes if under level 60).
- Equip Goldsmith Gauntlets, keep Ice Gloves in your inventory, and withdraw 27 gold ores.
- Deposit ores on the conveyor belt, run to the bar dispenser’s south side, and wait for the XP drop.
- Swap to Ice Gloves, withdraw 28 gold bars, bank them, and repeat.
Pro Tip: Use the Smithing Cape (post-99) to wear both Goldsmith Gauntlets and Ice Gloves simultaneously, pushing XP rates to 425,000 per hour with perfect timing.
XP Rates and Costs
Method | XP/Hour | Cost/Hour (GP) | GP/XP |
---|---|---|---|
Blast Furnace Gold (Standard) | 380,000 | ~900,000 | -2.38 |
Blast Furnace Gold (With Runners) | 600,000+ | ~1,200,000+ | -2.00 |
Blast Furnace Gold (Smithing Cape) | 425,000 | ~905,000 | -2.13 |
Hiring runners to supply gold ore can boost rates past 600,000 XP/hour, but it’s costly and requires coordination—ideal for wealthy players on busy worlds.
Early Level Boost: Questing for Smithing XP
Before diving into the Blast Furnace, quests can skyrocket your early Smithing levels, saving hours of low-XP grinding. Completing a few key quests can get you to level 39 or higher in under an hour.
Top Smithing Quests for Fast XP
- The Knight’s Sword: 12,725 XP (Level 1 to 29) – Requires 10 Mining, takes ~10 minutes.
- Sleeping Giants: 6,000 XP – Unlocks Giants’ Foundry, no requirements.
- Elemental Workshop I: 5,000 XP – Needs 20 Smithing.
- Elemental Workshop II: 7,500 XP – Needs 30 Smithing.
- The Giant Dwarf: 2,500 XP – Requires multiple skills but manageable early on.
Total XP from these quests: 33,725+. Add a few iron platebodies (125 XP each), and you’re at level 40, ready for the Blast Furnace.
Why Quests Matter
Quests skip the slow, low-level grind (e.g., bronze items at 12.5–62.5 XP each) and give you a head start, making your journey to 99 much faster.
Alternative Fast Method: Giants’ Foundry
If the Blast Furnace feels too expensive or click-intensive, the Giants’ Foundry offers a solid alternative. Introduced in 2022, this minigame provides competitive XP rates (up to 250,000 XP/hour) and is less costly than gold bars.
Giants’ Foundry Requirements
- Sleeping Giants Quest: Unlocks the minigame.
- Level 40+ Smithing: For optimal XP with higher-tier metals.
- Ice Gloves or Bucket of Water: For handling hot metal.
- Hammer: Basic smithing tool.
How to Train at Giants’ Foundry
- Visit the Giants’ Foundry in Keldagrim.
- Bring bars (e.g., 14 Adamantite + 14 Runite for max XP).
- Smith a giant sword by following the heat and hammering phases.
- Hand it to Kovac for XP and rewards.
Tip: Use the Smith’s Uniform (earned from Foundry Reputation) for a 20% XP boost, bringing rates closer to 300,000 XP/hour.
XP Rates and Benefits
At level 70+ Smithing, using an alloy of Adamantite and Runite bars yields around 200,000–250,000 XP/hour. It’s cheaper than gold bars and more engaging, with the added bonus of recycling gear into metal for Ironmen.
Tips to Maximize Smithing XP Efficiency
Speed isn’t just about the method—it’s about optimizing every step. Here are some tricks to squeeze out extra XP and save time.
Gear and Inventory Setup
- Graceful Outfit: Reduces run energy drain at the Blast Furnace.
- Coal Bag: Holds 27 coal (36 with Skillcape), useful for smelting other bars.
- Ring of Endurance: Extends stamina potion effects, reducing downtime.
Advanced Techniques
- 0-Tick Banking: At the Blast Furnace, deposit bars, withdraw ore, and start running back on the same tick for up to 420,000 XP/hour.
- Runner Strategy: Pay players to trade you gold ore, cutting out banking time.
- Prifddinas Anvil: For platebody smithing, it’s the closest anvil to a bank (8 tiles).
Managing Costs
Offset expenses by selling high-value items like Rune 2h Swords (via clans like “w308 anvil”) or smelting profitable bars (e.g., steel or runite) during off-hours.
Conclusion: Your Path to 99 Smithing
Reaching 99 Smithing in OSRS doesn’t have to be a slog. The Blast Furnace gold bar method offers unmatched XP rates (up to 425,000/hour), while Giants’ Foundry provides a fun, cost-effective alternative (up to 250,000/hour). Start with quests to skip the early levels, then pick your poison—high-cost speed or balanced efficiency. With the right gear, techniques, and mindset, you’ll be rocking that Smithing Skillcape in no time. What’s your favorite method? Let us know, and happy smithing!