Stalhrim is a rare and powerful material introduced in the Dragonborn DLC for Skyrim. It allows you to craft unique armor and weapons with enhanced frost enchantments. However, obtaining and using Stalhrim requires extra effort compared to other ores.
Firstly, unlike other ores, Stalhrim can only be mined with a special tool – the Ancient Nordic Pickaxe. Secondly, even after acquiring the pickaxe, you’ll need to complete additional quests to unlock the ability to forge Stalhrim items.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about obtaining and using Stalhrim, from finding the Ancient Nordic Pickaxe to crafting powerful equipment.
Getting Ancient Nordic Pickaxe
As soon as you arrive at Solstheim, your ship will dock at Raven Rock. Get off, go into town, and look to your right to find the blacksmith. That’s Glover Mallory, the local blacksmith, who will take care of your forging needs on this side of the island. Talk to him to initiate the quest “An Axe to Find.” You have to get an Ancient Nordic Pickaxe for him, the only tool in the game capable of mining Stalhrim in Skyrim. But don’t worry, you’ll get one soon.
Turn around, proceed down the path, and then take a right to the dried-up ebony mine. Enter inside and go a few steps to find Crescius Caerellius arguing with his wife. Talk to him and bring up the Ancient Nordic Pickaxe. Use the persuasion option on him, and he’ll hand it over. Take this tool back to Glover Mallory and present it, who’ll thank you and let you keep it.
You can also buy one from the Skaal Village in the island’s northern area but it might require you to do some quests first.
Where To Get Stalhrim?
Once you have the pickaxe, you must hunt down Stalhrim’s mining locations. Below are the mining locations you will find in different regions of Skyrim:
- There are 10 deposits in White Ridge Barrow, where you can find 30 stocks of Stalhrim.
- Northshore Landing has two deposits.
- Raven Rock Mine has two deposits.
- Gydenhul Barrow entrance has two deposits.
- Kolbjorn Barrow Great Hall has two deposits; this location is northeast of Northshore Landing.
- Benkongerike has one deposit in the great hall.
How to craft Stalhrim?
Before crafting Stalhrim, you must complete the quest ‘A New Source of Stalhrim’ in Skyrim. This becomes available in the Skaal Village after visiting for the first time during the main quest and on your second or third visit. Talk to Deor Woodcutter and talk to him about Baldor Iron-Shaper’s disappearance. He will reveal that two elves took him away to the southwest. Your destination is the Abandoned Lodge, which you can find to the northeast of Raven Rock. There will be some Thalmor around so just simply kill them.
You can’t talk to them, and they will turn hostile. Loot their bodies and loot the key to the lodge, and then make your way to the basement, where you’ll find Baldor. He’ll reveal that Thalmor wants to know how to make Stalhrim equipment, and they have a map. He’ll mark the location of their ship at the Northshore Landing. Make your way there and deal with the Thalmor. Their leader, Ancarion, has the map, and you can either kill him and loot him or talk to him to get the map. Use whatever approach sounds good, and then take the map back to Baldor at the Skaal Village.
You can now craft Stalhrim equipment but you will need the Ebony Smithing perk and need to level up your smithing to 80 first.
Stalhrim Armor
| Armor Piece | Stalhrim Quantity | Crafting Items |
|---|---|---|
| Stalhrim Armor | 6 | 1 Quicksilver Ingot, 3 Leather Strips |
| Stalhrim Boots | 4 | 1 Quicksilver Ingot, 2 Leather Strips |
| Stalhrim Gauntlet | 3 | 1 Quicksilver Ingot, 2 Leather Strips |
| Stalhrim Helm | 4 | 1 Quicksilver Ingot, 2 Leather Strips |
| Stalhrim Light Armor | 5 | 1 Steel Ingot, 3 Leather Strips |
| Stalhrim Light Boots | 3 | 1 Steel Ingot, 2 Leather Strips |
| Stalhrim Light Bracers | 2 | 1 Steel Ingot, 2 Leather Strips |
| Stalhrim Light Helmet | 3 | 1 Steel Ingot, 2 Leather Strips |
| Stalhrim Shield | 4 | 1 Steel Ingot, 1 Leather Strips |
Stalhrim Weapons
| Weapon | Stalhrim Quantity | Crafting Items |
|---|---|---|
| Stalhrim Battleaxe | 5 | 2 Leather Strips |
| Stalhrim Bow | 3 | – |
| Stalhrim Dagger | 1 | 1 Leather Strips |
| Stalhrim Greatsword | 5 | 3 Leather Strips |
| Stalhrim Mace | 3 | 1 Leather Strips |
| Stalhrim Sword | 2 | 1 Leather Strips |
| Stalhrim War Axe | 2 | 2 Leather Strips |
| Stalhrim Warhammer | 5 | 3 Leather Strips |
| Stalhrim Arrow | 1 | 1 Firewood |
