Are there any NPCs capable of forging Dragonscale armor? Has anyone tried having a companion 'use' a forge or workbench?

For that matter, why don't vendors ever sell upgraded weapons??

Nope, but you can find dragonscale armor as random loot.

Companions won't craft items for you either btw.

Edit: Sorry misunderstanding.

Ok, thanks. Just wondering if there's any point in hanging onto all these dragonscales, when it'll be a long time before my smithing hits 100.

Well if you intend to craft 'em at any point in the future, just stick 'em in a box in your home and leave 'em there.

I'm not even a smither on my character and I still save 'em.

I'm highly frustrated with the fact that no one can smith you stuff per order, nor can anyone enchant your stuff.

Embershard Mine, Halted Stream Camp and Rockwallow Mine. Kill every fox, Deer, Elk, Bear, Sabretooth Cat and Wolf you see and take pelts. Make Iron Daggers then Leather Bracers from any extra leather. You'll be there in no time(read: before level 30 easily) even without buying any materials.

Why? Then smithing and enchanting wiould be useless...

LONG? your joking ye?

15-100 smithing takes 1 hour with 10k gold.

I cheesed my way from smithing 30 to about 50 because my character was far too squishy. Now that my thief can take more than two hits with improved armor, I'm refraining from using that particular exploit.

I can see the devs preventing NPCs from selling legendary armor, but why not fine or exquisite? It would add a little variety to the vanilla items.

Yeah, I guess that's true. I'm just not playing an enchanter, but I'd still like my gear personalized with enchantments and names, and the only way you can currently do that is by...enchanting it yourself.