My current character is a level 19 Bosmer. I've only been using archery, sneak, a bit of one handed. I'm still using the Supple Ancient Nord Bow. I've been thinking of starting some enchanting and/or smithing to improve my bows.

With former characters, I start smithing or enchanting as soon as I can. Right now my smithing is close to default starting level. I've picked up a book or two.

19 isn't too high of a level, so go ahead. The only problem is that if you want to fully perk out a skill, you'll have to level some other skills as well because you need more experience for the higher level you are. For something you need lots of perks on, do that first. If you only want a few basics in a skill for example Restoration and just want necromage, respite and several others, do those later.

Sure! I never liked enchanting with my first character so I didn't use it till my character was around lvl 50 and then I fell in love with it! If a skill sounds fun or you're curious about it give it a try and if you like it perk it!

That's a good point. Thanks for the response. I thought I would ask before getting too high up in my level.

I want to get to 60 for the smithing enchanted weapons perk. I'll probably smith a few levels, then quest a bit...rinse and repeat.

@Truz, level 50? I have nothing to worry about then.

Smithing is better off if you let it lag behind anyway....if you level it too much or even on par with your other skills you'll just become too powerful and the challenge will disappear.

Actually, i don't start my Enchanting until somewhere around mid to late game. This usually is somewhere around level 26 or so. I spend the fist half of the game collecting soul gems and filling them with souls. THEN I go to work on Enchanting. It doesn't seem to do much good until you can at least get it to around 50 and have a few perks in it anyway.

At level 19..I'd say you are starting early, to my standards. So you are not too late by any means. Enjoy your Enchanting!

You're gonna need to start raising other skills anyway. My purely one handed-sheild warrior is level 52 and I barely had enough perks to fill my 5 important skills with perks, and I didn't even get all my one handed perks and completly neglected the left side of the Smithing tree. And my Two handed and speech are at 100, my enchating is in the 80s and lockpicking is in the upper 70s.

And of course my One handed, Block, Smithing, and Heavy armor are at 100

Im at like level 35 I got archery to 100 and decided to get 90 smith for daedra..so i have full daedric legendary and dual legendary daedric swords plus elemental fury = easy mode

Not really, I forged everything I use (save my Mask and Spellbreaker) and I still have a good deal of challenge. Maybe it's because I play on Master, but I don't think so. As long as you don't exploit alchemy to temporarly raise your Smithing and Enchanting to ridicoulsly high levels it won't get out of hand.

I'd prefer to keep alchemy out of it. I only use it for restore health, damage health and invisibility potions. I find most of those, so I rarely hit my alchemy table.

I've seen videos of people using high level alchemy, alchemy gear and so on, to smith and enchant powerful equipment. It seems too much for my liking. But anything that allows people to enjoy their game more, is alright by me.

Speaking of which "Beep" PS3 engaged.

I know, it actually annoys me. My friend did it and his armor rating was through the roof. I laughed so hard when I learned that there was a point where it doesn't even matter if it's higher.

In the end you will max out all of your skills, you will only need to think about your perk points. My level 64 Mage has worked up a archery to lv36, but I don't plan to put any perks into archery because its really not needed with smithing and enchanting.

No.
It's never too late.

I always play on Master and Smithing (or any trade skills for that matter) make the game way too easy for me. I'm currently playing a Nord Sword & Board that uses One-Handed, Block, Archery, Heavy Armor, Restoration, and Speech. Smithing/Alchemy/Enchanting haven't moved an inch since I started the character and I don't plan on using/leveling any of them. It's one of the most challenging characters I've ever played, next to my pure mage one that is playing without enchanting.

Before my Nord character, I tried doing the same thing but using Smithing on top of the skills I listed, and it felt too easy for me, even on Master difficulty. I guess each person has a different level of challenge they're looking for, though.

Smithing alone makes weapons pretty overpowered, even without the use of alchemy/enchanting to help boost it.

Level 19 is good time to start enchanting and smithing. In my own games, I intentionally hold off crafting until I get to level 20 or so. Game is quite manageable without any crafting in early game, and there is less grinding if you do it later, especially if you plan on crafting and accumulate the necessary material as you go through quests and dungeons.

I find it to be the opposite, and I play on Adept. All skills are essentially OP when maxxed out(block,sneak,pickpocket for example) and the only benefit Smithing brings is extra damage.

This.
Just this.
Plain and simple.

I wouldn't sat they are overpowered by Smithing alone. Here is a simple test I conducted a few weeks ago.

Yeah, on paper it's not that bad. It would definitely get pretty ridiculous with sneak attacks or a combination of other stuff. I see your point though. However at lower levels I still very much prefer to not use any trade skills until I find myself actually NEEDING them, it's been a really fun and rewarding experience so far.

i'm level 64 and i'm still trying new stuff

I feel the same way. Those numbers reflect the earliest level that a character can reach that base damage. In actual gameplay, those numbers would be almost impossible to obtain , by level 25. Still, I too do not focus on much Enchanting at early levels. I do tinker with Smithing, to get access to certain gear that modders implement only by Smithing.

It depends on your combat skill level, ESPECIALLY if you've unlocked dragons.The last thing you want is to have an all around low levelled player with no real way of dealing major damage, then running into say a frost or blood dragon.

as long as you keep one good kill skill early on, you'll be fine. If your mid level with three kill skills that are all low you'll probably have a pretty rough time. At the end of the game i added conjuration when i was level 50, it actually might have been a little too late because i ran out of perk points and now i can't cast master level spells without my magicka suit (woohoo for enchant!)