Skeleton Keys for Blacksmiths: Silver to Arcanite

The four blacksmith keys in 1.12.1

All keys stack to 20, are not bound to the character and can be sold on the Auction House. However, only a blacksmith with the required skill can use them, which is the main difference from a rogue's lockpicking. A key is consumed every time it opens a lock.

Each recipe uses one bar and one grinding stone. You craft them at an anvil with a Blacksmith Hammer in your bags. The bar for the top key has to be transmuted by an alchemist, see our Arcanite Bar article for details.

Arcanite Skeleton KeyItem Level 55Requires Blacksmithing (275)Use: Allows opening of hard locks. The skeleton key is consumed in the process.Max Stack: 20Sell Price: 6s 25c

Where to learn the key recipes

Skeleton key recipes do not drop from monsters; blacksmithing trainers teach them. The list below comes from the trainer table of our server (base training cost).

• Silver Skeleton Key, 6 silver, skill 100: Snarl in the Valley of Honor in Orgrimmar, Karn Stonehoof in Thunder Bluff, Traugh at the Crossroads, James Van Brunt in the Undercity, Therum Deepforge in Stormwind, Rotgath Stonebeard in Ironforge and Clarise Gnarltree in Darkshire.
• Golden Skeleton Key, 2 silver 25 copper, skill 150: everyone above plus Bengus Deepforge in Ironforge, Saru Steelfury in Orgrimmar and Brikk Keencraft in Booty Bay.
• Truesilver Skeleton Key, 22 silver 50 copper, skill 200: only Bengus Deepforge, Saru Steelfury and Brikk Keencraft.
• Arcanite Skeleton Key, 1 gold, skill 275: only Brikk Keencraft in Booty Bay, neutral to both factions.

The overall leveling path and trainer order are in our blacksmithing guide, and the full plan list is in blacksmithing recipes.

Which lockboxes each key opens

Lock levels are taken from Lock.dbc on our server. A key opens a lock if its value is not lower than the required lockpicking skill. For the boxes themselves see the Lockbox reference for WoW Classic.

Note that Mithril, Thorium and Eternium Lockboxes in 1.12.1 share the same 225 lock as the Reinforced Steel Lockbox. So for every lockbox from level 50 upward a blacksmith needs the Arcanite key. The same rule applies to locked chests in the world and in dungeons: only the lock level matters.

Dungeon doors a key can open

Doors have lock levels too, and a blacksmith can open them without the quest key:

• Truesilver Skeleton Key (up to 200): the Workshop Door in Gnomeregan (150), the Scarlet Monastery doors and the Scarlet side doors in Stratholme normally opened by The Scarlet Key (175), and the Gordok Inner Door in Dire Maul (200).
• Arcanite Skeleton Key (up to 300): gates and prison cell doors in Blackrock Depths (250), the Searing Gorge gates (225), the Scholomance Door (280), the King's Square Gate and Gauntlet Gate in Stratholme (300), and the inner Dire Maul doors normally opened by the Crescent Key (300).

Skeleton key or rogue lockpicking

A rogue opens the same locks with a reusable ability, but the Lockpicking skill has to be trained separately; the path to 300 is in our lockpicking guide. A blacksmith key wins whenever there is no rogue in the group and a door or chest has to be opened right now. Cheap Silver and Golden keys are also handy skill-ups for blacksmithing, and a stock of 5 to 10 Arcanite keys in your bags pays for itself on the first Thorium and Eternium Lockboxes. The engineering alternative, explosives, is covered in Seaforium charges.

◆Related articles

• Lockboxes in WoW Classic 1.12: types and how to open them
• Engineering Seaforium charges
• Locked chests in the world and dungeons
• Junkboxes and Pick Pocket
• Blacksmithing profession

Ready to forge your first Arcanite key? Register on WoW x5 and connect to the server; boosted rates get you to 275 Blacksmithing quickly.