| First Encounter | Have you brought me another nail to be honed? Leave it on the ground and return later, if you're still breathing. Hmm? |
|---|---|
| First time offering service | If you'd like, I can reforge your nail. It'll make the blade far more deadly. |
| Offering service | I see you have some Pale Ore. A rare, fine metal, that. Give me the ore and some Geo for my efforts, and I'll reforge your nail to make it stronger. |
| Declining service | You're not interested, then? Suit yourself. |
| Not enough Geo | Ah, you don't have the Geo? Come and see me when you do. |
| Not enough Pale Ore | Second upgrade
Third upgrade
Fourth upgrade
|
| Accepting service | As you wish. I'll get to work then. |
| Listening after returning | Hmm? Oh, you've returned. |
| Exhausted dialogue | Hmm? You're still here. Is there something else you want? |
| Dream Nailed | ...To forge the perfect Nail... |
Nailsmith
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The Nailsmith is a Merchant in Hollow Knight. He provides a service to strengthen the Knight's Nail for Geo and Pale Ore. He provides the first Nail refinement for Geo only, after which he requires Pale Ore and Geo to upgrade further (see Nail for prices).
Lore
The Nailsmith is one of the few bugs that lived through the fall of Hallownest. Driven by his craft and working in seclusion, he barely noticed the world changing around him.[3] Even before that, he hardly paid attention to the Kingdom's Five Great Knights.[4] He spends his time honing his craft, hoping to forge one day a Pure Nail, the apex of his work.[5][6] There are many nails surrounding his hut.
In-game events
The Nailsmith can be found at his smithy in the outskirts of the City of Tears, in an isolated hut. At first, he can refine the Old Nail into the Sharpened Nail for a small amount of Geo. After that, he requires both Pale Ore and Geo to upgrade it further, with the price and the number of Pale Ore increasing with each successive upgrade.
After having him forge the Pure Nail, the Nailsmith steps outside and asks the Knight to cut him down. Obliging him sends him plummeting down to the waters below and awards the Purity achievement. His corpse can be found in the 
Junk Pit after completing two Pantheons and speaking to the Godseeker.
When not granting his request to "cut him down" and leaving the area, he can be found with Sheo in his hut in Greenpath. Listening to the Nailsmith awards the Happy Couple achievement.[7] These achievements are mutually exclusive on a single save as the game autosaves immediately after killing the Nailsmith.
He then remains in Sheo's hut for the rest of the game, engaging in modelling for Sheo and making wooden figurines together.[8] The achievement name, Happy Couple, implies Sheo and the Nailsmith are in a romantic relationship.[9]
The Nailsmith does not move to Sheo's hut if the Knight has not acquired Great Slash. He disappears after being spared and only appears in Sheo's hut after the Knight has gained the ability and rested on a Bench or used the Stagways afterward.
Dialogue
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Location
The Nailsmith is initially located in the west part of the City of Tears. Later on, he moves to Sheo's hut in Greenpath if he is spared.
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Location in the City of Tears
Gallery
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Nailsmith's hut
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Nailsmith ready to die
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Sheo painting the Nailsmith
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Nailsmith's corpse
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Promotional art
Achievements
|
{S} Purity |
|---|---|
| Slay the Nailsmith with the Pure Nail. 10G |
|
{S} Happy Couple |
|---|---|
| Allow the Nailsmith to find a new calling. 10G |
Trivia
- The Nailsmith's quest to forge the perfect nail was part of a Kickstarter stretch goal at $44,000 which was the addition of four new quests to the game:
 |
A Nailsmith's Obsession
When his job is done; when the perfect blade is forged; what meaning remains for the Nailsmith? Is there something more the Hollow Knight can provide?[10] |
- The Nailsmith was first revealed in a Kickstarter update, although that information is no longer canonical:
- "Follow a twisting path from the outskirts of the drowning city. Cross a broken bridge and you'll hear it close, the ring of metal and the roar of flame. A craftsman obsessed.
- Within his forge the Nailsmith is searching, on an endless quest to create a flawless nail.
- Past failures pile outside his door, exposed to the rains and left to rust. He spares no thought for imperfect things. Nor does he pause to take notice of the countless beings that take their pick of his refuse.
- But his neglect has impact. His discarded nails have spread wide through Hallownest, clutched tight in the hands of creatures possessed.
- Only in the Hollow Knight's broken nail does he at last see true potential. Distant and difficult to achieve, but it is in there, waiting - a blade to be honed beyond all others, to be forged into a form so brilliant it transcends its metal and becomes myth."[11]
- The Nailsmith's voicelines were originally recorded for Relic Seeker Lemm. Matthew 'Leth' Griffin, the voice actor for both of them, had to re-record the lines for Lemm because Team Cherry told him that Lemm is supposed to be annoyed with the Knight. Lemm's old lines were subsequently reused for the Nailsmith.[12]
- It is also possible to kill the Nailsmith with Spells when he asks.
The Dream Nail dialogue of the corpse of the Ancient Nailsmith found in Kingdom's Edge is also "...Pure...", the same as the Nailsmith's corpse's Dream Nail dialogue.- Upgrading the Nail respawns enemies that normally only respawn after sitting on a Bench.
References
- ↑ Relic Seeker Lemm: "I've little interest in weapons myself, but it may be an idea to hunt down that old Nailsmith. His hut's on the outskirts of the city. Not that far from here. He might help add some sting to your weapon, provided he's feeling generous."
- ↑ Reddit comment by Matthew Griffin.
- ↑ Nailsmith: "Have you brought me another nail to be honed? Leave it on the ground and return later, if you're still breathing. Hmm? Oh. I thought you were someone else."
- ↑ Nailsmith: "We're building a full suite of the Kingdom's Knights. In their time, I barely ever paid them attention, but Sheo keenly remembers each."
- ↑ Nailsmith: "With a Pure Nail forged, my work in this lifetime comes to an end."
- ↑ Wanderer's Journal, p.71.
- ↑ Nailsmith: "The world is made of more than metal and weapons. I set out exploring, and soon found my way here."
- ↑ Nailsmith: "Sheo is a master of many arts, and has promised to teach me what he can. I think I'll be quite happy here." "Though he may seem imposing, in truth he's a delicate sort. In all the dark of Hallownest, who'd have thought I'd meet such an inspiring soul."
- ↑ Definition of happy couple, Oxford's Dictionary
- ↑ Kickstarter update of December 15th, 2014.
- ↑ Kickstarter update of November 27th, 2014.
- ↑ Messages from Leth on Discord.
