What Makes a Good Weapon?

The man answered, "Because the best works are always custom-made. So you'll either have to order one or search the auction because some smiths craft blades specifically for the auctions."

Curious, Oli asked, "What would you say the difference is between custom orders and auction pieces?"

"Hmm," a little irked by the question, the man sighed, "I'd say the craftsmanship on auctioned pieces is a bit better in most cases."

"How so?" Before Oli got the lazy eye from the man, Oli laid a few gold coins on the nearby shelf. 

Lightening up, the man explained, "That's because there are a few ways to reach the requested grading for a weapon. The first is to use materials strong enough to match the grade, sometimes including a formation to boost a particular essence type. These are typically the easiest type of weapons to forge. The second…" 

As the man slowed his speech, Oli smiled and dropped more gold on the shelf.