I never finished the book, and it's been several years since I read what I remember, but...
There were two rival apprentice blacksmiths (goldsmiths?), one who had (raped?) a girl the protagonist cared about deeply.
They were both working on crafting perfect artifacts in order to be selected for apprenticeship, one was definitely either a dagger or sword with a pristinely-honed edge and perfect balance.
...and that's where my memory fades, until the protagonist ends up discovering some sort of magic gemstone and incorporates it into a set of armor.
There were two rival apprentice blacksmiths (goldsmiths?), one who had (raped?) a girl the protagonist cared about deeply.
They were both working on crafting perfect artifacts in order to be selected for apprenticeship, one was definitely either a dagger or sword with a pristinely-honed edge and perfect balance.
...and that's where my memory fades, until the protagonist ends up discovering some sort of magic gemstone and incorporates it into a set of armor.