[imported_Rabbi Samild]

First things first, remove the fact that iron daggers can be made from any ingot type. This makes smithing entirely too easy.

Secondly, boost the sell price of ingots to vendors to over 10gp per ingot.
Make exceptional old copper heater shields worth 200gp, bloodrock 300gp, sandrock 400gp, etc.
Increase the price of more difficult shield types making them more valuable to vendors.

Mining isn't safe. It should be more profitable without having to depend entirely on other players to purchase wares.