Human Smith

[Sixes]

Question, for those more experienced in these matters than I: I'm thinking of getting a human character to 250 in smithing. The choice seems to be either to teach my human monk (level 53) to smith or to start a new, level 1 human warrior just for smithing. Either way, I can get the character to 255 STR with cheapish equipment but, with the monk, I'd need to change clothes every time I want to smith.
So, should I use the new character or the high level one? The downside of the new character is that he will not be able to go anywhere safely to pick up no-drop items and may advance more slowly owing to level. The downside of the high level character is that he will need to change clothes regularly which, with the absence of phone booths, will be annoying.
All advice appreciated.

[ArrakeenNaedShoj]

Go with the Highlevel one. Once you get your smithing to a certain point, you will be doing a lot of farming for components, or buying them in the Bazaar. Either way, you will be doing a lot of item transfers to the other character to work on skill. Since that step will likely take longer than the oh-so-time-consuming equipment changes there really isn't a reason to go with the other one.

Plus when you consider the fact that you may be doing at least some combines that require a no drop component from a high level zone, the level 1 really isn't an option for that.

[Xorshaik]

Also.. it might be an opportunity to use skill points you've had sitting around on your monk. You will need some skill in more than just smithing, so you could consider a start off by getting to 21 in smithing, then maybe tailoring (for leather padding) brewing (for tempers) pottery (used later if you make sickles and/or artisan's seals)..

As for myself.. I actually play an Iksar monk, but wanted to do human cultural. I did start a new character, but there is a lot I can do with my main which I can't with my smith (also on a second account with no pop, so that is part of it)

One thing I find handy is that with my monk, I use beards from giants.. Often discarded onto vendors or available cheap from the bazaar, the buff beards gives will boost STR by 35ish, and I can't use it on my low level human.

I have 197 STR on my monk with equipment I regularly use. Just because you started a new character doesn't mean that char wouldn't wind up with 2 sets as well, there's a good amount of stuff I use on my human warrior that I wouldn't if I was xp'ing him.