To reach the Pure Nail in Hollow Knight, take the Old Nail to the Nailsmith in the west of the City of Tears and complete four refinements. The upgrades raise damage from 5 to 21 and cost 7,050 Geo plus six Pale Ore in total. You can upgrade in stages; you do not need all six ore before your first visit.
How the Nail upgrade path works
The Nailsmith reforges the Nail in a fixed order. The first refinement costs Geo only; every refinement after that requires both Geo and Pale Ore. Costs below are the in-game requirements listed by the community-maintained Nail reference; the smith’s location and role are described in the Nailsmith reference.
| Nail | Geo cost | Pale Ore | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Nail | — | — | 5 |
| Sharpened Nail | 250 | 0 | 9 |
| Channelled Nail | 800 | 1 | 13 |
| Coiled Nail | 2,000 | 2 | 17 |
| Pure Nail | 4,000 | 3 | 21 |
The four upgrades together cost 7,050 Geo and consume six Pale Ore. The damage column gives each Nail’s listed damage, not the amount added by that refinement.
Where to find the Nailsmith
The Nailsmith’s workshop is in the western part of the City of Tears. Bring the Geo and ore required for the next refinement, then speak with him to have the Nail reforged. You can return for later upgrades as you collect more materials; an intermediate upgrade does not require having the ore for all remaining tiers.
#1 Best Overall
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings.
- Tightly tuned 2D controls. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Explore a vast interconnected world of forgotten highways, overgrown wilds and ruined cities.
- Forge your own path! The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- Evolve with powerful new skills and abilities! Gain spells, strength and speed. Leap to new heights on ethereal wings. Dash forward in a blazing flash. Blast foes with fiery Soul!.Equip Charms! Ancient relics that offer bizarre new powers and abilities. Choose your favourites and make your journey unique!.An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation..
Where to find all six Pale Ore pieces
The six Pale Ore pieces are awarded or found in different parts of Hallownest. Their locations and stated conditions are listed in the Pale Ore reference.
- Ancient Basin: Find the ore west of the tram station, near the main entrance. Two Lesser Mawleks guard it.
- Seer: Gather 300 Essence with the Dream Nail to receive the Seer’s reward.
- Hallownest’s Crown: At the top of Crystal Peak, find the ore embedded in the Radiance statue. Mantis Claw is required; Monarch Wings and Crystal Heart are recommended.
- Nosk’s lair: In Deepnest, break the wall in the room west of the Hot Spring, enter the lair, and defeat Nosk.
- Grubfather: Rescue 31 Grubs to receive the reward.
- Colosseum of Fools: Complete the Trial of the Conqueror.
Plan your upgrades around the ore you have
The requirements let you improve the Nail before collecting every Pale Ore. Start with the 250-Geo Sharpened Nail if you have not found ore yet. For the next tier, save 800 Geo and one ore; the Coiled Nail needs 2,000 Geo and two ore, while the final Pure Nail costs 4,000 Geo and three ore. You can choose among the listed ore sources based on your current abilities and progress. The source conditions establish what each reward requires, but do not establish a single fastest or easiest route.
Rank #2
![Hollow Knight - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51nXCF+sf5L._SL160_.jpg)
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings.
- Forge your own path! The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- Evolve with powerful new skills and abilities! Gain spells, strength and speed. Leap to new heights on ethereal wings. Dash forward in a blazing flash. Blast foes with fiery Soul!
- Equip Charms! Ancient relics that offer bizarre new powers and abilities. Choose your favorites and make your journey unique!
- An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation.
What happens after the Pure Nail
After completing the Pure Nail, you can spare the Nailsmith. If you do, he later appears at Sheo’s hut in Greenpath after you acquire Great Slash and then rest or use a Stagway.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Tightly tuned 2D controls. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Forge your own path! The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation.
- Leap into minds with the Dream Nail. Uncover a whole other side to the characters you meet and the enemies you face.
Rank #4
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Tightly tuned 2D controls. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Forge your own path! The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation.
- Leap into minds with the Dream Nail. Uncover a whole other side to the characters you meet and the enemies you face.
Rank #3
![Hollow Knight: Silksong Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51mOgOC8xEL._SL160_.jpg)
- Discover the fallen insect kingdom of Pharloom! Explore mossy grottos, gilded cities and misted moors as you ascend to the shining citadel at the top of the world.
- Engage in lethal acrobatic action! Wield a huge suite of deadly moves as you dance between foes in swift, beautiful combat.
- Craft powerful tools! Master an ever-expanding arsenal of weapons, traps, and mechanisms to vanquish your enemies and explore new heights.
- Solve shocking quests! Hunt down rare beasts and solve ancient mysteries to grant the wishes of the downtrodden and restore the kingdom’s hope.
- Face over 200 ferocious foes! Beasts and hunters, monsters and knights. Defeat them all with bravery and skill!
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