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Blacksmithing:

Finally getting started on this section! Bear with me; unlike everything else I have posted on, I have never done Blacksmithing; feel free to correct me if I messed something up!

Overview: Blacksmithing is a profession that lets you make weapons and mail (and later plate) armor. The weapons created include daggers, swords, maces, and axes. The ability to make mail pretty much drops off at level 40, when Paladins and Warriors upgrade to plate; mail-crafting past level 40 for Shamans and Hunters is in leatherworking at that point.

Blacksmithing has two primary differences: armorsmithing and weaponsmithing. Weaponsmiths are then divided again into an area of focus: swordsmith mastery, hammersmith mastery, and axesmith mastery.

To get stared, you'll want a few things... first and foremost, mining. To make almost everything, you'll need ore and possibly gems. You also need a blacksmith's hammer, along with an anvil to create blacksmithed items.

Q. Why is blacksmithing a good profession?

A. Right now blacksmithing is what I would call one of the most completed professions. It has different routes, something promised to other professions (tailoring and enchanting) in the future. It serves multiple purposes; while Warriors and Paladins will be able to make great armor out of it, rogues, hunters, and shamans can all make weapons they can use. Also, blacksmithing is needed to create the epic hammer that will be come the legendary Sulfuras, Hand of Ragnaros:
http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?witem=17182

Unlike gathering skills, a high level blacksmith is potentially able to buy materials right off the AH, smith something, and sell it for a profit. This obviously requires using the AH to plot price potentials, but the possibility is definitely there.

Unlike Tailoring, the ultimate pre-MC items blacksmithing can create are actually darn useful. The enchanted thorium items come to mind. These items can blow away the Valor set (depending on what kind of gear you are focusing on). For weaponsmithing, the Heartseeker, Arcanite Champion, and Arcanite Reaper are amazing weapons; the Arcanite Reaper reigns as one of the best Warrior weapons outside of MC+ raid instances.

Also, unlike alchemy and enchanting, you won't be called a cheater if you use your own smithed items in a duel >_>. I hate people who call others cheaters, but hey, it is a reason...

Q. What are some of the rare patterns for blacksmithing?

I don't know if anyone would actually ask this, but there are some difficult to get patterns. Some are worthless, some are situationally useful, and some are really good.

Darkrune: Just added in patch 1.7 or 1.8, these items are from a repeatable quest in Silithus called Still Believing
http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/quest.h...wquest=8324
These armor pieces (there are three) have a hefty amount of shadow resistance on them. The Dark Runes drop off enemies in Scholomance; kind of like Righteous Orbs from Stratholme, but Orbs are worth a lot more and are apparently a lot rarer.

Enchanted Thorium Platemail: These patterns are learned off of the Advanced Armorsmithing pieces (you combine them together to form the book, get the quest, and drop them off in DM to learn the patterns). These are amazing pieces of equipment for tanking; they have a healthy dose of stamina, decetn strength, and +defense. Great for tanking.

Bloodsoul: Some of the mail that blacksmithing can make after level 40. This is decent hunter gear: agility and stamina, along with 3% crit and a passive mana regen bonus. This is from the Zandalar trolls (ZG faction), so you need ot have pretty high reputation to get these from them.

There are also all the things you can get from the Timbermaw, Argent Dawn, and Thorium Brotherhood factions. With the TB, Exalted nets you the plans to make this:
http://wow.allakhazam.com/item.html?witem=17193
Which, again, is used to make the legendary hammer :-P

Q. Okay, I can choose my path: armor or weapon... so... what do I choose!?

A. Well, the first question is a matter of class: Warriors and Paladins will primarily be the only ones taking armorsmithing, as they are the only classes who use plate armor. But as to the question of which to choose... it gets tricky. I won't deny that armorsmithing has some great recipes, as does weaponsmithing. And you don't lose all the recipes; there is life after your path, and both sides can learn some of the same generic blacksmithing recipes. But your path opens up new patterns for you. Remember you need to have at least 200 skill (might be more, not sure of the prereqs...) and around level 40 to choose. Note: you need 210 skill for some parts of the prereqs for armorsmithing at the very least... so you might want to be artisan (225, level 40) before you start.

Great outline in the comments for Alliance armorsmithing:
http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/quest.h...wquest=5283

To find the respective quests for weaponsmithing/armorsmithing, check the Trade Skills: List of Trainers bar on the left, and go to blacksmithing. Much easier than me writing it all out :-P

Note: weaponsmithing has fewer patterns at first, because you are not specced into one of the three branches of it: hammer, sword, or axe.

Q. What do I do to become specced in a weaponsmith mastery branch?

A. First, be above level 51. Second, go to Everlook, in Winterspring. Third, look for the three people hanging out... I believe in the bank... You'll notice them easily; one is Lilith the Lithe, a dancing undead. Another is a human (I believe his last name is Scourgebane... funny, as he is watching an undead dance, hehe), and the last is a troll. These three are the masters of the weapons; their quests will get you into the path you desire. You can ONLY be one type of master. You will receive 4 recipes from them (or on the quests; I know the swordsmith will pick up the plans for Corruption, and the hammersmith gets the plans for Serenity). You are now a weaponsmith master.