User blog comment:Aandrew07/Discussion of the Week: Towns and Villages/@comment-74.240.150.5-20120828174532/@comment-5043481-20120829165042

That would make it more realistic but it would get really annoying, especially at the beggining of the game where weapon improvements happen really quick.

Although I see your point, especially in tri where the wyverian artizan hits stuff with a massive hammer twice to make anything.

I have always thought that they make all the weapons beforehand and when someone buys it the materials are used to make a new one. Some items like metal are supplied by the shop, which explains why you sometimes to get a weapon with a metal handle.