Path of Exile 2 introduces so many new mechanics that were not available previously, and one that stands out for both convenience and strategy is the Salvage Bench. Gone are the days of endless town portals only to dump your inventory. With the Salvage Bench, you can break down unwanted gear into valuable crafting materials to get upgraded Currencies. But first, you’ll need to unlock this handy feature, and there are a few things to keep in mind when using it. Our guide tells everything you need to know about the Salvage mechanic in Path of Exile 2.
How to Unlock the Salvage Bench in Path of Exile 2
Before you can start recycling gear into useful materials, you’ll need to unlock the Salvage Bench as part of the main campaign. The process is linked to the “Finding the Forge” quest in Act 1. Before Renly trusts you with his tools, you must complete the “Secrets in the Dark” quest. If you don’t see “Finding the Forge” pop up yet, it’s because you haven’t finished this earlier quest.
Once “Secrets in the Dark” is complete, locate the blacksmith Renly in your Act 1 base in the process camp to unlock the Salvage Bench. He’ll task you with retrieving his lost smithing tools from the ruined Ogham Village, a monster-infested area straight out of a fire hazard PSA.
Ogham Village is a monster level 13 zone, so make sure your character is ready to survive its toughness. If you’re not at least level 13 yet, it’s better to take some time to farm or complete side quests and upgrade equipment before going there.
- Finding the Forge location tip: Since Path of Exile 2 uses randomly generated maps, Ogham Village doesn’t spawn in the same spot every time. However, players report that the forge is usually nestled between the map borders. Some gamers have found it towards the Northeast and Southeast ends of the zone. Look for a cluster of buildings divided by a limited path, often near farmlands or fields. If you see a checkpoint at the entrance, it means it is the right spot.
Enter the forge area in the village and fight off a group of enemies (no boss here, thankfully—only some basic mobs). Renly’s tools are placed on a workbench near a chest in his ruined workshop, marked with green text. Snag them and use a town portal to head back to base camp.
Portals are free, so don’t hesitate to use one for a quick getaway.
Return to Renly, hand over his tools, and the Salvage Bench will be unlocked. You’ll find it in your base camp near Renly for the rest of Act 1, and it’ll appear in every hub throughout your storyline in PoE 2.
How to Use the Salvage Bench in PoE 2
With the Salvage Bench unlocked, you can now recycle your unwanted gear into useful crafting materials. The process is simple, but there are a few restrictions about what items you can salvage.
In any hub (or your hideout), click on the Salvage Bench to open its interface. A hammer icon will appear—the button for salvaging. Simply drag and drop items into the interface or click on them directly.
Important: Salvaging is irreversible, so double-check that you’re not about to destroy something you’ll regret losing later. If you’re unsure, stash the item instead.
Regarding salvage items, not everything in your inventory is fair game for recycling. Here’s what you can (and can’t) salvage in Path of Exile 2:
- Items with Rune Sockets grant Artificer’s Shards. Gear with one Rune Socket gives you 1 shard, while an item with two Rune Sockets grants 2 shards. Collect 10 Artificer’s Shards to create an Artificer’s Orb, which can add a new Rune Socket to your gear—crucial for upgrading your equipment.
- Weapons with Quality yield Blacksmith’s Whetstones used to increase the quality of the firearms.
- Armor with Quality grants Armorer’s Scraps, which can improve the quality of armor pieces.
Quality bonuses only appear on identified items, so don’t forget to ID your gear before salvaging. Also, regular (Normal) items yield the same amount of materials as Rare or Magic items, so adjust your loot filters to prioritize socketed or quality gear regardless of rarity.
Salvaged materials are incredibly valuable in PoE 2 for:
- Artificer’s Orbs: Add extra Rune Sockets to gear to unlock new damage and defense modifiers.
- Quality Currencies: Improve gear quality, with each item adding 4% quality (max 20%).
These materials can largely level up your equipment, so salvaging is not only a way to free up inventory space—it’s a core part of progression.
Why Salvage When You Can Sell?
In Path of Exile 2, selling gear to NPCs gives you gold, unlike the first game, where you’d get barter-style crafting materials. While gold is important for trading and other transactions, salvaging is usually the better option for long-term growth. Materials like Artificer’s Orbs and Whetstones are crucial for crafting and upgrading. Considering this, unlocking the Salvage Bench somehow becomes a key feature in your game’s journey.
That said, you’ll still want to pick up everything you see. Sell junk for gold, stash what you might need later, and salvage the rest. It’s about balance—further, there’s some satisfaction in breaking items down into useful bits.
