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[buzz killington]

In year 15 I have

a turtle shell toy boat
bauxite earring
limestone weapon rack
mountain goat leather coat
cat's eye mug
iron statue
larch scepter
limestone statue
larch idol
casserite coffer
limestone ring
willow crown
pig tail shirt
limestone trumpet
aquamarine barrel
lead buckler
cedar cabinet
raccoon leather cap
limestone scepter
limestone scepter
pig iron chain
platinum table
larch ring
limetone mechanisms
limestone ring

No weapons or armor at all
 

Somehow they pick things I randomly don't have a lot of either.  I had 3 dwarfs with any clothery skill in a fortress of 180 and got the shirt!

[Jay]

limetone mechanisms

Sucky?
Pah!
They increase the speed at which the object they are used in activates.
IE the speed that a bridge raises.

[AtomicPaperclip]

limetone mechanisms

Sucky?
Pah!
They increase the speed at which the object they are used in activates.
IE the speed that a bridge raises.

The accuracy/damage of weapon traps...

artifact statue is the best non military artifact IMO

[buzz killington]

limetone mechanisms

Sucky?
Pah!
They increase the speed at which the object they are used in activates.
IE the speed that a bridge raises.

So if I put it in a smasher bridge, it would raise and lower as fast as the dwarf could pull the lever?

[Greiger]

yea artifact mechanisms are awesome.  According to a post Toady made (a long time ago) mechanism quality effects the 'skill level' the trap uses when attacking a target.  Artifact mechanisms are treated as legendary skill.

That makes artifact mechanisms awesome additions to a weapon trap wall.

[Hagadorn]

Dude...


Iron Statue? platinum Table? Limestone statue?


You have sitting in just those three artefacts the ultimate Tanty Blockers.

[Eater of Vermin]

Longest run?

About 20 forts.   

I honestly don't remember the last time I got an artifact that made me think "Bonus!"  Even when my weaponsmith or armourer have had fey moods, they seem to produce bloody craft items in the forge.

GRRRRR!

[KernelM]

I get the same things... and I've never had any weapons or armour that I recall.
What's more 99% of my fey moods are from posessions. Meaning I don't even get a legendary Dwarf out of it. 

[Ashery]

Not quite sure how someone with weapon/armor smithing as their highest trade could forge an item your military couldn't use...

And part of the OP's problem is that he's leaving too many dwarves with zero skill in a moodable trade. If a dwarf has no moodable skill, he'll take over a craftsdwarf's workshop by default. This is why I tend to mark every dwarf that immigrates with an unneeded moodable skill for future military service and enable weaponsmithing on the others so that their 30xp in weaponsmithing will be their highest skill. It's also a useful way to produce the base quality silver weapons that are ideal for sparring.

It's also fairly easy to control the materials your moody dwarf uses via the stocks menu. You can forbid any cheap/unwanted material easily if your bookkeeper is using high enough precision.

[Jimmy]

Read the section on moods in the wiki. I batch group craft skills and moods likely to result in a craft item (such as tanning or engraving) to my craftsdwarves.

That frees the others to create useful items. Give all your farmers who don't have tanning a quick stint at the forges crafting iron shields or silver weapons. Same goes for peasants. You'll have a drastic increase in your desired artifacts and skill bonuses.

[Jurph]

I used to have the OP's problem, too!  Then I tried this:

Give all your farmers who don't have tanning a quick stint at the forges crafting iron shields or silver weapons. Same goes for peasants. You'll have a drastic increase in your desired artifacts and skill bonuses.

And now my current fort has two (!) legendary armorsmiths, and also one each of
- weaponsmith
- metalsmith
- blacksmith
- glassmaker
- engraver
- bowyer
- carpenter
- leatherworker
- clothier

Basically covering the trades quite nicely.  My champion marksdwarf is wearing/carrying the following artifact gear:
- iron chain mail
- zinc high boot
- cat leather thong
- highwood crossbow
- GCS silk mask

...and the two champion swordsdwarves are each carrying an artifact shield (one of beak dog leather, and one of... I swear it's goblin bone.  Might have come from a possessed mood).

[Jimmy]

Hmmm, the marksdwarf equipped a mask? I've never seen that behavior before.

[Grimlocke]

Well, those have some pretty decent ones in it, though scepters and other crappy crafts are indeed quite lame.

Forbidding crappy materials untill they pick up something worthwhile works though, especialy for weaponsmiths. Dont let em use some crappy bar of lay pewter if you have steel around

Also, stoneworkers can use econic stones like native aluminium, which can make kinda cool artifacts.

[userpay]

Hmmm, the marksdwarf equipped a mask? I've never seen that behavior before.

He probably modded that in, I've been thinking about doing it myself. Anyway I would hardly call furniture useless artifacts but if your focusing on only weapons and armor then yes, you can go a long time without seeing those.

[Eater of Vermin]

Not quite sure how someone with weapon/armor smithing as their highest trade could forge an item your military couldn't use...

Maybe not crafts as such, but about as useful.  Things like a single copper gauntlet.  Oh joy, oh jubilation. 

Although a fort or two back one of my immigrant Weaponsmiths with no other skills did make a bronze ring.  As he came in before I had my magma tapped & I hadn't smelted any ores whatsoever, 'twas a mad rush to get an ordinary forge, smelter & wood furnace up and running before he lost the plot.  When he came up with a piddly ring, the tantrum spiral nearly killed the fort.  (Not the dwarves tantrum...  mine!  )

I know he shouldn't but the fact is he did.  Maybe it was the "One ring to rule them all?"