Best early game dagger?

[Electroflux]

Running an assassin/thief build.

What's the best early game dagger you can find? I tend to get stuck with a steel dagger for way too long and it's hard to go toe to toe.

[alexander_dougherty]

Depends entirely on how you are defining the early game. I personally define it as up to level 30ish. But you should find the odd elven Dagger pretty early, as well as the odd dwarven and glass dagger.

[Rafael Freeman]

I still use the steel dagger. When I'm forced to fight I switch to dual wielding, the dagger in my strong hand and an imperial sword in my other hand. With the dual-wielding perks the combination is strong but still feels right for a character who uses stealth and mobility.

The extra damage from say, an ebony dagger, doesn't make that much of a difference and I like the look of a steel dagger.

[Docsprock]

Arch-Curate Vyrthur has an Elven dagger of Blizzards. Ive got it by level 20. It is quite powerful.

[RoxxasTheDemonslayer]

theres a 'lucky' dagger as a reward for a quest where u fight some spriggans in cave.

[78pac7]

You could get a Skyforge Steel Dagger? You can get one pretty early in the Companions questline, after only doing one real mission, not to challenging.

[Cyprinodon]

This is by far the best early dagger.
http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Valdr's_Lucky_Dagger

There is a trick near the end of the article for if you are playing a dual wielder. Make him get attacked by something when you are talking to him at the end of his quest you will get 2 daggers.

[Electroflux]

appreciate the responses

[Xitones]

Daedric dagger enchanted by lvl 10 tops using the atronach forge on winterhold mage college

[lupus_hegemonia]

Actually, probably,... the very best dagger of the game - which you can get it very very soon, is the weapon of "Dark Brotherhood" leader.
Very very soon, you can drive yourself to Windhelm. There, also very very easily, you can get that quest from that kid, to go to Riften and kill that terrible Orphan House lady.
When you'll do it (and go to sleep - in an inn!), immediately you can get this dagger... because, you're getting kidnapped by this "Dark Brotherhood" leader, you are in an abandoned place and SHE (is a female) is telling you that "you shouldn't take a kill contract, that was our field and you own us now"... and she's telling you to chose and kill one of three innocent people in front of you.
If you kill one of them... you becoming "Dark Brotherhood" (Assassin) member - which is fine, this Guild has superb missions.

If you don't (like most people wouldn't kill an innocent man/woman), you have only once choice, to KILL THIS LEADER. If you do it... you're getting yourself a pack of SUPERB SNEAKING & ASSASSIN gear - including a SUPERB dagger, probably the best in the game!

[Electroflux]

Originally posted by lupus_hegemonia:

Actually, probably,... the very best dagger of the game - which you can get it very very soon, is the weapon of "Dark Brotherhood" leader.
Very very soon, you can drive yourself to Windhelm. There, also very very easily, you can get that quest from that kid, to go to Riften and kill that terrible Orphan House lady.
When you'll do it (and go to sleep - in an inn!), immediately you can get this dagger... because, you're getting kidnapped by this "Dark Brotherhood" leader, you are in an abandoned place and SHE (is a female) is telling you that "you shouldn't take a kill contract, that was our field and you own us now"... and she's telling you to chose and kill one of three innocent people in front of you.
If you kill one of them... you becoming "Dark Brotherhood" (Assassin) member - which is fine, this Guild has superb missions.

If you don't (like most people wouldn't kill an innocent man/woman), you have only once choice, to KILL THIS LEADER. If you do it... you're getting yourself a pack of SUPERB SNEAKING & ASSASSIN gear - including a SUPERB dagger, probably the best in the game!

but i obviously face the repercussions of killing the leader i'm assuming

[pedantic_roc]

Originally posted by lupus_hegemonia:

Actually, probably,... the very best dagger of the game - which you can get it very very soon, is the weapon of "Dark Brotherhood" leader.
Very very soon, you can drive yourself to Windhelm. There, also very very easily, you can get that quest from that kid, to go to Riften and kill that terrible Orphan House lady.
When you'll do it (and go to sleep - in an inn!), immediately you can get this dagger... because, you're getting kidnapped by this "Dark Brotherhood" leader, you are in an abandoned place and SHE (is a female) is telling you that "you shouldn't take a kill contract, that was our field and you own us now"... and she's telling you to chose and kill one of three innocent people in front of you.
If you kill one of them... you becoming "Dark Brotherhood" (Assassin) member - which is fine, this Guild has superb missions.

If you don't (like most people wouldn't kill an innocent man/woman), you have only once choice, to KILL THIS LEADER. If you do it... you're getting yourself a pack of SUPERB SNEAKING & ASSASSIN gear - including a SUPERB dagger, probably the best in the game!

Ah.. you've let the cat out of the bag and in the process almost exposed MY method of obtaining a very suitable dagger early game. The only difference is I pay a visit to The Lord Stone on my way to Windhelm.

[Red Bat]

Originally posted by Squidbarrel:

You could get a Skyforge Steel Dagger? You can get one pretty early in the Companions questline, after only doing one real mission, not to challenging.

This. The first Companions quest can be a bit tricky if you are a vampire thief build though. Not uncommon to get oneshot by Silver Hand on master difficulty and you can't really sneak because you got a heavy armor wearing companion hanging behind you.

Just get a Skyforge Steel Dagger and give it a minor fire enchantment or something. It's fairly cheap and better than a lot of your other options at this point.

Originally posted by lupus_hegemonia:

Actually, probably,... the very best dagger of the game - which you can get it very very soon, is the weapon of "Dark Brotherhood" leader.
Very very soon, you can drive yourself to Windhelm. There, also very very easily, you can get that quest from that kid, to go to Riften and kill that terrible Orphan House lady.
When you'll do it (and go to sleep - in an inn!), immediately you can get this dagger... because, you're getting kidnapped by this "Dark Brotherhood" leader, you are in an abandoned place and SHE (is a female) is telling you that "you shouldn't take a kill contract, that was our field and you own us now"... and she's telling you to chose and kill one of three innocent people in front of you.
If you kill one of them... you becoming "Dark Brotherhood" (Assassin) member - which is fine, this Guild has superb missions.

If you don't (like most people wouldn't kill an innocent man/woman), you have only once choice, to KILL THIS LEADER. If you do it... you're getting yourself a pack of SUPERB SNEAKING & ASSASSIN gear - including a SUPERB dagger, probably the best in the game!

It ties with Dragonbone Dagger as the best in the game, but it's enchantment is underwhelming.

Originally posted by Electroflux:

Originally posted by lupus_hegemonia:

Actually, probably,... the very best dagger of the game - which you can get it very very soon, is the weapon of "Dark Brotherhood" leader.
Very very soon, you can drive yourself to Windhelm. There, also very very easily, you can get that quest from that kid, to go to Riften and kill that terrible Orphan House lady.
When you'll do it (and go to sleep - in an inn!), immediately you can get this dagger... because, you're getting kidnapped by this "Dark Brotherhood" leader, you are in an abandoned place and SHE (is a female) is telling you that "you shouldn't take a kill contract, that was our field and you own us now"... and she's telling you to chose and kill one of three innocent people in front of you.
If you kill one of them... you becoming "Dark Brotherhood" (Assassin) member - which is fine, this Guild has superb missions.

If you don't (like most people wouldn't kill an innocent man/woman), you have only once choice, to KILL THIS LEADER. If you do it... you're getting yourself a pack of SUPERB SNEAKING & ASSASSIN gear - including a SUPERB dagger, probably the best in the game!

but i obviously face the repercussions of killing the leader i'm assuming

Can't do Dark Brotherhood missions. So you miss out on:
1.Their trainers
2.A unique mount
3.A unique summon spell
4.Some of the only followers in the game with high sneaking
5.A few chances to charge the Ebony blade

Personally I think it's a bad deal. If you have a maxed out pickpocket skill with one of the late perks you can just steal the dagger from her, and then get another one from the Dark Brotherhood missions.