The Ironhand Gauntlets are unique heavy gauntlets with 12 base armor rating and a weight of 4. Their enchantment makes two-handed attacks do 15% more damage, which is a big deal early on for anyone swinging a greatsword, battleaxe or warhammer. Despite the name, they look like steel – the “iron” is in the owner’s nickname, not the metal.
How to get it
Head to White River Watch, a bandit cave east of Whiterun on the road past Honningbrew Meadery. Fight up through the cave to White River Overlook at the top, where the bandit chief Hajvarr Iron-Hand sits enjoying the view. He carries the gauntlets rather than wearing them, so they show up in his inventory once he is down.
- Enter White River Watch and clear the bandits.
- Climb to the overlook at the summit.
- Defeat Hajvarr and loot the gauntlets.
The cave is low-level friendly and close to Whiterun, which makes this an easy early detour.
Is it worth wearing?
For a two-handed build in the early and mid game, absolutely. A flat 15% damage boost on your main attacks is more than most early enchanted gloves give. Later you may craft your own Fortify Two-Handed gloves with a stronger value, but these are free and come early. You can temper them with an 
Iron Ingot (enchanted gear needs the Arcane Blacksmith perk), so they keep their armor value respectable.
Good to know
- They are a classic early source of the Fortify Two-Handed enchantment if you want to disenchant them.
- Hajvarr can respawn, according to players, but the unique gauntlets are a one-off.
- They are heavy armor – mixing them with a light set breaks matching-set perks.
Stats
| Item | Slot | Type | Armor | Weight | Value | Enchantment | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ironhand Gauntlets | Hands | Heavy | 12 | 4 | 11 | Two-handed attacks do 15% more damage. | 000E1643 |
Improve it at a workbench with Iron Ingot.
Stats from the Skyrim game files (Skyrim.esm and the official add-ons): base values before Smithing and perks. Where several versions exist (leveled copies), all are listed.
