I am a level 100 blacksmith with all the perks and am wondering if anyone else has noticed that some items seem to have limitations on the amount they can be improved, if at all. Specifically, it seems that some items can only be upgraded to "flawless" quality (such as the Blades armor set and the unique Daedric Artifact sword Dawnbreaker) while others cannot be improved at all (such as the Shield of Ysgramor and the Shield of Solitude). While these are all unique items, the game text claims that you can improve "any item," and the amount is determined by a combination of skill and perks. I have also improved also improved other unique items to Legendary quality with no issue. Has anyone else encountered this or am I missing something?

Also, has anyone encountered any smithing related quests in the game?