Even in 2026, with community maps and patch notes scattered across the internet, upgrading Hornet’s blade in Hollow Knight: Silksong still feels like coaxing a stubborn music box to play a new tune. I learned that the hard way. You can absolutely finish the game without ever sharpening your needle, but why would you? Every dodge, parry, and silk-bound strike matters in this metroidvania, and a stronger weapon is the difference between dancing through a boss and being flattened like a pancake under a falling bell. This is the story of how I chased down Pinmaster Plinney’s oil and turned Hornet’s trusty blade from a whisper into a roar.
The Bellhart Detour
My journey began with a detour. To even get the upgrade quest, I had to unlock Bellhart, the settlement west of Greymoor. I took the airlift from Far Fields and soon found myself staring at a town trapped inside a massive bell. The place felt like a locked music box with a spider inside—beautiful, eerie, and completely hostile. Clearing Bellhart meant defeating the Widow, a nasty creature lurking in the attic, stringing her silk and holding everyone hostage. My first visit to Bellhart was useless; I could barely do anything, so I pushed deeper into Shellwood. The more I explored, the closer I inched toward the top of the bell, until I finally climbed into the attic and faced the Widow.
After the fight, I dropped from the ceiling and watched the trapped residents stumble back into their lives. One of them was Pinmaster Plinney. To reach him, I wall-jumped off the left side of Bellhart and climbed to the second house. Inside, Plinney offered me a free upgrade for my current blade. I accepted immediately—who wouldn’t? When I spoke to him again, he explained that another upgrade was possible, but it required a special oil found only in The Citadel. That meant waiting for Act 2. I marked the quest in my journal and moved on, feeling like I’d been handed a treasure map with half the map missing.
Finding Pinmaster’s Oil
Once Act 2 arrived and I stepped into The Citadel, the real hunt began. The Citadel is a filing cabinet designed by a mad architect: winding rooms, secrets stacked on secrets, and at least seven distinct areas. Only three mattered for this quest: Underworks, Choral Chambers, and Whispering Vaults. There are two entrances—one from Exhaust Organ in the south, linking to the Underworks and almost immediately to Choral Chambers, and one from the west in the Blasted Steps, dropping me directly into the Underworks.
No matter where you enter, the goal is Whispering Vaults, east of Choral Chambers and above the Underworks. Unfortunately, that means cutting through most of The Citadel, completing Choral Chambers, and even partially exploring the Cogwork Core. I followed a crudely drawn map that a fellow traveler had scrawled in the margins of a note, and it saved me hours of wandering.
When I finally reached the room before the Pale Oil, I found a box puzzle waiting for me. It was like teaching a stubborn mule to dance—every box had to move in exactly the right order. Here’s the sequence that worked:
Hit the furthest ground-floor box to the left.
Climb up and hit the next box to the right.
Fall down and hit the ground-floor box to the right.
Climb that box, wall-jump up the boxes, and strike the top box upward.
Jump up to the right, then move all the way left on the top floor. Hit the furthest box downward.
Fall slightly down the new gap and strike the left box.
Move under the latest moved box and hit it upward.
Jump up and hit the lever.
After striking the lever, the previously empty room opened up with more ceiling space. I followed the path to the end and found the Pale Oil. My inventory lit up with that satisfying little chime, and I immediately backtracked to Plinney.
| Step | Location | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bellhart | Defeat the Widow and free the town |
| 2 | Bellhart, second house | Meet Pinmaster Plinney and get the free upgrade |
| 3 | Act 2, The Citadel | Reach Whispering Vaults |
| 4 | Room before Pale Oil | Solve the box puzzle |
| 5 | Bellhart | Return to Plinney with the Pale Oil |
Handing over the Pale Oil felt like finally finding the missing piece of a puzzle I’d been carrying for hours. Plinney upgraded Hornet’s blade even further, and suddenly every enemy in the Citadel seemed a little less terrifying. If you’re playing in 2026 and haven’t chased this quest yet, do it. The extra edge is worth every wall-jump, every box, and every trip back to Bellhart. ?️?
Chasing upgrades like this is satisfying, but keeping an eye on what you spend on games and gear is its own kind of strategy. If you’re planning a new controller for long wall-jump sessions, a headset for late-night Citadel runs, or another metroidvania to fill the gap after Silksong, it helps to check a few retailers before committing.
That’s where DealNest comes in: it gathers options in one place so you can spot a better price without turning a quick purchase into a full side quest. Before you add anything to your cart, compare prices here and make sure your next upgrade is worth the trip.
