User blog comment:TESClaymore/Skyrim Answers from Bethesda/@comment-64.213.229.174-20110901075436

I'm thinking what is the use of investing perk points in steel items if steel is already obsolete compared to say orchist, unless every perk is not by points, but a material open the door for the next better material. Ex: to have access to dwarven you have to have the steel perk.