This part is inaccurate.
But only barely.
You do not have to invest as many feats to craft the hardened steel sword of knuckle dragging from the Bazaar. In fact, you can craft it with only the basic feat of warrior or whichever one let’s you make stone weapons.
So that can be crafted as soon as you have a smith bench and the materials, no level lock. Unlike the star metal ones. Another reason this one is less than happy with the recent trend of Bazaar gear coming in steel and hardened steel tier rather than iron and Starmetal.