Profession Switching

I'm currently Blacksmith/Miner.  It isn't the worst, but it generally sucks.  I get two extra gem slots.  I got no craftable weapons for a hunter and no craftable mail (unlike in Vanilla and Burning Crusade).  I hardly ever mine.  I don't ever have my detect mining up because I've left my improved tracking off once or twice before.  So, Blacksmithing really just gets me some stamina. Cataclysm's Blacksmithing weapons are all BoE.  The same with Leatherworking.  Engineering however looks to have some fabulous ranged weapons and of course the helm.  They also have some gem-like stuff.  Engineering items are listed as Bind on Pickup.  But World of Raids refers to them as BoE.   If they are BoP, it will suck big time and might push me over to doing BS/Engineering.  Reminds me a little of college.

Is Blacksmithing Useful In Cataclysm?

For hunters, Blacksmithing does not look more useful, than it is currently.  There is a nice epic craftable Elementium Poleaxe for level 85.  That is better than what we have now.  (No level 80 craft-able hunter weapons from Blacksmithing.)  That said, that one polearm appears to be BoE.

Rant: Blacksmithing for the Lose

Four years ago, I was trying to figure out what professions would go well with a Dwarf Hunter. I thought mining and either blacksmithing or engineering. Then I thought, naw.. engineering isn't dwarvish enough. So knowing that I could make some decent weapons and some mail in the future, I rolled with it. And blacksmithing could make some decent melee weapons and some decent mail. It was quickly out-classed by drops, but that was the way it was with all professions.

Then along came the run to level 70. Well, I swapped my "sword-smithing" out for "axe-smithing" as I saw the new tastey first, second, and third tier axes I could craft. I did this even though there was decent smithing and armor-smithing mail there too. But sadly, the somewhat elusive first drop in Kara out-classed those craftables. So, I at least felt good as resident blacksmither for guild BoEs, and made some decent coin from sharpening stones.

Now level 80 comes around. Yes, I do like having the ability to add slots to my gloves and bracers. That's pretty cool. But there is hardly any reason for me to go beyond a skill of 400. There is zero mail craftable. There are dozens of plate items. There are very very few weapons.

Should I re-roll blacksmithing as something else?