Anyway, crafting weapons doesn't worth the time spent. You'd better craft good and buy cheap items.
Now, I perma-craft good in a village, sell them 1 or 2 time a day and buy stuff withe the money gained.
When i've enough money to travel without my upkeep decreasing money to 0, I go to the closest castle to recruit. Then I come back to the village.
Right now, i lead 105 men, lightly equiped.
I think that the time lost to travel map is too expensive when you have to pay your men. It's too dangerous because you have to travel with a lot of money to pay your men, a lot of good to sell and few men to pay... If I see that kind of caravan close to my village, it would be an easy prey.