Them Dwarven folk.

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Zxcbvn

How do you know? Tolkien never wrote anything about the Dwarf-mansions of the Blue Mountains and the Iron Hills other than the fact that they existed. It wouldn't be implausible to assume that there were atleast some villages of Northmen near the Iron Hills.

No, it wouldn't be implausible, I agree, but I think you're misunderstanding me. I said "no big settlemetns, at least". That does not discount small villages.

And as for the Blue Mtns, they were living right next to the Noldor and Sindar in Lindon.

Yes - and the HoME quote only referred to Dwarves and Humans.

As to the qoutes you provided, they are indeed very familiar to me, but I think they - at least the latter one - only refer to the First Age. So they're useless when arguing about the Third Age (which we're discussing, right? ).

Why not? There was a great deal of traffic passing through the old Dwarf-roads, which happened to pass through the Shire.

I know. But it takes time to go from the Shire to the Blue Mountains, and food doesn't stay good for a long time (assuming there were no preservatives in M-E ). Of course the Dwarves could just buy flour and dried meat & fruits and other goods that last a bit longer and eat only that, but I can't see them going on such an ascetic diet.