Where do elves get metal?

[Axbolt]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

When Dwarves make, they make it an industry. Elves don't; if they had mines, those mines would be smaller and as harmless as possible. Those Elves who lived underground probably had more extensive mines, but still not "industry scale" like the Dwarves, and certainly not "full on destructive" like the orcs. So I think they had some mines, but they were smaller and not used as often.

Excellent exsplanation Galadriel55, given what you have just said I would say that modern day humans are most like dawarves, ore even orcs, anything we make, we make an industry.
This would exsplain why Tolkien never mentioned elves mining in LOTR's or TH. Dawarves mined as an industry, and therefore it was an important part of there way of live. Although elves mines when they needed steel, not to sell steel, in much the same way that a hobbit would fix the roof if it leaked (sorry, couldn't think of a better metaphor) but it wouldn't become part of there way of life. And not being way of life, isn't important enough to the story to be worth mentioning.