Oblivion - Armor and Weapon Condition

You may find that you will want to repair your weapons/armor at every available
opportunity. This is because weapons do a lot more damage when they are at 100%
condition or above, and armor is much more effective at protecting you when it is in good condition. When you are a master of the "armorer" skill, you can repair your items to above 100% which means weapons do even more damage and armor is even more effective at protecting you.