Anyone have this problem.  I've been working to get my Lava Bow and also the Large Sword of Searching.  Just got the longbow +7 and claws +8 that I can change into these 2 special weapons.  I run down to Blacksmith Ed and he is gone.  Never once attacked him.  
 
What is up with that?  He just went and disappeared.  This is annoying...did that work for nothing.  If he never comes back then I'll have to wait until I beat the game and then go beat the Flamelurker to get a Red Hot Demon's Soul in order for him to upgrade my stuff for these 2 weapons.  The only reason I really want the Large Sword of Searching is to help better my chances of getting colorless demon soul's from the certain demons that show up in black tendency.
 
oh man this really sux, I just realized that I can't upgrade my weapon with colorless demon souls either since he is the only one that can do it.  Pretty lame.

eh...I found this thread on atlus's forums.
 
 http://atlus.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4655&page=3
 
Guess it is just a glitch.  Which is pretty damn lame because Blacksmith Ed is probably one of the most important NPCs.

EDIT: wrote something here and then realized you were talking about Ed disappearing and not Boldwin. Ed going away does look like a glitch. My bad.

I assume you were probably gonna refer to Yurt as the culprit :p
 
I haven't even freed Yurt from his cell so he definitely can't be to blame.  Nor do I have any magic or miracles currently that I could of killed him with.  So it must be some glitch.  3rd playthrough and this is the first time it has happened.  Maybe it is rare?

It is a glitch BUT! You should try taking the disc out and putting it back in. I had a similar glitch with Sage Freke and when putting the disc back in a few hours later, the glitch was gone and he was back in the game.

ill try it.