My old mentor in Pittsburgh swears by a coal forge, but I just can't see going back from my propane one.

Last week I was helping him move some gear, and he pointed at my clean shop and said 'you're missing the soul of the fire.' He's been at it for 40 years and says the heat control and color reading on coal is something you just can't learn with gas. But three years ago when I switched, my setup time dropped from an hour to about ten minutes, and I'm not breathing in all that smoke. I'm curious, for those who have used both, which do you think is better for a home shop focused on blades?

3 comments

3 Comments

skyler9212mo ago

Wait, an hour to set up a coal forge? That's wild. No wonder you switched to propane.

kaid591mo ago

Right? The "whole different world" thing is so true. I spent more time fighting my old coal forge than actually working with it.

henderson.wesley2mo ago

An hour? That's if everything goes right and the wind isn't blowing. You ever tried to get a good coke fire going in the rain? Propane just turns on. It's a whole different world.

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