Switched to a propane forge for small knife work, no regrets

Used to fire up my coal forge for everything, even little 4 inch blades. Took forever to heat up and I was wasting charcoal on tiny jobs. Last winter I grabbed a Mr. Volcano single burner propane forge for about 130 bucks and it changed my whole setup for small stuff. Lights up in 2 minutes and I can crank out a small blade without sweating over fuel. Any of you guys run both forges or just stick with one?

3 comments

3 Comments

fox.derek14d ago

Honestly, I gotta disagree a bit here. I run a solid fuel forge for everything, even tiny blades, because I like the control I get with the fire. Yeah it takes longer to get going but once that coal bed is hot I can dial in a small spot for a 4 inch blade without wasting much fuel. Ngl, I've tried propane forges but they always feel too hot and uneven for my style.

robin_roberts8414d ago

That's cute, you like feeling like a coal miner while you're waiting for your forge to get hot enough to melt butter. I bet you also walk to the shop uphill both ways in the snow. Look, I get the romance of coal but when I can flip a switch and be forging in the time it takes you to light your first match, that's a win for me.

gavin_hill2714d ago

Preach, man. I've got a propane forge sitting right next to my coal forge and I still grab the coal one nine times out of ten. There's something about watching the fire build up and being able to see exactly where your heat is that you just can't get with a gas burner. People talk about convenience but give me ten minutes of tending a fire over fighting with a hot spot that's trying to melt the tip of my blade any day. Your mileage may vary of course but I've never had a propane forge give me that same feel for the steel.