Serious question, how many of you still use a coal forge for blades?

I used to run a coal forge for everything, even my kitchen knives, because my old mentor in Flagstaff swore by the control. That changed after a custom order for a chef's knife went sideways last year because of a hidden flaw from the fuel. I switched to a propane forge from Majestic and haven't looked back, the heat is just so much cleaner and even. Anyone else make that switch and find it solved more problems than they expected?

4 comments

4 Comments

drew_hart42mo ago

Hot take: Coal is for masochists. Man, reading this is like looking in a mirror. I fought that coal forge for years because it's "real forging." Total nonsense. The switch to gas wasn't just about saving time, it was about saving my sanity. I got so tired of the guesswork and the mess. Now my shop is cleaner, my steel heats evenly, and I can actually focus on the metalwork instead of being a full-time fireman.

laura_chen412mo ago

omg yes, switching was a total game changer. I had the exact same issue with hidden flaws ruining a project, just like @wendy820 said. My steel comes out so much more even now, and not spending half my day managing the fire is a huge win.

wendy8202mo ago

Yeah, that hidden flaw problem is exactly why I got out of the coal game. The switch to propane just removed so many variables. My weld quality went up overnight because I wasn't fighting the fire to keep it clean. Honestly, the biggest win was not having to babysit the forge for an hour before I could even start working.

calebc402mo ago

Wait, an HOUR just to get the fire ready? That's insane. I knew coal took more work but that's like a whole shift before you even touch metal. No wonder your welds got better, you must have been exhausted by the time you started. Propane sounds like it just lets you actually do the job.