Appreciation post: That old coal forge in the shed changed my smithing game

I finally fired up the coal forge my grandpa left me, and the heat control is so much better than my gas one. Does anyone have advice on sourcing good coal for forge work?

2 comments

2 Comments

susan29512h ago

That bit about the heat control being better... I know exactly what you mean. My uncle's old coal forge felt the same way when I first used it. With gas, I always fought to keep a steady heat for detailed work... like trying to thin out a knife blade. But coal just lets you soak the metal in that even orange glow. Sourcing coal... I ended up calling around to some local welding shops and they pointed me to a supplier. Nothing beats that deep coal fire for shaping steel.

susan_nguyen5h ago

Something about coal leaves a different kind of finish on the metal, have you noticed that? It's not just the heat. My first proper project was a simple hook for a fence post, done in a coal forge. Years later, that hook still has a soft, almost stippled texture to the steel where the fire touched it. Gas work from the same time looks cleaner, maybe, but also kind of sterile. That coal piece just looks and feels like it was made by a person.