Coal vs propane on my first blade, think I made the wrong call

I went with coal for my first knife forge because it felt more 'authentic' but after 3 tries I still can't keep the heat even across the steel. The smoke is driving my wife crazy and the kids keep coughing when they come near the garage. Anyone here switch from coal to propane and feel like they wasted time on the old setup?

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barbaraw163mo ago

You mentioned the kids coughing - how old are they and are they wearing respirators in the garage?

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theawest3mo ago

Oh man @barbaraw16, I gotta admit my kids are 6 and 8 and they're definitely not wearing respirators - mostly because I can't get them to keep a bandana on for more than 30 seconds without it becoming a cape or a slingshot lol. The coal setup made me feel like a real blacksmith for about an hour before I realized I was just a guy with a dirty garage and a grumpy family. Propane was a total game changer for me - consistent heat, way less smoke, and I don't have to keep feeding it every 5 minutes while trying not to burn my eyebrows off.

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