I disagree with the push for gas forges at the Oregon Knife Show last year

Everyone was raving about how a gas forge is the only way to go, but my old coal forge at that event let me control the heat way better for a tricky damascus billet. Anyone else find coal gives you more nuance than propane?

2 comments

2 Comments

oscarmurphy10d ago

Oh man, I gotta push back hard on this one lol. A gas forge gives you way more control once you actually learn how to tune the air/fuel mix. I can set my propane forge to an exact temperature and just leave it there without constantly feeding coal or adjusting the airflow. For damascus, that steady heat lets me stack billets and get perfect welds every time without hot spots ruining my pattern. Coal might feel more "hands on" but that just means more variables to mess up your work. Plus no smoke or ash flying around my shop when I'm trying to focus on the steel.

diana31410d ago

For me, switching to gas was a game changer. I used to fight with coal all the time, and my welding would fail because I couldn't keep the heat steady. Once I got a propane forge dialed in, my damascus billets started bonding on the first try with zero delams. The clean shop is a huge bonus too, no more breathing in coal dust while I'm hammering. I still have a coal forge for big decorative stuff, but for precision work gas is the only way I'll go now.