Warning for anyone switching from coal to propane forges

I had to choose between sticking with my old coal forge or switching to a propane setup last spring, and I went with propane for convenience, but the heat control is so different that I ruined two decent blades before I figured out the regulator settings. Has anyone else had trouble adjusting their hammering rhythm after switching fuel types?

2 comments

2 Comments

parkerl3318h ago

Learn to read the steel not the forge.

willow67215h ago

Took me a long time to learn that one. I used to get hung up on who made a knife and their whole story, then I'd overlook a blade that wasn't perfectly polished but cut like a dream. Ended up passing on a solid user once because the maker's name wasn't big enough, and the guy who bought it is still carrying it years later. Saves you money and disappointment if you just focus on the heat treat and geometry first.