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Switched from coal to gas forge last month and finally understand the hype | Blacksmiths - Talk Freely

Switched from coal to gas forge last month and finally understand the hype

I spent 12 years swearing by coal because that's how my grandpa taught me, but after fighting with inconsistent heat on a big commission piece in July, I borrowed a buddy's gas forge for a weekend. The even temperature control saved me 3 hours of rework on a set of gate hinges. Has anyone else made the switch later in their career and regretted sticking with coal for so long?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenix3313mo ago

lmao "regretted sticking with coal for so long" hits different when you realize we were basically just glorified cavemen throwing rocks at hot metal. I held out for 8 years because my old man said gas forges were for "weekend warriors" and I wanted to prove him wrong. Then I finally caved when my neighbor's gas forge had me done with a sword blade in 2 hours while I was still trying to get my coal fire to stop smoking like a chimney. The even heat control is no joke, it's like going from driving a stick shift with a blown clutch to an automatic with cruise control. But hey, at least we can flex about the "good old days" while our gas forges do all the heavy lifting now lol.

campbell.tara3mo ago

Wait, did anyone catch that article in The Anvil's Ring about the old British smith who said coal forges had "soul" and gas forges had "convenience" and then accidentally admitted his gas forge produced way less scale on his blades? @sammoore's buddy story about his wife buying him the gas setup kind of mirrors that, because sometimes the upgrade is forced on you (or lovingly peer-pressured into you). The "horse vs truck" analogy hits hard, especially when you factor in the cleanup - coal dust gets everywhere, like glitter from a crafting demon, while gas is just "flip switch, forge, flip switch" and done.

sammoore3mo ago

Buddy of mine @phoenix331 kept his coal forge running for a decade just because his granddad said it built character, then his wife bought him a gas setup for his birthday and he called me the next day saying it felt like cheating. He swore the noise difference alone was worth switching, no more listening to that coal crackle like a campfire that hates you. Now he just shakes his head when I bring up the old days, says it's like arguing a horse is better than a truck.