help choosing small forge

jspake

jspake

Well-Known Member
hi guys, i thought some of you may have opinions and could help me make a decision on a small forge to get me started forging my own blades. i know there are plans out there for making small forges for beginners, but my time is so scarce (limited time on weekends) i think its more worth it to me just to buy something modest and get to forging. so far i am planning to focus on forging stick tang utility knives with somewhere around 4" blades, give or take. the thought of a forge hot enough to experiment with forge welding is appealing as well.
the two small forges that seem like a good place to start are the "atlas mini forge" from usa knifemaker:
http://usaknifemaker.com/forging-to...ssories-tools-c-172-173/atlas-mini-forge.html
and the "1 burner knifemaker model" from diamondback forge:
http://www.diamondbackironworks.com/catalog/item/2754775/4583812.htm
would anyone be willing to share their thoughts on one or the other, what is the better deal, or maybe suggest something different entirely? i look forward to your input, thanks!

-jeremy
 
Buy the one from Boss Dog if you must buy one but you could build one for about half that price, or less that would run off a hand held torch. The Diamond Back forge is a poor design for knife work because the flame is directed down onto the work and it will cause problems when it comes to heat treating.

Doug
 
thanks for the comment. can you explain more about why i wouldn't want the flame straight down? from what i understand of the smaller 2 brick style forge, which has a round chamber, and the cylinder style forges i have seen around that style seems to be based around the idea that the heat creates a vortex. i am assuming that since this diamondback forge, and many others that i have seen, are not relying on that style of chamber design, there must be a design reason for this. can anyone comment to these design differences? there seem to be a lot of satisfied customers who use the diamondback forges. i'm still on the fence. slim chance i may have a couple of fire bricks laying around, and if i can figure out where i stashed my old propane torch i may actually attempt to make a 2 brick setup from scratch as a first step. thanks again for the comment.

i just found another similar forge: https://sites.google.com/a/thermalartdesign.com/www/bladesmith-1-forge anyone heard of these?

-jeremy
 
This a subject that I get pretty passionate about, so I am going to be very direct and blunt....
i am assuming that since this diamondback forge, and many others that i have seen, are not relying on that style of chamber design, there must be a design reason for this.
Click to expand...

There is....it's cheaper to build, easier to design, and they can make more profit on a forge they sell. (personally, about the only thing I find a square forge good for is a boat anchor) All too often those who produce/build the square type forges are not, and do not think of Bladesmiths/Bladesmithing when designing a forge.
While these forges work "OK" for forging "mild" steel, a flame burning directly on a piece of carbon/alloy steel (which is what most knifemakers use) causes all kinds of issues.....ones that you cannot see at the time, but manifest themselves in the finished product. Generally speaking, for blade forging, the circular design forges work so well for carbon/alloy steels because the heat is more even, and indirect....meaning that it does not cause the issues that a flame directed on the steel would cause.

Example: the cold spot in a burner flame is right in the center....with the hottest area being about 1/2-3/4" diameter around that center. This means uneven heating, and in extreme cases "burning" of a carbon/alloy steel....these temp variances can also cause warping and other issues that would generally would not occur with a circular designed/indirect heat type forge.
 
thanks for the blunt response! i understand the points you make about the hot/cold zones of a torch flame, so this part makes sense for sure. my only real experience with a forge up to this point is in using a coal forge. it looks a bit more likely that i am going to build a 2 brick forge to get started after all.

by the way ed, i just picked up 1 of your bladesmithing videos over the weekend at the OKCA winter show in eugene. i don't suppose i'll be forging damascus any time soon, but it it will give me some food for thought! thanks again for the reply.

-jeremy
 
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