Had to pick between a hand forge and a gas forge for my new setup in Lexington

I finally got my own shop space last month and had to choose between a traditional hand forge and a gas forge. I've been using a hand forge for 7 years under my old boss, so I know how they work but they're slow. The gas forge costs about $600 more upfront but heats up in 5 minutes instead of 20. I went with the gas forge because I'm trying to do more shoes per day, like 8 to 10 instead of 6. First week was rough, I overheated two bars and had to toss them. But by week 2 I got the hang of the regulator settings, now I'm hitting 8 shoes easy. Has anyone else made this switch and found the gas forge messes with your hammer control at first?

2 comments

2 Comments

hart.taylor20d ago

My hand forge taught me heat control in a way gas never could. Ive been at this 12 years and still use my hand crank for fine work because I can see the color change slow and catch problems before they happen. Gas forges mask the heat zone and you end up with hot spots that ruin your hammer rhythm. I got a two burner gas forge last year and my first 30 shoes had scale issues from uneven heating that I never saw with coal.

the_barbara20d ago

My grandpa had an old cast iron skillet that he refused to replace with non-stick pans, same kind of thing. He'd say you had to learn the heat by feel, not by a dial. I mean, it's like everything now is made to be easier but you lose that deeper understanding of how stuff actually works. Maybe it's just me but I think people who learn the hard way first end up better at their craft in the long run.