Blacksmithing is a rare hobby in that you can get by without really purchasing anything but your steel stock. You can make your own tools! The techniques are timeless as well, meaning the techniques you learned 10 years ago will work just as well today. But how do you begin forging if you have no […]Read More
People interested in blacksmithing tend to have colorful personalities that are contained within a unique worldview. As such, you will see a tremendous amount of variability in what people wear while smithing. Some people are very practical, and will wear a long sleeve shirt with hearing + eye protection in addition to boots. Other people […]Read More
The hammer is the most fundamental tool in the art of the blacksmith. It’s possible to use impromptu tools made out of scrap metal in place of your anvil, tong, and forge, but you can’t fake a hammer. SOMETHING has to make contact with your red hot stock. It needs to be able to handle […]Read More
Refractory materials are non-metallic (ceramic) materials that can withstand high temperatures. They are often used in a number of industrial applications such as furnaces, kilns, foundries incinerators, and reactors. As such, they are extremely useful to hobbyist blacksmiths and machinists who wish to build their own forge or foundry. So which fire bricks should you […]Read More