ready to learn bladesmithing

[blacksmith8ro]

my therapist told me to look for a new hobby that gets me off the couch. pushing me to be more active.
I'm obsessed with fantasy and want to get way more active, so I'm totally hooked on the idea of starting bladesmithing!
But honestly, I have no clue where to begin. What are the absolute bare minimum tools I need to buy? Should I start with a coal or propane forge? What kind of videos or books should I check out first? Drop your best advice for a total beginner, I'm ready to learn!

 

[hammertime]

I hear you, wanting a fantasy thing to do! I got a propane forge, hammer, and something that worked like an anvil, and just started hitting the metal.

 

[HotIrony]

My start was tough, I didn't have anyone to teach me, so I made lots of mistakes. I got a propane forge because it's cleaner, plus a simple hammer and tongs. Christ Centered Ironworks and Torbjörn Åhman on YouTube were so helpful, showing how to use the hammer right and how to control the heat. They helped me not learn bad ways of doing things when I started.

 

[crucibleking]

When I got interested, I just got a propane forge thing, a cheap hammer, and some old metal. I watched YouTube channels like Black Bear Forge to learn the basics without getting lost.

 

[quenchquest]

I got started after watching too many fantasy movies. I got a propane forge (it's easier than using coal), a hammer, and used some railroad track as an anvil. Books like The Backyard Blacksmith gave me some rules to follow, and YouTube helped fill in what the book missed.

 

[Ohio Rusty]

You need 3 things. A suitable hammer (not a claw hammer, the face is too small), something to pound on and a way to heat steel. Your heat source is probably the most important to get your steel up to forging color -- an orange color. There are many video's on Youtube showing a small square forge made from bricks and the heat source was a propane burner of some kind. I don't recommend the Harbor Freight anvils as they are not good for forging and the horn shape is terrible. For an anvil, you can use a large size sledge hammer mounted with the hammer face up. You can set it in a hole in a stump or wood block and run a piece of chain through both sides of the eye so you can bolt it down tight. That might cost you $5 to $10 for the flea market sledge hammer head and a piece of chain. The Romans made full size swords and nails on an anvil that size. For hammers, a cross peen 1 3/4 to 2 pounds will be perfect. You can get those flea market hammers for a dollar to 5 dollars. There are inexpensive gas forges you can purchase to heat steel. It is a shame Mr. Volcano went out of business. They made a really nice single burner forge for $88.
Ohio Rusty ><>
Blacksmith - The Ohio Frontier Forge

 

[toot]

Welcome.

 

[Alan]

You need 3 things. A suitable hammer (not a claw hammer, the face is too small), something to pound on and a way to heat steel. Your heat source is probably the most important to get your steel up to forging color -- an orange color. There are many video's on Youtube showing a small square forge made from bricks and the heat source was a propane burner of some kind. I don't recommend the Harbor Freight anvils as they are not good for forging and the horn shape is terrible. For an anvil, you can use a large size sledge hammer mounted with the hammer face up. You can set it in a hole in a stump or wood block and run a piece of chain through both sides of the eye so you can bolt it down tight. That might cost you $5 to $10 for the flea market sledge hammer head and a piece of chain. The Romans made full size swords and nails on an anvil that size. For hammers, a cross peen 1 3/4 to 2 pounds will be perfect. You can get those flea market hammers for a dollar to 5 dollars. There are inexpensive gas forges you can purchase to heat steel. It is a shame Mr. Volcano went out of business. They made a really nice single burner forge for $88.
Ohio Rusty ><>
Blacksmith - The Ohio Frontier Forge

Fantastic breakdown. Straightforward tools, a clever setup, and a great reminder that you don’t need high-end gear to kick things off. Love that tip about using a sledgehammer as an anvil!