I'm a retiring dentist and need to know where to start with forging. I need something I can begin to create but with absolutely no knowledge other than my ability to cast.
The chef knife module is a great place to start with no experience. It goes through the tools and techniques that you need to get started. Depending on where you live, there are many in person classes available, such as the New England School of Metal in Maine or the Center for Metal Arts in Pennsylvania. If you could, I would get your basic tools and start practicing with the chef knife and come back here with specific questions.
Cheers,
Tristan
Jake Johnson
Jake Johnson
blacksmith & bladesmith in training living in Marietta, GA
Dec 17, 2024
Hi Shawn,
I second Tristan. Work through the chef knife project and checkout the recommended tools and the companion PDF. You can get by with minimal tooling. I’ve seen a 24 lbs anvil bolted to a 6x6 and placed in a 5 gallon bucked of loose gravel be quite effective, so you can really start anywhere.
Ben mentions a number of great options. I’d personally recommend just going for 80CrV2 as your primary steel. It is chemically fairly simple, easy to work with, and all around effective. I’d also recommend starting with a propane forge.
If you want a dirt cheap but very capable anvil, you can get one of the 132 pound Chinese cast steel anvils off amazon for about $250. They are not cast iron and they punch well above their weight class.
Just a couple of suggestions if you don’t want to have to think hard on things starting out. If you want more recommendations, we can point you in the right direction, but Ben covers all of this in more detail.
Tristan Benedict
Hello Shawn,
The chef knife module is a great place to start with no experience. It goes through the tools and techniques that you need to get started. Depending on where you live, there are many in person classes available, such as the New England School of Metal in Maine or the Center for Metal Arts in Pennsylvania. If you could, I would get your basic tools and start practicing with the chef knife and come back here with specific questions.
Cheers,
Tristan
Jake Johnson
Hi Shawn,
I second Tristan. Work through the chef knife project and checkout the recommended tools and the companion PDF. You can get by with minimal tooling. I’ve seen a 24 lbs anvil bolted to a 6x6 and placed in a 5 gallon bucked of loose gravel be quite effective, so you can really start anywhere.
Ben mentions a number of great options. I’d personally recommend just going for 80CrV2 as your primary steel. It is chemically fairly simple, easy to work with, and all around effective. I’d also recommend starting with a propane forge.
If you want a dirt cheap but very capable anvil, you can get one of the 132 pound Chinese cast steel anvils off amazon for about $250. They are not cast iron and they punch well above their weight class.
Just a couple of suggestions if you don’t want to have to think hard on things starting out. If you want more recommendations, we can point you in the right direction, but Ben covers all of this in more detail.
Welcome to the community and the craft!
Cheers,
Jake