Flaming S Forge

What would you like to see, the actual branding irons or some different brands in wood? I'll try to get some pics tomorrow to post.

Here is a photo of a saw blade knife I had made for my son. He used it a few times to gut and skin his deer and told me it holds a good edge and gets the job done. The handle was made from a hickory branch. I also made him a sheath for it.

I have a 55# ASO with a 3/4" thick plate welded fast to the top complete with pritchel and hardy hole. I had a large fabrication shop customize the ASO. I specified I wanted a hard tool steel top plate. However, it came back with about the same hardness as the original top. So, since I have a decent Hay Budden, the ASO is now my chopping block. It works pretty well. Otherwise that it just sat in a corner collecting dust.

Unfortunately, that was the only picture I took of it. I should have taken an angle photo to show the hooks detail. The center hook was the longest with a fish tail scroll. The other 4 just had a simple scroll on the end. I used round stock since the customer did not want any twists.

I recently had a local hunter stop by and ordered a custom coat rack to take along to his hunting camp. He wanted it attached to a backer board with animal track brands. Many of my customers are serious hunters so I made some branding irons especially for them. Here is the picture. What do you think?

I have used saw blades with good results. A quick test of the metal can be done with a reciprocating saw. If it cuts relatively easy, it is too soft for a decent blade. If it is next to impossible to cut, it makes a good blade. I use them to make primarily primitive skinning knives with a hickory handle. The local deer hunters really like them.

I learned how to make horse heads from a tutorial over on anvilfire. I mainly used it for the end of handles on fire tools, forks & spoons. One day I was making spike knives and thought I would give it a try. I appreciate your kind words on the knife.

Here is a picture of a spike knife with a horsehead handle. It's displayed on a piece of branded barn wood with hand forged nails.

I lost my grandfather in the fall of 1972 and my father in the Spring of 1973. I was only 22 years old and lost both of my best friends and teachers. My dad was a banker and taught me how to save money at a young age. I wanted to follow in his footsteps into banking, but he discouraged me from it. Did he foresee the financial mess we have today ? My grandfather, who was a blacksmith, was my teacher when it came to using tools and fixing things. He tought me to fix my first flat tire on my bicycle. This year marks the 26th year I have operated my own bicycle repair business. I spent alot of time with him in his shop as a young boy and loved the sound of his anvil as he hammered away. I got to turn the crank on his blower because I was his helper. I would go home dirty as if I worked in a coal mine all day. Dirt, fire, water and noise. Everything a boy could want. Today, I have my own blacksmith shop located in the same building as my bicycle repair business with a picture of my grandfather taken in 1926 shoeing a horse hanging near my anvil. He is looking directly towards me and when I run into a problem while working, I look at him and say "Heh, what would you do?" He hasn't left me down yet. Somehow I always get an answer to my problem. Great memories that will last a lifetime. Happy Thanksgiving

My great-great -grandfather, great -grandfather & grandfather, all on my mother's side were blacksmiths. Their shop was located along the Union canal in Pine Grove (Schuylkill County) Pa. During World War II my grandfather would board the train and travel to the Philadelphia Naval Yard to work to help the war effort. I have some tools and a knife that he made. Supposedly some of his things are stored in the basement of our local historical society. Hanging around his shop as a young boy gave me the fever to pound metal. During these bad economic times, I often think of what my mother often said about life during the depression. Her dad, the blacksmith, had 6 children and a wife to support. She said they hardly had any cash money but they always had food to eat since many of the farmers paid for their work with food. Each child got one new pair of shoes each year when school started. During the summer they all went barefoot. Imagine walking into dad's shop in bare feet. I guess this Thanksgiving, we should all be thankfull for what we have. Happy Thanksgiving.

I use hickory and white oak for mine. I welded a square shaft that fits my hardy hole to a flat piece of metal and screwed it fast to the bottom of the wood. I used a grinder to roughly make the shape I wanted. Hammering the hot metal made the final shape I wanted. It works real nice attached to the anvil. Soak the wood in water before you use it or it will burn in deeper than you really want it to. I did a demo making spoons with horse heads on the handles at our county fair recently and took my wood swages along. I purposely didn't soak them so I would get flames and smoke as I worked. The spectators loved it. The person that invited me to do the demo told me he wanted to hear lots of hammering and see some smoke. I gave him what he wanted and was invited back for next year.

Here is a method I use with good results. I use hard coal in my forge which is high in carbon. Carbon will migrate from the higher source to a lower source at the proper temperature. I first heat the metal to a bright red and sprinkle on borax. Immediately place it back into the fire and bring it up to a yellow heat just under welding sparking heat. Quench it in water and keep moving it around until it is cool. The borax adds a bit of boron to the metal in addition to the carbon being pulled from the coal. I don't know if this works with soft coal since I only ever used hard coal. I made my on touch mark and hardened it this way and it has held up for over 2 years. Using a guillotine will probably require you to re-treat it from time to time if you see it starting to show some deformity. I have also had good results making chisels and center punches using this process. Good luck.

I have used anthracite coal since I started forging with satisfactory results. The nice thing about it is no smoke except when I use wood to get it started and no smell. I recently did a week long demo at our county fair. I had a fellow come up to me and ask what iI was using for fuel. He said he could always smell a blacksmith's forge but couldn't smell mine. The key to anthracite is good quality. I am fortunate to live in a coal mining county with a good supply of local high quality coal. Forge welding is tricky since it doesn't produce coke as the coal burns. the carbon content is higher which helps me case harden mild steel for chisels and punches. My advise would be to try some if you can get a small amount and see how you like it.

I have a 126 lb Hay-Budden that looks like your anvil. Mine also has the hold down hole.

I have two pictures of my grandfathers working at their shop. I'll post them on here later. I have attached a picture of my grandfather shoeing a horse at his shop in Pine Grove, Pa in 1926

Pine Grove is in Schuylkill County, eastern part of the state.

Another food safe finish is Bees Oil. My wife got me some at a kitchen supply outlet. It is a mix of beeswax and mineral oil made mainly for wooden salad bowls. It smells nice and is easy to apply.

Hello to all fellow blacksmiths. This is my first post in this forum. From your location, Chris, you live fairly close to me in Schuylkill County. The coal you have access to is more than likely anthracite since that what is mined here. I use pea size anthracite most of the time myself, but have a special forge built that I can use the stoker size rice coal with good results. Antracite does not form coke like the soft coal. What I get is clinkers and plain ash. I have used corn kernals one day as an experiment and it got hot enough to turn a railroad spike to a nice yellow heat. Problem with corn, it has gone up in price to the point that I plan to stick with coal. If you are looking to buy some soft coal locally, Blaschak Coal in Ravine, Pa has a load it yourself pile there just for the local blacksmiths.

Hello to all fellow blacksmiths. I just found this site a few days ago and I am impressed with all the helpfull ideas, tips, etc. My family is rich in blacksmithing heritage. My great-great grandfather, great-grandfather, and grandfather were all blacksmiths. I was fortunate to have my grandfather for 22 years of my life. I spent a good bit of quality time with him in his shop. I used to tell my wife I bet if I would have lived in the old days I probably would have been a blacksmith. Then one day I got to thinking, why not do it today. I started hammering on the anvil and was immediately addicted. For 26 years I have had a bicycle shop as my main occupation but with things changing rapidly in that industry, I have added blacksmithing and handyman services to my occupation. My shop is bursting at the seams because I love tools and tinkering and inventing.