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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is $300 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Forge info
- Thread starter Hans7006
- Start date
Mk-211
Gold Member
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- Jan 8, 2025
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- 610
Look up, making a forge from a 55 gal. drum.
Saw one done, that used natural gas from the guys house. Keep the top, cut and make a window, that you can close.
The window is also used to hang the blades, while in the forge. Saw a short clip of him pulling a sword out of it.
Saw one done, that used natural gas from the guys house. Keep the top, cut and make a window, that you can close.
The window is also used to hang the blades, while in the forge. Saw a short clip of him pulling a sword out of it.
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
ilmarinen - MODERATOR
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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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Welcome to Shop Talk, Hans. Fill out your profile so we know where you live and a bit about you.
I have a Whisper Lowboy. I have used it for nearly 30 years. I relined the floor about 10 years ago. Other than mud wasps trying to plug up the manifold one summer, it has worked perfect. It sits outside in an open smithy. It is portable enough for doing demos, and gets hot enough to weld damascus. I have forged and heat-treated swords in it by pumping through the front and back ports. It is very versatile. The side will open as a full door for larger projects, like axe heads, that won't fit through the ports.
The Whisper Momma is for small blacksmith work, not knives, .... because of the side port, I would recommend getting a Lowboy or a Knifemaker model.
If you are new to knifemaking, I would put off building a forge from scratch until you have the skills to know what you want in a forge.
I have a Whisper Lowboy. I have used it for nearly 30 years. I relined the floor about 10 years ago. Other than mud wasps trying to plug up the manifold one summer, it has worked perfect. It sits outside in an open smithy. It is portable enough for doing demos, and gets hot enough to weld damascus. I have forged and heat-treated swords in it by pumping through the front and back ports. It is very versatile. The side will open as a full door for larger projects, like axe heads, that won't fit through the ports.
The Whisper Momma is for small blacksmith work, not knives, .... because of the side port, I would recommend getting a Lowboy or a Knifemaker model.
If you are new to knifemaking, I would put off building a forge from scratch until you have the skills to know what you want in a forge.
Hi Stacy,
To me it looks like the difference between the Lowboy and the whisper Momma is trhee burners compared to two burners. whisper momma also has the end doors that can open up. It your opinion does having the deeper box make that much difference? Does three inches in a firebox make that much difference?
To me it looks like the difference between the Lowboy and the whisper Momma is trhee burners compared to two burners. whisper momma also has the end doors that can open up. It your opinion does having the deeper box make that much difference? Does three inches in a firebox make that much difference?
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I have the knifemaker model and used it for quite a few years. it stays outside all the time and i use a bbq cover when not in use, the only issue is spiders in the burners. The two burners, size of the box and the end ports worked well for all the stuff I forged although I didnt make anything bigger than a 15" knife, it was just fine for that. it also gets hot enough for damascus. Depending on what you are forging right now, check the size of the interiors and maybe frame out a small box so you can really get an idea of the size you would be working with. Having doors that open on both ends makes it easier to reach in with tongs and move stuff around as well as making odd shaped pieces and you would lose less heat when you open the little door.
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
ilmarinen - MODERATOR
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The regular Momma is for blacksmith and farrier forging. The end doors do open, but that won't work well for most knife forging.
The "Momma with end ports" is just a two-burner version of the Lowboy. For the extra $100 the Lowboy is far more versatile.
The Knifemaker and Lowbow are for knives and similar forging.
IMHO, for a hobby knifemaker/blacksmith doing normal knives, tomahawks, plant hangers, and fun decorative, projects, the three-burner Lowboy is far better for knives and general forge projects that the two-burner Knifemaker. The Knifemaker is a bit longer but limited in width. It has an open port in one door, but you would have to open the other end completely to work a longer blade. It also does not allow placement of the blade at much of an angle to keep the tip out of the flame. The Lowboy has double ports and enough length for 90% of knives. The wide floor allows multiple blades or billets to be worked, and placement of the blade to avoid overheating the edge and tip. This is very important when doing HT in a forge. If working a longer blade you pass it through the back port. You can work any size of axe or hawk in the large floor area. If an occasional horseshoe is your thing, it will do that too. I believe the Lowboy was created to be a multi-task forge.
The number one NC forge for knives, if you really plan on doing larger blades and welding billets, is the Knifemaker 21. The Knifemaker 21 is a beast. If doing swords and using the back door in the open position, you can cut some soft firebrick to partially close the 4X4.5" port to 3X2". I had one of these and gave it to a relative. If knives/swords/damascus are all you will do, then the extra $100 is a no brainer.
A good plus for buying a NC forge is the resale value. You can usually get a high percentage of the purchase price if you go elsewhere in your hobbies. They are not the cheapest forges available, but ... again, IMHO .... probably the best for the money. Buy once ... Cry once ... Smile a long time.
I hope this helps - Stacy
The "Momma with end ports" is just a two-burner version of the Lowboy. For the extra $100 the Lowboy is far more versatile.
The Knifemaker and Lowbow are for knives and similar forging.
IMHO, for a hobby knifemaker/blacksmith doing normal knives, tomahawks, plant hangers, and fun decorative, projects, the three-burner Lowboy is far better for knives and general forge projects that the two-burner Knifemaker. The Knifemaker is a bit longer but limited in width. It has an open port in one door, but you would have to open the other end completely to work a longer blade. It also does not allow placement of the blade at much of an angle to keep the tip out of the flame. The Lowboy has double ports and enough length for 90% of knives. The wide floor allows multiple blades or billets to be worked, and placement of the blade to avoid overheating the edge and tip. This is very important when doing HT in a forge. If working a longer blade you pass it through the back port. You can work any size of axe or hawk in the large floor area. If an occasional horseshoe is your thing, it will do that too. I believe the Lowboy was created to be a multi-task forge.
The number one NC forge for knives, if you really plan on doing larger blades and welding billets, is the Knifemaker 21. The Knifemaker 21 is a beast. If doing swords and using the back door in the open position, you can cut some soft firebrick to partially close the 4X4.5" port to 3X2". I had one of these and gave it to a relative. If knives/swords/damascus are all you will do, then the extra $100 is a no brainer.
A good plus for buying a NC forge is the resale value. You can usually get a high percentage of the purchase price if you go elsewhere in your hobbies. They are not the cheapest forges available, but ... again, IMHO .... probably the best for the money. Buy once ... Cry once ... Smile a long time.
I hope this helps - Stacy
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I haven’t used that exact forge, but I’ve seen some great reviews! It looks super versatile for knife work and even larger pieces. If you try it out, please share your impressions!
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I used an NCtools knifemaker one for like 5-6 years?
As Stacy said it's a bit short for long blades. I also didn't like the square chamber and that the burners can't be controlled individually. Never did much forge welding in it, but it got hot enough
That said, they seem solid. When I stopped using mine it was still fine, could have used a new firebrick in the bottom and some refractory, but that's normal wear for a forge
As Stacy said it's a bit short for long blades. I also didn't like the square chamber and that the burners can't be controlled individually. Never did much forge welding in it, but it got hot enough
That said, they seem solid. When I stopped using mine it was still fine, could have used a new firebrick in the bottom and some refractory, but that's normal wear for a forge