Forge Materials

Army Ranger said:
I was 1"x24"x36" - $19.95
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That's $6.65 per lineal foot on ebay. I sell it by the foot for $7.00 per lineal foot. My precut 5 lineal foot sections come out to $5.70 per lineal foot (cheaper).

Come on guys, buy from those people in the knifemaking support business, not some generic ebay seller! ...and I'm not just saying that for my own sake, I mean all of the knifemaking suppliers out there...

:)

-Darren
 
I have bought some blanket locally and some from Mr. Ellis at Bowies Hammerin last year. one thing i did notice when i compared the blankets is that the blanket from Mr. Ellis was actually thicker than the stuff i bought locally, and seemed to heat faster. Are there different kinds of this stuff? :confused:
 
Different temp ratings, different densities. Caveat emptor!
 
Terry_Dodson said:
I have bought some blanket locally and some from Mr. Ellis at Bowies Hammerin last year. one thing i did notice when i compared the blankets is that the blanket from Mr. Ellis was actually thicker than the stuff i bought locally, and seemed to heat faster. Are there different kinds of this stuff? :confused:
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Hi Terry,

Yes indeed, there are different kinds and different quality levels. The stuff I carry is high quality Inswool made by Harbison-Walker Refractories (formerly AP Green). The ceramic fiber blankets also vary by density as well as temperature ratings. Basically the higher the density the higher the price and the same goes for the temperature ratings. I only carry the 8# density stuff as we want the best insulation value for our money when building a forge...you either pay for it now or pay for it later in the fuel bill.

When I first got into selling refractory supplies to the knifemaking community I initially started with a generic ceramic fiber blanket, but when I compared it to the Inswool, I found the same thing as you, so I immediately dropped that line and now only carry Inswool. The Inswool costs me more (and hence I don't make as much on it because I didn't raise my prices to compensate), but it's good stuff.

:)

-Darren
 
Just to make a pitch for Darren, he's great to deal with and does what he says. Whenever I have to replace any refractory stuff that's where it's going to come from. Let's all support our compatriots!
 
Darren is definately a good man with good products. Much better to deal with someone you know than a blind name off ebay.
 
Go with Darren......HE is a good guy and one of us.
 
Darren -- great guy to work with. (had to toss in my two cents too). :D
 
Sorry, I am new here, I don't know who sells what, or what you sell it for. I thought I was passing on a deal.
 
Army Ranger said:
Sorry, I am new here, I don't know who sells what, or what you sell it for. I thought I was passing on a deal.
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No harm, no foul, I'd say, Ranger. Your intentions were obviously good. My main concern for you would be that you got a fair deal on what you bought, and that what you bought is well suited for your intents and expectations. The value in this thread is that you and others now know there are differences in fiber refractories.

As you hang out more on the forum, you will develop a list of what supplies are best bought where. Sometimes the best deals ARE on ebay, sometimes it's better to buy from those who have done their research to provide you the best choice for knifemaking applications at the fairest price possible. Darren (Mr. Ellis!!!) and his forge supply stuff is a good example of that.

The excellent thing about the forums is that it allows us to share this info much quicker and easier than ever before, saving us both money and time on the learning curve.
 
Army Ranger said:
Sorry, I am new here, I don't know who sells what, or what you sell it for. I thought I was passing on a deal.
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Hi Army Ranger, no need to apologize....I realized my post might be taken the wrong way after the fact....in any case, a deal is always a good thing, but there are a small core group of people who set up their business structure as suppliers for the knifemaking community, some exclusively, some as part of their overall target audience. If they have what is needed, I'm always an advocate of going there first. And again, I'm not just saying that for my own benefit, it's just that now, I realize more than ever how important it is to support the businesses who are there for your interest area and not just the big box places. In any case, I apologize to you for coming across the wrong way, I didn't mean to....I guess that's the downfall of the written word and the internet sometimes. :)

You may not have run across this yet since you're new to the forums, but C. L. Wilkins and Jamey Saunders have compiled a knifemaking supplier list that can be found at the following url:

http://www.internetbusinesslinks.net/SupplierList.html



Terry, J., Dave, Brian, Michael and Fitz, thanks for the kind words! You guys are too kind.

:)

-Darren
 
Darren Ellis said:
Terry, J., Dave, Brian, Michael and Fitz, thanks for the kind words! You guys are too kind. :)
-Darren
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Sometimes, as in this case, the praise is well justified, Darren!

You have my address for the payola! :D
 
fitzo said:
Sometimes, as in this case, the praise is well justified, Darren!

You have my address for the payola! :D
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Yeah, what he said :D
you still planning on going to the Trackrock Hammerin near Blairsville, GA in November?
 
Terry_Dodson said:
Yeah, what he said :D
you still planning on going to the Trackrock Hammerin near Blairsville, GA in November?
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Fitz and Terry, the check is in the mail...you guys let me know when it gets there! :D

I'm looking forward to the Track-Rock Hammer-in, I'll definitely be there on Saturday and hoping we can camp there overnight...just have to see what the schedule is like as the event gets closer.

:)

-Darren
 
Looks like tackrock is going to be a hopping event. :):)
 
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