FYI: I just see a broken link icon for the above post, but "open image in New tab" brings up the photo on flicker.
I'm very much the novice so take this with a grain of salt, but I had better luck when someone suggested angling the torch so the flame swirled around.
My forge-like object is just a two brick forge, so interior is both smaller and cylindrical, and I moved the torch so it came in the near the top but at still horizontally... almost at a tangent (Think squirrel cage blower, but in reverse, if that helps). I also angled it a bit when looking from the top, so the flame travelled down the length by default. It looks like the torch is aimed right at the center of yours, and perhaps the torch is not enough for the volume inside? Others will know better, but it seems like a lot of space, so you're not getting less direct heat so much. Don't think I could fit most kitchen knives in my 2bf, though.
I'm interested in trying the pipe inside and a thermocouple, get a bit more control - or at least insight.
On a side note, something you'll see recommended here is using specific steels that are happy with simple, no soak heat treating, which 1095 isn't so much. 1084, 1080+, 15n20 are what I've seen suggested, and I've had nice, easy results making tool blades and a from couple knives from the first two.
Checking with file... try running a rather fine file over a sample of steel you know is annealed using little pressure, and compare it with steel you know is hard, perhaps below the teeth on a second file (I think the tangs themselves might be tempered on some files, though not sure). listen to the sound on addition to the feeling. A higher, slightly ringing like pitch ound on the hard steel.
How did the anti scale work? I tried a thin layer of refractory cement on my second knife but it was a bit of a pain and questionable benefits, at least how I did it.
