I have not done my actually test yet. But made a couple in classes on a coal forge that passed the class tests easily. So I see no reason to worry about it.

Remember in the old days there was only solid fuel forges, and there are still both knife, and sword blades maede way beck then in museum, and collection today that are still good today.

Daniel,

When it comes to the forging of the blade, coal or gas is mainly what you get used to using. The H/T of the blade(s) is another matter. For this I am a big proponent of an electric H/T oven. They are just many times more accurate.

I learned on coal but haven't used it for many years as gas is just so much easier & cleaner.

Gary

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Has anyone passed JS and MS testing with just a coal forge?

I passed my J.S. when all I had was a coal forge and my M.S. with gas. The steel doesn't know the difference and I could have passed both with coal, but making enough Damascus to be ready for M.S. was better facilitated by the gas.

The advantage that Gas has over coal, for the average person, is that with gas there typically is more consistent control of the environment. But that's it. Once a smith has experience with coal he can consistently create high performing blades. It's all about control. Even in the drawing phase. One has to create a means to control the temperatures to get accurate tempering sessions. Yes, the smith may have to make an oven that is heated on the coal forge and baby sit it. But the point is that it can be done. Coal or Gas is merely the fuel to make a heat source. The control of either heat source is entirely at the disposal of the smith and his skill level.

Ever seen Tai Goo's sheet metal tempering oven?

In 1989 I took a damascus class in arkansas using coal. There was not a gas forge that existed at this time. Tim Zowada came up with a gas forge around 1990. I took my js and ms test using coal. After my MS I purchased an even heat kiln and it stayed in the box for 5 years because I was so confident in coal that I had a hard time to convert to a kiln. I met Don Fogg at the 1992 Blade show and he sent me plans to produce a gas forge based on his design. I now use Don Foggs gas forge design to make damascus but only after I received my MS rating. Timothy

Daniel,

I just passed my JS Performance test and I used my coal forge to heat treat my test blade and practice test blades because I felt I had more control. I used a 1/4" thick, 2" diameter black iron pipe buried in the coal fire as a type of oven. You can control the heat inside that pipe very well using an electric blower w/ an air gate. It works very well. You can use a pipe in a propane forge as well, but I feel the coal forge allows me more control. I did forge the blades using my propane forge, but only because I just felt like using propane...

Actually, we pretty much all used coal until the middle 1990’s, when gas forges became more common. Natural gas made a brief showing, then propane became king because of the higher heat output. Prior to that, making damascus and general forging in coal was just business as usual.

Heat treating in a coal forge is pretty doable. Use a closed fire or “duck’s nest” with the air shut down for smaller blades and a long open fire for longer ones. Takes practice, though.

I and several more of the more “mature” MS stamp holders earned both stamps working in coal. In fact, I really think it’s a much more even heat for forging blades to shape, and several smiths still work in coal for its versatility.

Having said the above, I agree that making damascus in a propane forge is much cleaner and easier than coal. I also agree that a well-regulated heat treating oven is still the most accurate and best option for repeatability in heat treating.