Forging kits worth buying, and the parts most get wrong
An honest read on forging kits from a working hobby smith, which bundled tools are worth owning, which to skip, and how to spend your first dollars well.
August 17, 2026 · 13 min read
Topic
Buying and supplies
Where to buy, what to pay, and what to skip: new, used, and vintage tools, and how to tell a keeper from a money pit.
What a blacksmith bottle opener is, and how it works
A blksmith bottle opener is a one-piece forged lever that pops a crown cap. Here is what it is, the steel to use, how it works, and where they go wrong.
August 13, 2026 · 13 min read
The blacksmithing bottle opener every new smith should forge
What a blacksmithing bottle opener is, how the lip and fulcrum work, what steel to use, and why it is the first project I hand to a new smith.
August 13, 2026 · 14 min read
Blacksmithing railroad spikes, from the forge floor
A straight look at blacksmithing railroad spikes: what the steel really is, why an HC spike only hardens so far, and the small projects it is good for.
August 13, 2026 · 11 min read
Oleo Acres Farrier and Blacksmith Supply, owner to owner
An owner-to-owner look at Oleo Acres Farrier and Blacksmith Supply Inc: what the supply stocks, what crosses over to forge work, and how to shop it.
August 13, 2026 · 13 min read
A black smith kit to buy first
A black smith kit is really five tools: a forge, an anvil, a hammer, tongs, and eye protection. Here is what I would buy for each, and the bundles I would skip.
August 12, 2026 · 12 min read
Vintage blacksmith tools worth chasing
A working smith on buying blacksmith tools vintage: which old anvils, post vises, and blowers are worth the money, how to check them, and what to restore.
August 4, 2026 · 12 min read
The home forging kit to build piece by piece
A home forging kit worth owning is a real forge, a good hammer, and a starter anvil, not a bargain everything-box. Here is what I would buy and skip.
August 4, 2026 · 12 min read
The antique blacksmith tools worth chasing, and restoring
A working smith on which antique blacksmith tools are worth buying, the rust and wax gear that restores them, and when to buy a new anvil instead.
August 3, 2026 · 13 min read
The smithing kit to buy piece by piece
A smithing kit that teaches you to forge, from a hobby smith: which anvil, forge, hammer, tongs, and eye protection are worth buying and which to skip.
August 3, 2026 · 13 min read
The swage block for sale to buy
A blacksmith's honest take on buying a swage block for sale: which weight and material to pick, what the forms do, and when you actually need one.
July 30, 2026 · 13 min read
Blacksmith tools for sale to buy first
A working hobby smith's shopping guide to blacksmith tools for sale: the anvil, hammer, tongs, and forge worth buying first, and the cast-iron traps to skip.
July 29, 2026 · 13 min read
The forging equipment to buy first
A plain forging equipment guide for a first shop: the forge, anvil, hammer, and tongs I would buy first, what to skip, and the safety gear that is not optional.
July 29, 2026 · 13 min read
Where the blacksmithing store is, and how I shop it
An owner-to-owner guide to the blacksmithing store landscape: suppliers, marketplaces, farm stores, scrap yards, and the used market that beats them all.
July 27, 2026 · 12 min read
The equipment for blacksmithing to buy first
The equipment for blacksmithing that actually matters: anvil, forge, one hammer, one pair of tongs, a vise, and the safety gear that is never optional.
July 25, 2026 · 15 min read
The blacksmithing equipment to buy first
A working smith's short list of blacksmithing equipment: forge, anvil, hammer, tongs, vise and rated eye protection, with published specs and owner reports.
July 24, 2026 · 15 min read
The blacksmithing supplies to buy first
A working smith's honest list of the blacksmithing supplies worth buying first, the ones to skip, and how to spend a starter budget without wasting it.
July 23, 2026 · 14 min read
The smithing supplies to buy first
A working smith's take on which smithing supplies are worth buying new, which to scrounge, and what the published specs and owner reports really support.
July 23, 2026 · 15 min read
Blacksmith shops, explained from the floor of one
How blacksmith shops are actually laid out, what tools live in them, how ventilation and fire safety work, and what it takes to set one up at home.
July 22, 2026 · 16 min read