Seeing a coal forge in rural Japan has me debating fuel types for good.

I took a trip to a small village in Japan and watched a master smith use only coal in his forge. He said coal gives a softer heat that's perfect for detailed scroll work. Back in my garage, I always use propane because it's clean and easy to control. Now I can't decide if the mess of coal is worth the supposed better feel for the metal. Have any of you switched fuels after a trip like this? Which do you think leads to better results in the long run?

4 comments

4 Comments

torres.gavin1d ago

That softer heat sounds good, but I get way more control and cleaner lines with propane every time. For detailed scroll work, that steady heat beats feeling the metal move.

the_joseph1d ago

Wow that trip sounds incredible, seeing a master work with coal like that. I actually switched FROM propane TO coal after a similar visit to an old workshop in Scotland, and man the difference in how the metal moves is REAL. That softer heat he talked about lets you feel the steel bending almost before it happens, which changed my scroll work completely. It's a filthy messy pain sometimes but for detailed stuff I'm now convinced coal gives better long term results.

ruby6521d ago

Might depend on the shop but I get cleaner detail with propane every time.

stone.claire1d ago

Has anyone brought up how each fuel teaches you to read the metal differently? Propane gives you a steady heat so you learn timing, but coal makes you watch the color and the fire itself to judge the heat zones. That forced me to get better at seeing subtle changes in the steel. I started on propane and my work was clean, but switching to coal for a year improved my skills way more, even when I went back. It's less about which one is cleaner now and more about which one trains your eye better for the long run.