[Etienne Hamel]

Hi all i would like to begin forging but i don't have any anvil nor hammer for this purpose and i would like to know where could i get an anvil and a hammer at a cheap price in canada?

And i need some advise to forge a pettersen type c axe.
what is the dimensions for a steel chunk (or iron) to make a two handed axehead?

[Naythan Goron]

a hammer and anvil is Ez to get in Canada believe me i know... there is also a never ending list of things you can use for and anvil that work just as good if not better.
for hammers go to princess auto or TSC.. this is realy the only thing you have to spend money on, yard sales are also a good place to go to as you never know what you will find.

as for an anvil princess auto again has sales on them all the time and you can get a 75lb anvil for about $70
or if cant afford it, use a steal plate and bolt it to a stump, a rail road rail, car engine parts....... anything solid iron qualify as a makeshift anvil, ive used parts of engineblock, steal plate that's 1/2" thick, and even a block of marble.
but if your good at scrounging and find a good deal you can get a basi set up for under $20

also its good to build your own forge, and its even better if you ca make a coal or propane forge, but beware propane its not cheap to use in the long run.

good luck.

[Michel Pérusse]

You could also try J.Carrier in Montreal. If I remember correctly, they have a vast selection of anvils of every size and other tools for metal working...you might call them first to check...

http://www.jcarrier.com/accueilfr.htm

[Luke Zechman]

Ahh the ever ongoing search for tools. I live in Pa and have been having a hard time getting an anvil without breaking the piggy bank. Ended up locating a hundred year old 113lb anvil in great condition and it sold at that auction for 175. Two days later and it is in the paper for 250. I knew it was worth between 250 and 300 but was hoping to scoop it up for around 75. Right now I am using a good piece of rail road tie for any of the stuff I have worked on, and it works ok.
I found an old rusty handle less cross peen hammer head in my mothers basement. Sandblasted it, smoothed out the head and peen with a file and rounded the corners. Then I got a good hickory handle from the hardware store, and stripped off the varnish and soaked it in linseed oil. I read about the oil soaking part in a bladesmiting book I was reading. The oil soak is supposed to make the handle a lot more stable and durable. later I noticed some initials engraved in the head and realized this hammer belonged to my great grandfather!!!!
Sorry about the rant. I guess my point is that you can get whatever you need pretty easy if you have the money. I have taken a different strategy. I am always looking, and every once in a while I get lucky. Good luck with your search.

[Mike Capanelli]

Seeing as we're on the subject of Blacksmithing, what type of coal do you use for a forge? Is it just run of the mill coal? I'm assuming it's not matchlight.(Forgive the lack of knowledge here).

[Luke Zechman]

Everything I am going to say is hypothetical because I have never done it, but I have read on the subject extensively. I think your standard run of the mill coal will do, and it is important to know the difference between coal, coke and char coal. Although char coal can be made and used effectively in a coal forge, stay away from the char coal bricket stuff you would use to cook a hot dog. making your own charcoal is the way to go (although I spent two days on the web to learn how to do it via tutorials on you tube and what have you) if char coal is what you want to use. As far as actual coal goes however i am not so sure that what kind is as important (you should look for lump coal that is hard anthracite) as what to do with it. Tending a smith fire is a process that i am sure takes some actual doing, and trial. You need to keep the fire free of clinker, and cook the surrounding coal into coke, and break it up into a consistent size, and on and on and on. My advice is to either apprentice, or get a good book on the subject, read it and then try it on your own. Most smiting books have an entire section on just starting and tending the fire. basically if you want to smith you will either need to take the advice about the getting an apprenticeship/ reading a book, or you will be on here A LOT asking a plethora of questions. I can recommend "The Complete Bladesmith" by Jim Hrisoulas, "Practical Blacksmithing and Metalworking" by Percy W Blandford, and "The Backyard Blacksmith" by Lorelei Sims. I will say this though, I have read all three books and still feel undereducated., due to actually trying it.
If I mentioned anything above that is wrong then i apologize ( from memory).

Good luck Mike and start researching!

[Etienne Hamel]

i know it is hypothetic but can we use a camp fire with a blower to forge things? i read about it but didn't know if it works.

And how big the chunk should be to forge a bearded axe type C

[Etienne Hamel]

i forgot to ask where could i get some high carbon steel bars or flat bars?

[Luke Zechman]

I think you should still use coal but I have seen smiths in videos forging from a small fire on the ground. Many smiths in "third world" countries smith in this way.

See Video.

In this one a smith is making what looks to be an adze.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQMkWHrt-i0

In this on the English speaking Samburu is making a spear. Check out the blower system. This on is pretty entertaining.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blBzKTly4Yc&feature=related

You can pick up flat bar at a Lowes... I am not sure if Lowes is located in Canada. Also you could always just use a search engine and look for steel supplies. Google is the one I prefer.

[Etienne Hamel]

Are you saying that i can get some steel at a hardware shop?

[Justin King]

[Michael Pikula]

I'm starting to think that these two topics could be looked at together since they are heading in the same direction.
http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=4227
Etienne, There are many ways that you can heat steel up to form it, the more you know, the more creative you can get! You can go low tech and use homemade bellows and charcoal, or you can build a forced air gas forge, and there is plenty of ways in between. Using a camp fire with a blower is great to get high flames for a bonfire, but if you are looking to learn how to forge, this is not really a good way to go. Do a search on the web for forums and sites that talk about blacksmithing to get a better idea of what you can or can't do. If you do not have any experience, getting a forge setup and trying to jump right into making an axe, and a specific type, might not be the best idea. Getting all of your lines straight, getting the socket forged, and then lining up the socket and the edge is something that I have seen experienced smith work at for several hours to get it right.

I am not trying to be discouraging, I just know what it is like when you are first starting out and get really excited, and get to work with ambition that exceeds the skills that one has, yes I am talking about myself here. There is nothing like working hard on a piece and just trying to tweak out the last bit and having the hammer fall at an angle and leaving a dimple that you can't remove. Of burning your work up in the fire because you left it in too long, or having the piece break in heat treat. It is a great feeling to work and create something, I highly encourage it. However, when starting out, try to find a balance between the work and your skill set so that you can enjoy the fruits of your labor. After all, it is about having fun as well.

[Eyal Azerad]

There are a few places that you can find Anvils in Canada. I remember meeting a couple in Sherbrooke (Quebec) who sold Peter Wright anvils. (Peter Wright anvils are quite good ). They regularly place ads on Kijii classifieds. You can also purchase inexpensive equipment. this might help you start your project

http://montreal.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-tool...Z138833010

Which province do you live in ? I can probabaly send you some leads.

You might want to search on Ebay. You can get some pretty good deals. I've pruchased a few anvils on Ebay over the years. Ask for FedEx delivery as opposed to UPS (FedEx import fees into canada are half the price of UPS's). Do NOT buy a cast Iron Anvil ! these are of very low quality. Look for anvils made of Forged Tool Steel or Cast Tool Steel.

My recommendation: Either Paul Wright or Trenton Anvils.

I hope this helps..

Eyal Azerad
Darksword Armory
www.darksword-armory.com

[Etienne Hamel]

im in the quebec province .

[G Ezell]

Coke from bituminous coal (low sulfur content) is usually suggested for forging, or charcoal. Propane gas forges are more trouble free than solid fuel forges, but not historically correct, of course. Visit the local scrapyards, you may find a suitable chunk of steel for an anvil... the horn is not really necessary for most blade-work. To save yourself frustration, do all you can to find a smith locally that will let you watch them work, a few hours with a good teacher can literally save years of trial and error. There are good books on the subject of bladesmithing, though I don't know of any off hand that get into axe making. There are several good bladesmithing and blacksmithing online forums containing a wealth of knowledge.

Concerning steels... Most of the steel sold in hardware stores is fine for making some things, just not things that need to hold an edge. If you decide to order some steel, 1075, 1080, 1084 are a good range of steels to try first. Vehicle springs, old files, plow points... one can often find used steel that is suitable for edged items for the price of scrap and some simple testing.

[Eyal Azerad]

Hi Etienne,

Here are a few leads for some Anvils in Quebec.

I've already dealt with this person in the past.

http://montreal.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-busi...Z142683351

Given that this is your first project however, you may want to try something cheaper. This will do for your initial pieces and only cost 10$. Just make sure that it is perfectly straight.

http://montreal.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-tool...Z150598607

and for 300$ this is a good starter forge to have:

http://montreal.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-tool...Z138833010

Hope this helps a little.

Eyal Azerad
Darksword Armory
www.darksword-armory.com