Knife Making Tool Review: 'Hell's Forge' Double Burner Forge

I wasn't sure which forge to buy when I first started, or if I should make my own. The coal enthusiasts tell you a gas forge sucks, the hard core guys tell you that you should always build them yourself, and the guys with plenty of money always recommend some insanely high-dollar forge that is out of the grasp of almost every beginner. I took a chance and bought the Hell's Forge double burner, and while there are a few small things I would have tweaked, I love this forge.

First off, it's not that expensive, as you can see above. Every component, all the way down to the welds, is of high quality. I was worried at this price point that the regulator wouldn't be worth a damn, but I was wrong; you get fine control over your jets, and the regulator doesn't feel cheap or flimsy.

The burners themselves are adjustable, using a simple sliding sleeve to allow control over the flow of oxygen vs. fuel into the mix, and I have found it works very well. My only complaint is that heat escapes through the openings, which over time heats up the brass fittings between the burners. I fixed this by purchasing a cheap clip on fan from Amazon and mounting it on a nearby rack so that it blows across the brass. Not a perfect fix, but it suits my needs.

The burners point directly down, which I thought I would like, but now I'm wishing they were set into the tube at a slight angle so as to get the fire "rolling" within the forge. There is nothing wrong with the straight down method, but it pinpoints the jets and their heat into one or two spots. As I move from knife making into sword making I will likely need to buy a new forge or build one myself, but I have found that the straight down jets can be beneficial for making small blades and tools.

This forge does come with 1" thick blanket similar to Kaowool, and the company has even begun supplying refractory cement to coat the blanket with - included at no extra cost. As a beginner I didn't know how important it was to coat your Kaowool blanket, and I wish I had done it sooner - I think it's amazing that the company is providing the 3000 degree refractory along with the forge instead of as a stand alone product, and proves that Hell's Forge is committed to quality.

You do get two firebricks to put at the bottom of the forge, but you will need more to help cover the openings; otherwise, you will be waiting a good while for the forge to heat up your work area instead of it's self as efficiently as it could. I used angle iron and built sliding racks to accommodate 2 fire bricks each for the front and back. It has allowed me to control my heat loss and the air inside the forge very easily, and I recommend reading about forge modifications if you do purchase this model.

One thing you will need it s a metal table, especially if you are going to restrict the openings with fire brick, as it forces the heat out along the edge of the brick and towards whatever surface you have the forge sitting on. I bought a cheap Harbor Freight welding table which does the trick.

Overall, the forge does work very well and can reach forge-welding temperatures if you put in the refractory cement and play with airflow / restrict your heat loss. If taken care of it will last a lifetime, or until you want a bigger one. If you want to see it on Amazon you can click here and read other's reviews.

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