Beginner's guide

So you're getting into blacksmithing

Blacksmithing is one of the oldest crafts alive, and one of the most underserved by good beginner guides. The startup cost is real — $400–800 for a functional shop — but once you have a forge, an anvil, and a hammer that fits your hand, you're set for years. Here's what to buy first.

By Colin B. · Published May 24, 2026 · Last reviewed May 24, 2026

The blacksmith is working with fire and metal.

Photo by C Bischoff on Unsplash

The 60-second version

If you only buy 3 things to start:

Hell's Forge Portable Propane Forge Single Burner — The go-to beginner propane forge — reliable heat, simple setup, right size for a one-person shop.
NC Tool Calvary Anvil 112 lb — A real cast steel anvil that won't let you down — the starting point serious smiths recommend.
Picard Swedish Pattern Blacksmith Hammer 1500g — Picard's legendary cross-peen hammer. Factory-polished, perfectly balanced, lasts a lifetime.

Budget total

$400

Typical total

$800

The forge, anvil, and basic hand tools are the real cost. After that initial outlay, consumables (propane, stock) are modest and the tools last indefinitely.

At a glance

Our top pick in each category

The fastest path through this guide — each best-starter pick by category. Scroll for the budget and upgrade alternatives.

Category	Top pick	Price	Where to buy
Forge	Hell's ForgeHell's Forge Portable Propane Forge Single Burner	$$$	See on Amazon →
Anvil	NC ToolNC Tool Calvary Anvil 112 lb	$$$	See on Amazon →
Hammers	PicardPicard Swedish Pattern Blacksmith Hammer 1500g	$$$	See on Amazon →
Tongs	Legend ForgeLegend Forge V-Bit Bolt Tongs 17"	$$	See on Amazon →
Safety Gear	Lincoln ElectricLincoln Electric VIKING 3350 Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet	$$	See on Amazon →

Before you buy anything

A few things worth knowing first

The biggest beginner mistake is buying a cheap cast iron anvil. Cast iron doesn't rebound hammer energy back into your work — it absorbs it, meaning every strike is harder and less effective. Spend a bit more on a cast steel anvil, even a small one. The difference is immediately obvious.

Gas forges (propane) are the right choice for almost every beginner. Coal forges run hotter and have a romantic following, but they require fuel sourcing, fire management skills, and serious ventilation. A propane forge heats your garage shop in 15 minutes and shuts off when you close the valve.

Start with one hammer and learn it before adding more. Most beginners go too heavy — a 2–2.5 lb hammer is right for most people. Heavier hammers tire your arm fast and teach sloppy technique.

The gear

What you actually need

Photo by Olivier Leysen on Unsplash

Forge

Your forge is where steel becomes workable, and for beginners the choice is simple: propane gas forge. A single-burner propane forge heats to welding temperature (2300°F) in about 15 minutes, runs on standard 20 lb tanks, and works in a garage with the door cracked. Coal forges are hotter and have a loyal following, but they demand solid-fuel management, coal sourcing, and more ventilation than most home shops can handle. Master gas first.

Forge — what's the difference?

A few common shapes, each making a different trade.

Single-Burner Gas

Efficient, beginner-friendly, fits most starter projects.

Fuel: Propane
Chamber: ~350 cu in D-shape
Max temp: ~2300°F

Best for Knife making, hooks, decorative ironwork, stock under 1.5"

Tradeoff Can't weld long stock or heat multiple pieces simultaneously

↓ See our pick

Double-Burner Gas

More capacity, faster heat, better for forge welding.

Fuel: Propane
Chamber: 700+ cu in
Max temp: ~2400°F

Best for Longer stock, forge welding, higher throughput

Tradeoff Burns more propane — not fuel-efficient for small work

↓ See our pick

Coal / Solid Fuel

Traditional, hotter, demands real fire management skill.

Fuel: Coal or coke
Setup: Blower + coal source required
Max temp: ~2500°F+

Best for Traditional smithing, welding heats, experienced smiths

Tradeoff Steep learning curve, smoke and ventilation requirements — not for beginners

Best starter

Hell's Forge

Hell's Forge Portable Propane Forge Single Burner

$$$

The most recommended beginner propane forge, and for good reason. Single .5 PSI burner heats the D-shaped chamber to welding temperature in about 15 minutes. Works on a standard 20 lb propane tank. Well-built, simple to set up, and sized right for beginner projects — knives, hooks, and decorative ironwork up to about 1.5" diameter stock.

What we like

Reaches welding temp in ~15 minutes on a standard 20 lb tank
Single-knob operation — no learning curve on the forge itself
D-shaped chamber fits most beginner project sizes

What to know

Floor brick wears faster than hard firebrick — plan to upgrade
Not ideal for stock over 1.5" diameter

See on Amazon →

Upgrade pick

NC Tool

NC Whisper Momma Atmospheric Forge

$$$$

When you're ready for longer stock and forge welding, a double-burner forge is the upgrade path. NC Tool has been supplying serious blacksmiths for decades — the heat distribution is even, the door seals properly, and the chamber handles stock that a single-burner forge can't.

What we like

Even heat across longer stock — critical for forge-welding projects
NC Tool quality: used by serious hobbyists and professional smiths

What to know

Burns through propane fast — budget extra fuel costs
Heavier and bulkier than single-burner options

See on Amazon →

Anvil

The anvil is where you do your work, and the most important thing to know: cast iron anvils are a trap. They look right, they're cheap, and they're everywhere on Craigslist — but cast iron absorbs hammer energy instead of bouncing it back. You work twice as hard for half the result. You want cast steel. A 70–100 lb steel anvil is the sweet spot: heavy enough to hold steady under hard strikes, manageable to move around your shop.

Best starter

NC Tool

NC Tool Calvary Anvil 112 lb

$$$

NC Tool makes the most respected entry-level anvils in the US. The 112 lb Calvary is cast steel — not iron — so hammer blows rebound back into the work efficiently. Hardy and pritchel holes accept standard tooling. At 112 lb, it holds steady under hard strikes and won't walk across your shop floor.

What we like

Cast steel — hammer energy rebounds back into the work, not wasted
Hardy and pritchel holes accept standard smithing tooling
100 lb weight holds steady under hard strikes

What to know

Shorter horn than London pattern — limits tight decorative curves
Still needs a stand — budget for a stump or welded stand separately

See on Amazon →

Budget pick

VEVOR

VEVOR 44 lb Cast Steel Anvil

VEVOR sells both cast iron and cast steel anvils — this is the cast steel version, explicitly labeled as such. At 44 lb it's the most portable beginner option. You'll feel it move under hard strikes more than a 112 lb anvil, so chain it to a stump. But it won't teach bad technique the way a cast iron anvil will.

What we like

Cast steel at a budget price — avoids the cast iron trap
55 lb is manageable to move and store between sessions

What to know

Light enough to walk under heavy strikes — chain or bolt it down
Batch-to-batch QC variation — inspect carefully on delivery

See on Amazon →

Hammers

Get one good hammer and learn it before adding more. For most beginners, a 1.5–2 lb cross-peen is right — heavy enough to move hot steel efficiently, light enough to use all day without wrecking your elbow. The cross-peen face draws metal out lengthwise; the flat face moves it broadly. Swedish and German patterns both work well. Buy quality the first time — a good blacksmithing hammer is a one-time purchase.

Best starter

Picard

Picard Swedish Pattern Blacksmith Hammer 1500g

$$$

Picard is the benchmark for blacksmithing hammers. The 1500g (3.3 lb) Swedish cross-peen comes factory-polished so the face is ready to work without grinding, and the balance is right out of the box. German-forged steel that will outlast you. The most common first-hammer recommendation in every serious smithing community.

What we like

Factory-polished face — no prep work needed out of the box
German-forged steel used by professional blacksmiths worldwide
Swedish pattern balance well-suited to the cross-peen stroke

What to know

~$80 — the most expensive beginner hammer option
3.3 lb may fatigue new smiths faster than a lighter 2 lb option

See on Amazon →

Budget pick

Estwing

Estwing Blacksmith's Hammer 32 oz

Estwing makes tool-grade hammers used by American tradespeople for generations. The 32 oz (2 lb) weight is gentler on beginner forearms than 1500g, and Estwing's steel is properly hardened — you won't dent the face on your first session. Not a traditional smithing pattern, but it'll get metal moving while you develop technique.

What we like

2 lb weight is forgiving for beginners still building arm endurance
Properly hardened steel — holds up to real smithing work

What to know

Steel handle transmits vibration — uncomfortable on long sessions
Not a traditional smithing pattern — you'll want a cross-peen eventually

See on Amazon →

Specialty pick

Nordic Forge

Nordic Forge Rounding Hammer 1.5 lb

$$$

Once you've got your cross-peen technique dialed in, a rounding hammer opens up a different movement vocabulary — the domed face compresses and spreads metal in a way flat faces don't. Great for knife work, leaf shapes, and decorative touches. This is hammer number two, not hammer number one.

What we like

Domed face ideal for spreading metal and creating organic shapes
1.5 lb is light enough for detailed, deliberate finishing work

What to know

A second-hammer purchase — master your cross-peen first
Less versatile than a cross-peen for general beginner projects

See on Amazon →

Tongs

Tongs are how you hold hot metal safely, and the wrong pair for your stock makes every heat frustrating. The jaw profile needs to match your stock shape and size: V-bit for round stock, flat jaw for flat bar. Buy tongs sized for the stock you'll actually work — a ½" jaw opening for ½" round stock. Most beginners start with two pairs and add more as projects demand them.

Best starter

Legend Forge

Legend Forge V-Bit Bolt Tongs 17"

V-bit tongs grip round stock — the shape you'll work most often as a beginner (rebar for practice, round bar for knives and hooks). NC Tool's tongs are properly fitted and hold stock without slipping under hammer blows. Order in the jaw size that matches your most common stock diameter.

What we like

Grips round stock securely — won't rotate under hammer strikes
NC Tool quality used by hobbyists and working smiths alike

What to know

Size-specific — won't grip flat bar stock well
Must be ordered in the correct jaw size for your stock

See on Amazon →

Specialty pick

Simond Store

Simond Store Flat Jaw Tongs 16"

Once you move to flat bar stock — S-hooks, hinges, leaf work — you need flat jaw tongs. They grip flat bar face-to-face where V-bit tongs spin it. This is tong pair number two in most beginner shops, added once you move beyond round stock.

What we like

Grips flat bar securely — essential for hooks, hinges, and leaf work
Pairs with V-bit tongs to cover most beginner stock shapes

What to know

Can't grip round stock — V-bit tongs still required
A second purchase, not your first pair

See on Amazon →

Safety Gear

Hot steel radiates UV light, forges generate sparks and fumes, and a dropped piece of 2000°F metal is a medical emergency. The protective gear costs under $150 total and is not optional. You need: shade-5 eye protection that blocks UV from the forge and hot metal, gloves that won't melt or kill your dexterity, and leather or denim covering your legs and torso from sparks and scale.

Best starter

Lincoln Electric

Lincoln Electric VIKING 3350 Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet

UV from a glowing forge and hot steel damages eyes more than most beginners realize. A welding helmet at shade 5 protects eyes, face, and neck completely. Lincoln Electric's VIKING 3350 auto-darkens, has wide viewing area, and doubles as your grinding shield if you ever work adjacent processes in the same shop.

What we like

Auto-darkening lens handles both forge light and grinding sparks
Protects eyes, face, and neck — more coverage than glasses alone

What to know

Overkill for beginner blacksmithing only — glasses suffice
Can feel warm and heavy after long sessions in a hot shop

See on Amazon →

Budget pick

Mechanix Wear

Mechanix Wear M-Pact Covert Tactical Gloves

You don't want full leather welding gauntlets for blacksmithing — they kill the dexterity you need for tong work. Mechanix M-Pact gloves protect against impact and brief heat contact without making your hands clumsy. Use them for everything except reaching near the forge mouth itself.

What we like

Enough dexterity to work tongs without fumbling
Impact protection for the occasional hammer miss

What to know

Synthetic material — not for sustained contact near forge mouth
Not a substitute for leather gauntlets in forge-welding setups

See on Amazon →

Specialty pick

Steiner

Steiner Weld-Rite Premium Leather Welding Jacket

$$$

Once you're doing heavier forge work — long sessions, welding, or larger stock — a leather jacket replaces the hole-pocked cotton clothes you're currently burning through. Steiner's leather jacket covers torso and arms completely, tolerates forge sparks, and lasts years. Many smiths call it the piece of safety gear most worth overspending on.

What we like

Full leather protection — sparks bounce off instead of burning through
Sleeve coverage a simple apron misses entirely

What to know

Heavy and warm — uncomfortable for long summer sessions
A leather apron solves most of the problem at half the price

See on Amazon →

Going deeper

Your first month of blacksmithing

The first time you pull glowing orange steel from a forge, everything else makes sense. Here's what your first four weeks actually look like — and what separates smiths who keep going from the ones who don't.

Read the guide →

Save your money

What you don't need yet

Beginners get pressured to buy a lot of stuff that doesn't help them play better. Here's what we'd skip on day one.

A power hammer — Pneumatic and mechanical power hammers move metal fast, but they're thousand-dollar shop fixtures. Hand forging is how you learn to read the steel — skip the shortcut until you've built real technique.
A post vise — Useful for bending and twisting work, but not essential in your first six months. A standard bench vise handles most beginner projects.
A coal forge — Better for some advanced work, but the learning curve is steeper than the heat advantage is worth for beginners. Master gas first.
Swage blocks and specialized tooling — Hardy tools, swages, and fullers open up new techniques — but they're enhancements to a working shop, not requirements for starting.
A second anvil — Smiths collect anvils obsessively. Resist the urge. One good anvil is all you need to make real things for years.

First week

Your first seven days

A short, real plan to get from gear-on-doorstep to actually playing.

Order your forge first — shipping takes 3–5 days and you'll want to test-fire it before your first hammer session. · Buy
- Jump to our pick: Hell's Forge Portable Propane Forge Single Burner
Source your practice stock before your first heat. Rebar is everywhere and inexpensive — check a local steel supplier or home improvement store for ½" mild steel round bar. · Action
Watch Black Bear Forge on YouTube. Will Dowd's beginner tutorials are the clearest free resource online — patient, methodical, and project-focused. · Learn
- Black Bear Forge (YouTube) · Best free beginner blacksmithing channel — start here
- r/blacksmithing · Active beginner-friendly community with a solid setup wiki
Your first project should be an S-hook. Heat a piece of ½" round bar, bend one end into a hook, flip it, bend the other end in the opposite direction. Every beginner makes fifty of them. · Action
Find a local ABANA affiliate chapter or community college smithing class. One session with an experienced smith watching your hammer technique beats ten YouTube videos. · Action
- ABANA affiliate chapters · Find a smithing guild near you
Set up your forge outdoors or with serious ventilation — propane combustion produces CO. Never work in an enclosed space without meaningful airflow. · Action

FAQ

Common questions

How much does it cost to get started blacksmithing?

A functional beginner setup — propane forge, cast steel anvil, hammer, tongs, and safety gear — runs $400–800. The forge ($200–350) and anvil ($150–300) are the big costs. After that initial outlay, consumables (propane, stock) cost $30–60 a month for a weekly hobbyist.

What's the difference between a gas forge and a coal forge?

Gas forges run on propane, light instantly, and are safe in a home garage with the door open. Coal forges are traditional, run hotter, and are preferred by some smiths for forge welding — but they require fire management skills, a coal source, and serious ventilation. Start with gas. Most hobbyists never switch.

Are cheap Amazon anvils OK?

It depends entirely on the material. Cast iron anvils — common on Amazon and Craigslist — absorb hammer energy instead of reflecting it, making your work twice as hard. Cast steel anvils (HFS, NC Tool) work correctly. Check the listing carefully; 'cast steel' should be explicitly stated. If the price is under $100 for a 55+ lb anvil, assume cast iron.

Is blacksmithing dangerous?

It has real hazards: UV radiation from hot steel, sparks, CO from the forge, and the obvious risk of 2000°F metal. None of these are exotic — proper eye protection, ventilation, and leather or denim clothing manage the main risks. Burns are the most common injury and are almost entirely preventable with the right gear.

What should my first project be?

An S-hook. Heat a piece of ½" round bar, bend one end into a hook, flip it, bend the other end in the opposite direction. That's it. You'll make fifty of them and they're genuinely useful. After S-hooks: a leaf on a stem, a bottle opener, and a simple knife blank are the classic beginner sequence.

How much space do I need for a beginner blacksmithing shop?

A one-car garage works. You need room for the forge (3 feet clearance from combustibles), your anvil on a stand, a small workbench, and somewhere to store your tongs and stock. Ceiling height matters — a low ceiling above a propane forge is a real problem.

Going further

Where to next

Related hobbies

Browse by category

Authoritative sources

ABANA — Artist-Blacksmith's Association of North America — The national organization for blacksmiths. Affiliate chapters run classes, events, and hammer-ins. The best way to find a mentor near you.
r/blacksmithing — Active, beginner-friendly community. The wiki covers setup questions well. Search for technique posts; skip the 'rate my anvil' threads.
Black Bear Forge (YouTube) — The clearest beginner blacksmithing channel online. Patient, methodical tutorials from basic S-hooks through intermediate knife and tool making.
Alec Steele (YouTube) — Technically advanced and extremely entertaining. Watch for inspiration — the scale of his work isn't beginner territory, but his fundamentals videos are worth your time.
The Complete Modern Blacksmith — Alexander Weygers — The classic beginner text. Covers tool-making, forge-building, and technique from first principles. Dated in some tool recommendations but foundational reading.