Broken record here, but SUPER HELPFUL. I know I keep saying the same things, and I try not to comment so much, because it is the same each time, but you are really a fantastic teacher. I have learned a TON and truly appreciate all you are doing. I'll go a step further and let you know that the things I learn from you are in turn being passed down to my boys. So not only are you having a direct impact on my skill set, but also trickling down to my friends and family. THANK YOU!

John, this is one of the best series on forging basic blacksmithing tools ever! Please keep thinking like you do, you are a natural teacher. I wish I had had access to this kind of teaching when I first learned blacksmithing. I'm disabled now, and can't work a forge, but I can still learn from you. Keep up the great work you are doing.

I'm addicted to Black Bear Forge! Nothing like learning from the Old Masters.......those who have been there, made that mistake, ruin that project by using the wrong steel and learned from "that old guy in the next county". Thank you for sharing your skills in such informative details,

This is probably the best tempering video I have seen on KZfaq that shows what you're looking for while you're doing it

Thank You! This was absolutely perfect instructions for me. Direct, clear, concise with visual sequential hands on description. I Thank You, Tom. I went to trade school for welding and they let us loose to self teach. I would share what I learned to do and more importantly what not to do with the new students in the hope that we could share our acquired knowledge with each other.

Thank you very much.

Been watching your stuff for about a year now. Been making tongs, (which I am still struggling to get decent), and tools for tending the coal, as well as hardy tools, and finally going to harden some chisels, punches, and drifts today. After watching this video I think it finally clicked as to what I am supposed to do. Fingers 🤞. 😅 Thank you for your videos! I always get inspired after watching them! ... but trying to reproduce what I watched never seems to go near as smooth... or even succeed (like forge welding a single link of chain so far.) But, I am determined to succeed on it eventually. Thanks again!

I've been a subscriber for years. Now I am a student since I finally got my small anvil and forge set-up (forge pending completion of refractory cement which I ran out of on the first try). Looking forward to watching all of the videos you have posted and hopefully making good use of the scrap steel I've been collecting.

I learn something everytime i watch your videos

John You're the best! Your instruction approach is thorough and easy to follow! Thank you so much

Thank you very much for your experience and wealth of knowledge ! you have helped me as a jeweler of 38yrs . I have learnt a lot of important things ! You don't find in books or practical !

Dear John, thanks for presenting this informative series.

Love this series. I picked up some excavator pins, I was thinking of oil quenching. Thank you.

Thanks for this. I have watched it before, but want to do some dies and a punch tomorrow, so thought I better brush up. Great info, thanks for watering my tree of knowledge.

Thanks for sharing all your knowledge!! It's like taking a masterclass!

Thank you so much John you are a great teacher. Adeel Karlie cape Town south Africa

All the way from South Africa, John your videos are an inspration and I have learned a lot from your instruction. Keep it coming.

Brilliant

Firstly, I would like to sincerely thank you John for all the great information you share with us. I've learned a lot from you and I love your style of videos and the amount of detail and effort you put into them. Your channel is my number one resource on the topic of blacksmithing. You are an amazing person and a great teacher. I envy your friends and those people around you who get to enjoy your company and interact with you in person. We have a saying in Arabic "من علمني حرفا صرت له عبدا" which could be roughly translated to "whosoever teaches me a letter I would forever be in his debt". I believe I owe you a lot. So again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Secondly, you mentioned you would prefer to use olive oil. Why? and would it go bad after some time? Thirdly, I think I heard you say in another older video, if I'm not mistaken, that you wanted to use charcoal instead of coal. Why and what happened there? I see your still using coal. Have a great day and stay safe.

Well ,all can I say , thank you for all you knowledge shared with this new generation really need a truly and sincerely good teaching and tips and advises , I'm from Brazil and here its very hard to find anything about forging , and when we found its really high prices , and chilli forge will cost me almost 3 000 r$ when a base pay for a worker its 1000 r$ for a month working 6 days a week all day and glp also is cost alot , thats funny because Brazil is the one of biggest iron produtor in world and for we buy it here it simple too expensive for a regular guy , so evey tip is much more important for me . Again thanks for your lessons its the only way i can find to learn something for the right way ⚒️👏

Good to know sucker rod is good for tool making, thanks again

Excellent series. A must see for a new beginner. Especially someone with a small budget. Thank You.

John, thanks so much for this wonderful series on the punches and drifts! I need to make a few of each so, I was very interested in them! Your channel is probably the BEST for us relative newbies and for intermediate Blacksmiths, as well! Thanks again! Your videos are one of the ones I post to my FB page more often than any others when posting things regarding Blacksmithing!\I am somewhat disabled by a disease that eats the cartilage from ALL the joints and them erodes the ends of the bones so, I can't do a lot but, I keep trying. Before I became disabled I was probably approaching intermediate as far as where I was. Now, I have to do relatively small projects or take an extended time to make any of the more complex and longer hammering projects but, I eventually get there! Again, thanks for these, especially but also for all the other videos you have on your channel! KUDOS!

What a great 3 part series John! You are a great teacher keep up the great work!

Really appreciate your work and teaching. Thank you!

A Great demonstration and explanation.

This is a great video, and I was able to get it as a beginner which says a lot for the presentation. Thankyou.

Thanks for another great series of videos. Very informative and fun to watch. You are a great teacher!

Good teaching!😇🖒

This mic working good thank you buddy

i was so pleased to find these videos. I recently purchased a striking plate at auction specifically to attempted to make my own hammers. i guess when i get everything set up i'll be making my own drift and punch first. Thanks again

Hey John, really appreciate the videos. I currently don't have any plans of becoming a blacksmith, but who knows what the future holds. Gaining additional knowledge keeps the gray matter in good shape. Looking forward to the rest of the beginning blacksmithing videos.

Thank you. Learned a lot

Loving your channel! Your videos are great, thanks

Great videos John. Thanks so much.

Great info on testing the way to harden

Good job. thanks.

Nice videos, vary informative. And thank you for mentioning the House Handle website.

Great video

It was very useful to understand tip harding and shank (or center harding). I think I get the drift of the example. I need more on heat treating. What about cataloging your videos, into a Text Book. You could call it “Black Bear Beginners Book”, “BBBB Blacksmith Guide”,or something like that. It would be so much more interesting than old movies. And I would learn something I can use. And a can tell my friend that I have finally graduated from wood working.

Great video John,loving all the contemt you are putting out and the info you share with us all,would love to see a video all about axe and tomohawk drifts amd how to forge one. Thank You

thanks again for sharing your knowledge john ;)

I worken in the Texas oil fields for years. Just for your information, sucker rods are usually 30 to 32 feet long

Re.: Sucker Rod Steels... take a look at this paper (pdf-file), ref www.weatherford.com/en/documents/brochure/products-and-services/production-optimization/sucker-rods

I know it's an older video. But why would you rather use olive oil to harden your steel? verses an oil made for steel hardning. Just curious I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that. Most of the time, I hear I just haven't bought proper heat treating oil, and olive oil, canola oil is all I have. Just curious. Thanks for making your videos I have learned a ton from you.

Thanks for this video! I need to make some hammers. Somehow I can't get the harding process for the tools under control. Hope I will after this video. Fingers crossed!

I think that the file scraping test is not always to relay.If the steel is heated to much its surface might decarburize and stay soft after quenching, while its hard inside.

What colour is for hardening

What’s sucker rod steel come from ?

Is Your Oil bucket inside a Shop rag bin? Have you ever featured it in a video? 💚🌵☘

I just finished both the punch & the drift turned out good was unknown steel ended up being water quench

I'm just trying to start blacksmithing and have learned so much from your videos, thank you. Could you suggest sources for forging steel? The knife making suppliers I have used don't have square rod. thanks again

Very nice video John! Also very informational. I am glad that youre taking on these instructional videos because youre very good at explaining things in a simpler way than most other videos i come across on youtube. The very technical information isnt bad to know, although in some cases its easier to get started with the basics, this video nailed is. Thanks again John and i cant wait to see the next video!!! Keep up the great work!

I know you said you kinky harden and temper the drift out of habit since it’s going to get hot while in use but would the same go for the punch? Or is that different since I’ll strike the punch and dip in water after each hammer blow to cool it off?

John another great installment. Easy to follow instructions. What camera set up are you using, it certainly seems to work well. Look forward to the future content.

John I recently bought a hammer eye drift and it’s huge it’s made of ductile iron can I forge it smaller or should I just spend the day filing it or grinding it thx.....Paul

Never liked scrap. I do have quite a bit of coil spring steel from a hydraulic cylinder reman facility. I prefer drops from machine shop. It is inexpensive AND cut to length for you !!!! LOL Of course it's new and they tell you what it is. Not true to blacksmithing though is it,,, as it seems to be sacrilegious to use new steel. Never understood that. Thanks John!!

Q1: haven’t blacksmiths been quenching in just lukewarm water for thousands of years? Why is it so serious to quench in preheated oil now? Q2: Does it matter what you quench it in at all if you’re tempering the alloy anyways? Why not just do the water and plan on tempering instead of the back and forth with several mediums? Sorry still learning and experimenting haha

Why buy fresh olive oil to use as a quenching medium. In my mind it is a waste of good nutrition. Start saving used vegetable oil from the kitchen.

You don't look like much of a ladies man but you sure do know your steels buddy