Recommendations on this site come from use in a working forge, not from spec sheets or press releases. This page explains how.
How we get tools
We buy most tools ourselves. If a supplier lends or gives us a tool, the review says so, next to the product. Nobody pays to be included or to change a verdict.
How we test
- Use it on real work. Grinders grind real bevels, forges forge real blades, quench oils harden real steel.
- Measure what matters. For example: how long a belt lasts, whether a platen stays flat, how hot a forge gets and how much gas it uses, how hard a blade comes out of the quench.
- Score it against the same test. Each category gets a published method so results can be compared.
- Report the flaws. Every pick has cons. Tools that failed go in a "not recommended" section with the reason.
What's tested so far
The site is new. Guides are published with sourced advice first, and test results are added as each round of testing is done. Every guide says clearly which parts are tested and which aren't yet.
Updates
When a guide changes in a way that matters, we update the date and say what changed.