Things to sell to keep a forge running

[u/Chunky-dog]

I've wanted to do blacksmithing for a while now after taking some courses, but due to my cities laws i can't have a solid fuel forge so I need to use propane. However due to the fact that i'm an unemployed bum and have a lot to do so I can't just get a job I would need a small source of income so I don't run myself dry from buying propane.

So my question is what kinds of simple things would sell well in a residential area without many other blacksmiths

[u/thickanvil69]

This is what i sell to keep my forge running

[u/Prestigious-Ad7571 → u/thickanvil69]

Ahh wait…someone not just making knick knacks

[u/thickanvil69 → u/Prestigious-Ad7571]

Lol its house jewelry

[u/warchild-1776]

hooks, plant hangers,door hardware

[u/Prior_Direction1697]

I covered my costs quite nicely with hooks, and flint and steels. I could easily knock out £50-100 worth of products as a warmup to any forging sessions and would sell pretty quick on eBay, Facebook marketplace etc.

My biggest issue was supply of flint. I used to live in an area where flint was literally in every pile of dirt you'd walk by, every molehill and the like. My current place is purely limestone so I resorted to grabbing a rucksack full of rocks anytime I went to visit family in the rolling chalk hills a county over.

[u/SoundlessScream → u/Prior_Direction1697]

that kicks ass

[u/CHmakesstuff]

Where are you going to sell your items is almost as big a question as what you’re going to sell
It also depends on your tools available and your skill level
I’d recommend nails bottle openers small things that are quick and simple to smash out
Small things normally sell quicker than large expensive things
But your not likely to get a big income selling small things because you need to sell a lot of small things to make money

[u/RWRW_historian]

Tent stakes. Market them to reenactors.

[u/Wise_Use1012]

Everyone needs nails. Fencing nails are also good.

[u/TheSagelyOne]

Hooks and bottle openers are what I sell. My bottle openers go for $22 each and a bottle of propane costs about $25 so one sale basically runs the forge for long enough to make a few more products.

Try to be efficient, working on more than one piece at a time, and that will help, too.

The trick is to make a few each of a few different product because you can sell a few every few days but you're not likely to find somebody who wants a batch of thirty. (They're out there, but you won't find them by accident.) The items sort of "trickle out" over time.

As a disclaimer, I want to say that I'm still pretty new and most of my sales have been family and friends. My repertoire is pretty limited. However, like you I am between "real jobs" and this keeps my forge running.

[u/professor_jeffjeff → u/TheSagelyOne]

This is a good point; you need to set up for production runs of a particular item. It's a lot faster to make 10 of something 10 at a time than it is to make them one at a time. You can make jigs and stuff too, even if the product is simple, since the jig will cut down on the time it takes and ensure that everything is as identical as possible. Bonus if you can re-use some of the same stuff on other items. For example, a lot of what I make starts its life as about a 5" length of 3/8" square bar or 3/8" round bar so it's really easy to get a few full lengths of 5/8" whatever and then cut it up all at once into a length that you can use for everything. Then when you're ready to make 10 of something you just go over to your steel storage and grab 10 pieces and you're good to go. Just need to be sure that you've got the demand to be able to sell the 10 things you made. If it's 10 simple hooks or 10 bottle openers then you're probably fine, but if it's 10 fireplace sets that are priced at $500 each, you're likely going to have to store those things until you sell them and that takes up space, plus making them takes up time.

[u/OnTheCove66]

Tap handles for the local pubs

[u/Own-Witness784]

Business card holders from 1/4 round.

[u/kunstmilch]

Maybe set up a small web store and sell things like chisels or knifes, garden tools

[u/ArcherKN24]

I suggest going with anything you can knock out dozens of easily, and clearly has that hand crafted look. Whatever it is, as long as you make it look way nicer than the mass produced version, the crouds will take notice! And if you pick something small and simple, make a few dozen in one sitting. This will improve your skills pertaining to the work piece, and you will likely see a marked difference in quality from the first one you make to the tenth or twentieth!