I’m a beginning blacksmith, and I’m starting to accrue a set of tools I have forged myself. Could I get some pointers on keeping these tools looking and (more importantly) functioning well?
A specific point of concern is rust. My anvil gets a small amount when I haven’t been able to forge for a while, as does one of the hammers I made. Should I be oiling these things regularly? How often and with what oil?
This is my first post on this forum. Looks like a great community.
Hey welcome @Lumberjack! Don’t worry about rust, it might be a little unsightly but nothing to really worry about. If you did want to you could cover your more prized tools with an oiled rag or something to help. I know some smiths who have just a large shop rag (old t-shirt, or something) covering their anvil.
But I know lots of others that just let the rust accumulate. You could help keep things a bit more dry just by keeping some things in doors if it’s out of doors/covered up too if you want.