Forging a froe with John Switzer, Black Bear Forge

The froe is an age old tool used for splitting wood. Today you may join me in the shop to see how I forge a froe. This could certianly be done by hand, but I chose to use the tools and equipment I have available to speed productiion and keep the cost resonable for my customers.
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[@richardbyerssr.3355]

If you wrap a piece of tanned deer hide the width of your frow's handle hole around the handle while moistened then tap the handle up through the frow trapping the hide in the frow on the handle inside the frow then let it dry! Your frow handle will not come loose as much any more! I do this with all my Tomahawks!

[@clydebalcom8252]

A froe is so versatile. I enjoy seeing them forged.

[@robertcutburth3745]

Like the shave horse, built one last year, a froe is on my to do list.

[@johnjude2685]

I built one for a cousin and they are safer now I hope they love and use it Thanks John Switzer for teaching Sir

[@DavoShed]

I’ll have to make one of those!

[@platschbirne]

a very good job, thank you very much

[@TomokosEnterprize]

I made shakes for a few years and loved it. The end of the day was real $. Thanks for this post. I still have the froe I made from a truck spring. Mine was simple. I just welded it to a piece of pipe and hammered it to submission and made a birch handle. I would love a piece like this but for now can't use it. Too smashed up and hurting for that kind of work any more. Nice touch on the grinder/sander fella !

[@valsforge4318]

Yea, that wax gives it a great finish. Great project, thanks.

[@andrewhutchinson5490]

Great watch!!!

[@kabrogan1]

Holy shit! That grinder is insane!!!

[@BlackBearForge]

It is a beast.

[@herticblacksmith7975]

Awesome, the for really work well❤👍

[@greghackney8437]

Finally! I get to see that Little Giant in action.

[@BlackBearForge]

It makes it into several videos per year

[@scottreynolds4827]

I use the same wax. But that is where my similarities end. I only have truck spring steel. Some 3/8". Most is 1/2" and likely 2" wide. And no power hammer. No grinder. It takes a lot of work. Especially the hand forging of the cutting edge. Spring steel doesn't like to weld onto its self, so I install an insert of 1018. You made it look easy. I like your style

[@BlackBearForge]

Thanks

[@tonynewman777]

He has a very nice set up very nice shop.

[@zettle2345]

I think just picking a better seasoned piece of wood may have helped. I know a lot of campers who could use a good Fro when they are out camping. It's funny watching them trying to split wood with a hatchet. Thanks for all your great videos.

[@zwz.zdenek]

Not all hatchets are created equal. In fact, almost all are garbage. Either buy a good $100+ hatchet that works out of the box, or learn how to finish a cheaper one. A froe is a specialized tool and I wouldn't consider taking it out.

[@RovingPunster]

When I saw the title of this vid and sounded it out in my head, I had an immediate flashback to 1970's Blacksploitation movies ... fro ... froe ... fro ... froe. 😂

[@zacharyriley4122]

People like to make and use hoes to.

[@RovingPunster]

@@zacharyriley4122 Santa: "HO HO HO, here's a froe for my favorite hoe." Hoe: "How'm I supposed ta comb my 'fro with a froe, sugah ?" Santa: "Just drag the froe to and fro, an before ya know you'll be gud to go ... HO HO HO." 🤣

[@scottsammons7747]

Time to break out the clear green white oak!

[@Finn-McCool]

...and when it has split it's last log?...you FROE it away! yuk yuk 😄 -great vid

[@charlieyeager3645]

Hi, John! Just wanna say thanks for the videos! I love your narrative as you work. It's a very informative approach! You've inspired me to take up blacksmithing. While I haven't actually started yet, I spend my downtime watching you. I managed to find a great deal on a 123# anvil. As I begin, my first project will be a pair of tongs (hopefully v-bit, if I can find a good descriptive video ((as of now, i have not))) but I just have a large pair of channellocks I plan on using and a 2.5# ball peen hammer. Forging a hammer will be soon thereafter. Please keep the videos rolling!

[@BlackBearForge]

Sounds like a nice sized anvil. I am glad you are enjoying the videos. I do plan on a V bit tong video in the near future.

[@jerrystott7780]

When I made shakes for a living, I preferred a thicker wider froe. My best one was made from a spring off a pickup. Have a good one.

[@russruss624]

30 seconds into this one I thought "Why Smiths don't make shakes/clapboards."

[@rickw.3436]

i made 11.000 shakes for a timber frame house i built, it was agonising, i cant imagine doing it for a living. howd you cope ?

[@jerrystott7780]

@@rickw.3436 I was young back then, but it was rough. The motivation was $54 USD a square and I could do four a day. Great money in the seventies.

[@neilyeag]

Great video very well explained. John what steel did you use for this? I see from your web site it is 3/8" by 1 1/2" by about 12" long. BTW looks like a lot of work for your selling price of only 75 bucks!

[@poindexter1387]

Awesome video....For those of us that doesn't have power hammers "sorry to say" what is your thoughts on leaf springs to make a froe.🔥🔨

[@k.c.meaders4796]

John, maybe you could do a voice-over on the parts where the forge is wiping out your narrative. This was done long enough ago to revisit? BTW another excellent teaching lesson.

[@BlackBearForge]

Voice overs are always an option. But so far I have not been very happy with the way they come out. They always seem a bit contrived and out of place. But revisiting this topic using the current audio system would be a big improvement.

[@k.c.meaders4796]

@@BlackBearForge Yes, and you could just use the previous dialog that is lost in the dragon breath. No new writing.

[@jaredlariscey2122]

piece of wood almost kicked your ass! thanks for video.

[@BlackBearForge]

A froe is certainly best used on green wood, which I didn't have on hand when did the video.

[@olddawgdreaming5715]

Thanks John. I looked it up in your Etsy and couldn’t find one. Will you post a price in there for the froe and handle. I am wanting to get that and two of your holdfasts. Sure glad I looked back through all your videos for this froe. Fred. 🙏🏻🙏🏻👍🏻👍🏻✋🏻✋🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@BlackBearForge]

Hopefully I will have that listing up this week sometime.

[@billssmithy7352]

Great video. Hope to make one sooner. Two questions: What steel did you use? Why did you stop whacking it once it was burried in the log? Seems it would be more effective to whack the protruding end a few more times to split the wood a bit more before applying the twisting leverage.

[@DarbukaDave]

The idea of the froe when used for woodworking is that you split the wood along the grain, which is known as "riving". You can get really fine control of the direction of the split with long pieces of green wood using a froe and a riving brake (basically just a forked log to hold the wood being riven). That's why the twisting, to avoid cutting through the grain. If you just want to split kindling or something else where you don't care about following the grain, you can baton the froe all the way through if you like. Splitting as opposed to cutting also explains the use of mild steel stock, because the froe doesn't need to hold a sharp edge or be hardened. I have a froe made from tempered spring steel and one I made from hot-rolled mild steel, and I like the mild steel one better.

[@AndyColglazier]

Surprised you used mild steel! Interesting. Thanks for the video!

[@BlackBearForge]

Old froes were made from through iron, which is softer than mild steel.

[@Danny_Boel]

I was looking around for a froe but they're very expensive here, the only one I found was over 160€ so I was thinking; a bit of hot rolled flat stock and a piece of square tube costs less than 10€ . So I'm going to try to weld it together..

[@wesleymccravy901]

If you take a bigger log, you bind it around with a bicycle tire tube then do your fro-ing... It holds all the wood together for you

[@hightopcrocs]

Would forged rivets be an acceptable substitute for those not experienced with welding?

[@BlackBearForge]

its an option, but they will leave a fat are near the eye that wob't be useful in splitting, but that can be worked around as you get used to the tool

[@johndilsaver8409]

Hi John. I'm in southwest Missouri at 1300 ft elevation with the forest being dominated by oaks and hickories. I googled the dominant trees in Colorado, and didn't have any experience with any of them! Firs, spruce, a couple cottonwoods, --- I think I may have encountered box elder before. I'm curious what kind of wood (sort of dry) that you were splitting and what wood you have access to for firewood and such.

[@BlackBearForge]

I don't use a froe much myself. but it works in the aspen, cotton wood and fruit trees. for fire wood it's what ever we are cutting. pine, fir, oak brush, Aspen and cotton wood. non of it is great but it all heats.

[@johndilsaver8409]

Well, it's interesting and so different from what I am accustomed to. Very, interested to see how you forge weld using propane. I'm just starting to learn that I can do that. Made my first forge weld with my propane forge a couple days ago. Really enjoying all your videos.

[@BlackBearForge]

Thanks. The gas forge is great for lots of welds. But the coal forge is better for the smaller more detailed welds.

[@SeanRubino]

Awesome, John! Do you keep an inventory in you store or do you make them on demand?

[@BlackBearForge]

Thanks, I wish I could get far enough ahead to keep an inventory. But until that happens they are made to order.

[@SeanRubino]

John Switzer I totally understand. When I need one I'll place an order.

[@danbreyfogle8486]

YIKES John, you had me yelling at the video in the first minute, splitting that chunk of wood with that froe had me worried that you'd get cut off at the pass. Had to watch it all the way just to make sure you didn't injure yourself, grin.... Woodworking and black smiting is not for the faint of heart.

[@kambranictay1]

John, in the handle, why is it left to float? Is that a personal preference or is there a reason behind it? As always, thanks for the wonderful content 👍🏼

[@vincemedak9734]

So you can remove the handle for transport/storage. Given the way it is baton through the wood it does not need to be permanently attached

[@alexr4493]

Interesting! So I take it froes don’t typically have a hardened splitting edge?

[@BlackBearForge]

Correct. Most old froes were just wrought iron, so they were even softer than todays mild steel.

[@HulZor]

Did you actually harden it or is it not necessary?

[@BlackBearForge]

I don't feel that it is necessary. I use mild steel which is not hardenable anyway.

[@user-zk5mk7yk6m]

Có sáng tạo mới có ngày lòi ruột ra ngoài nhe bạn

[@jackdawg4579]

I have been idly considering a froe, but I never new they were meant to use on green wood, so probably of no use to me, stick with the axe for splitting the fire wood. (I usually only use dead trees, or trees I knocked over last season for firewood).

[@BlackBearForge]

They are definitely more of a special purpose tool.

[@MartinMMeiss-mj6li]

Yes, stick with the axe or maul for splitting firewood. The froe is used for fabrication: making shingles, clapboards, splitting out stock for chair legs, pegs, tool handles, etc.

[@zacharyriley4122]

Sure would like to buy a Froe like that from the forge it’s really hard to find a decent forged froe that isn’t crap from china from Tractor Supply.

[@BlackBearForge]

I do occasionally have them for sale. But I’m not sure when I’ll have more.

[@zacharyriley4122]

@@BlackBearForge thats good to hear. hopefully i’ll hear about it!

[@sirkai007]

Does this tool not need to be made of hardenable steel?

[@BlackBearForge]

Old froes were just wrought iron which is softer than modern mild steel. Since this is a splitting tool and not a cutting tool that requires a sharp edge, hardening isn't required.

[@sirkai007]

@@BlackBearForge why am I not making and selling froes?

[@flatlander6734]

Wouldn't it make more sense to bend the blade just ahead of the socket at 90 degrees, so one could lever against the floor/block/whatever, instead of just air??

[@BlackBearForge]

I have never seen one done that way.

[@demastust.2277]

I haven't watched this video in a very long time. From what I can tell in the beginning, it seems like you need a riving brake.

[@flatlander6734]

I should perhaps said twist 90 degrees, rather than bend.

[@shortfuse43]

Very good demo on making a froe. I like the way you go back and work your forge weld several times. I think I didn't do that enough on a froe I made some time back. One observation on your video with the gas forge. Unfortunately, to me at least, the background noise from the forge so overpowered your commentary, that it was extremely hard to hear/understand. I finally just muted the sound and watched the video...still learned a lot from it though! For future videos with the gas forge it might be better to do a voice-over on the video from your video editing studio.

[@BlackBearForge]

Unless i am welding I have started just shutting the forge down while filming. To much heat is lost if there is a weld, but it makes most of the more current videos much easier to listen to.

[@scottreynolds4827]

Was just watching the creation of the same froe on another channel. It involved complex angles and fullering. I was exhausted after watching it. He did not use a drift of any sort, tapered or otherwise. Would forging a froe the "hard way" with angles and fullering the material to form the eye really make a better tool? Why does your method seem so elementary and simple? Not understanding the two very different methods to create the same tool.......

[@BlackBearForge]

The extra work may produce a more perfect shape. But I doubt most old ones were made that way

[@millijr1]

Where can I get a punch made with my logo on it to mark my work.

[@ColtaineCrows]

I've only seen them made. You make a "punch" then you hacksaw and file the shape you want to stamp onto one end, harden and temper, done. You could probably have a blacksmith make one, or very likely there exists a company somewhere that makes custom steel "lettering" punches

[@BlackBearForge]

There are several custom stamp makers out there. I use www.henryaevers.com/

[@millijr1]

Black Bear Forge thank you I’ll look them up. I need to start marking my work.

[@MartinMMeiss-mj6li]

Why does a skilled blacksmith like you rely so much abrasives for clean-up? You can accomplish it more nicely with planishing blows at low heat?

[@BlackBearForge]

Fair question. I think it is largely just an old habit. But it is also due to welding these up in large batches. With the gas forge at welding heat I need to do everything that needs a high heat. As in "strike while the iron is hot" I run the forge way to hot for good planishing. This is generally a full morning and then I shut the forge off for lunch. When I come back instead of relighting the forge and bring the froes back up to heat I simply head for the grinder. But you may be right and it would be worth doing a batch buy going back to the forge in the afternoon

[@MartinMMeiss-mj6li]

Thanks, fair answer. While I don't much forging these days, one of the things I find satisfying is putting a nice hammered finish on my work. If nothing else, that lets me say I did the work just as great grandpa would have.

[@11h5p4]

Maybe you can make one but you sure don’t know how to use it