A manly bottle opener! Hand forged from 100 year old original wrought iron that was salvaged from a cemetery fence which was being replaced. Imagine the spirits and souls this fence was witness to over the last 100yrs! My supply of this 100 year old wrought iron is limited and I only have so much of it. When it runs out I have no more. These are not made from modern steel, these are not made from simple flat bar stock. All forged by hand, no machines involved. Just me with my anvil and forge.

The bottle opener features a nicely tapered handle and an elegant arch that fits the hand nicely. Overall length is ballpark 5.5", and a leather lanyard is installed on the end of the opener for easy hanging, or just to have that rustic look. The bottle openers pictured are an example, due to the process of hand forged items it might be slightly different but very close to what you see. Each opener has a bit of its own character, no two come out exactly the same but very close.

The bottle opener proudly carries the "Black Frog Ironworks" logo, the frog skeleton stamp. You can choose from two or three different finishes. A blackened oil finish burned into the metal, just like seasoning an old cast iron pan for a rustic, old wrought iron look. Or you can have a wire brushed satin steel finish for a more modern and industrial look, and I can add some flame tempered coloring if you want. There is the possibility for adding some custom stamping characters into your opener, like initials, date, name, etc...Contact me for personalization options before ordering.

Shipped to your door, $60.

Here's an example of the black finish:


Here's one of the flame colored ones, of course this varies on each a bit. Some lighter, some darker:


This shows the original wrought iron fencing piece on the left, and a couple openers in process:


Another step in forging the openers:

That is too cool! I'll take one, black with flame tempered coloring please.

Eric

PM sent Eric! Thanks!

Just to be clear from what Eric mentioned, there is either the black finish which is really BLACK like the first pic, or brushed silver (all one silver color), or the flame coloring on top of the silver finish. When trying to do the flame finish, some turn out with darker colors, some turn out lighter. You never quite know how it will turn out. I'm guessing sort of like trying to predict the case-hardened colors on some rifles/shotguns. Some different (or better?) than others.

Here's one I did this week that came out lighter:

Tag for a very cool product!

That is pretty cool!

Todd sent an email pictorial of all the work that goes into making one of these. It's a great value and a cool product. I'll post some pics when I get mine. I'm going flame coloring.

Eric

Thanks! Sold lots of these as Christmas presents, hand-made and personalized with dates/names etc. It is cool knowing that these bottle openers that I make from a very old cemetery fence will be around way longer than I will.

The last guy who bought one on another site wrote me a note back after receiving it saying, "...this thing is bad-ass!".

It never occurred to me to post them for sale here in the classifieds until today. Now that EricM will have one made up and personalized for him this weekend, once he receives it I hope he will leave an honest impression (good or bad) of what he thinks of it here. If I get it done and sent out by Monday, EricM might have it in his hands for the following weekend.

Your my hero.. It's #$%@ nice to see something that isn't [bleep] out of a CNC for a change... This will make you a few friends!

PM inbound

W

Todd, you bet. I'll leave a review with my impressions once I receive it. Happy Holidays!

Eric

I get questions about the wrought iron used.

Original wrought iron is very different than modern steel.
It was low carbon content and had lots of impurities compared to modern steel of today.

Wrougt iron was the common material for most anything made out of metal up to the late 1800's into the early 1900's.
It is fibrous, it has a pronounced grain to it similar to wood.
And like wood, it can split.

About 20% of the openers I'm making with this wrought iron, the eye will split out on my during the forging process from the grain splitting. That is a couple hours wasted, and it gets thrown onto the reject pile.

But wrought iron is very cool, can't find it anymore today so I try to salvage it where I can.
It has a different feel to it compared to steel.

This is the grain and fibers of W.I.:


And this is what happens every so often while forging these openers.
booooooooo..... When this happens, it causes bad words to be uttered.

I'll take a flame one here please! The lighter color if possible.

Tom

Me too

PM sent

all PM's responded to.
Wow, I did not expect this sort of response! I thought maybe some guys here would like and appreciate something hand made and personalized from the old world method of forging, but this makes me quite happy to know people appreciate things like this.

Sometimes when people see my openers and love them, they are shocked when I tell them what I charge for them.

"... for a simple bottle opener?!?"

I just smile and tell them that I have a GREAT deal for them today! I will sell them a do-it-yourself kit for the low, low price of $5. And then I hand them a 7" piece of rusty metal. If you can do better for cheaper, I'm all ready to sit, watch, and learn.

I'm not gettin' rich off these, I probably have 4+ hours into each one before sending them out, plus the fuel for the forge, plus buying the leather chords, plus buying the wrought iron from the salvage place. I do it because I enjoy it. I enjoy other people really loving the items I make. Forging makes me happy, I love making something from nothing by pounding red hot metal. I think I was born a couple hundred years too late....

I'll take a black one. Please send me a pm with payment instructions. Thanks

Lee

Ebby, PM sent!

And by the way, lot of times today you will see the term "wrought iron" used quite incorrectly. Like you see a trellis at the garden store, or some modern metal table being labeled as wrought iron. That is pure marketing B.S.

Real wrought iron hasn't been made in the U.S. for close to 100yrs. You cannot find it anywhere, but I think there may be one outfit in the U.K. that still might make real wrought iron at a very expensive price.

Anything that is newer and labeled "wrought iron" is simply modern steel that has been forged in a old-world sort of look. Like scrolls or other ironwork, that is plain steel. I use steel for most things and that is fine, but it is not the old school stuff.

Unless it is around 100 years old or older, it ain't real wrought iron!
When you learn to look and find it, there is some to still be found, but it is getting harder and harder to find.

Wait till Big Stick gets word of these, you'll be booked for years to come!!

Pocket pouch or Kydex??

I'm in! Flame color please. This is way cool! Thank you for your time and history lesson. PM sent. Gary

Any chance of getting a.customized fire place fire poker?

Maaax, sent you a PM.


Nope, not from me at least.
I work with metal, I'm no leather artist, nor even would know the first thing about doing that! Not a bad idea, but most people want them for their bar/den/RV/etc and aren't carrying them around too much. You are the first to ask that!


I've done several for people. My favorite ones are the reverse twists in a little bit of random pattern, sort of like this one. I don't like the round eye handle of this one, but that is what the person wanted. I do a different more ergonomic handle on most, but I don't have pics of those. I wasn't smart enough to snap any pics of them.... Of course fire pokers can have the same stamps of year, or name, or initials on it too.

I've been offering an email pictorial to people that are interested, and have been getting lots or requests for it! So rather than keep forwarding the same email, I'll post it right here in this thread so everyone can see what goes into making these.

This should give you a good idea on the progression of your opener from start to finish. Sorry that some of the pictures are a little blurry, I was trying to snap them quickly as I was working. And for some reason I�m finding that the auto-focus does not work well while trying to zero in on red-hot metal.

I�m not sure how familiar you are with forging, but each cycle of a piece coming out of the forge while hot and then doing work on it before it cools too much is called a �heat�.

The first step is to cut a length of about 6.25� of the �� x �� wrought iron fence picket. It took me many variations and attempts to figure out that length of metal for the opener to have final proportions I wanted and the finished length of ballpark 5.5� to be correct. I�ll include a cutoff scrap of the original wrought iron so you could see what your opener originally came from.

Since the opener�s thick end is much larger than the original �� square metal, we need to have more metal on one end. This is accomplished by �upsetting� the material length wise. I hammer length wise on the end of the rod to compact it down. The hotter the metal, the easier it moves. So by heating up one end more than the other, I can create a thick taper for the whole length.

Hammering length-wise on a red hot rod like that is sort of like trying to hammer a wet noodle, the middle wants to bend off to the sides rather than be compressed in-line. So it requires constant straightening as the upsetting process goes along. Many heats are required to do this.

That 6.25 rod gets smushed down to 4.25�. Here�s the original rod on the left, and two pieces after upsetting:


Next step is to bevel the thick end of the opener. This needs to be done now because if you try to do this after the eye end of the opener is in place, that fragile rim will get all bent and distorted. Bevel the four major sides, then on the corners too:


Then partition off the end ball of the opener.
How much to partition off is whatever you want for a ball size:


Beveling the ball end partition, and also beveling the side corners of the ball end:


Start evening out the taper of the body, and also beveling the corners of the body:


Once the body if roughly shaped, then prepare the eye end for size and thickness:


This can be the tricky part, slitting the hole in the body. If you screw this up bad, there is no fixing it. Start over.

This is fairly easy to do in thin metal, but we are working with some fairly beefy thickness here. A slitting punch is hammered in almost all the way through from one side. Then the piece is turned over and the slitting punch must be precisely lined up with the slot coming from the other side. Problem is you can�t see exactly where that slot is from the blind side�

If it all works correctly, you end up with a nice slotted hole. And you also end up with a nice and neat little slug of metal which you see laying on the anvil to the left:
[img]http://www.blackfrogmusic.com/pics/temp/tut7.jpg[/img]

Then you can begin to start forming the eye of the opener. This is started by using progessively bigger diameter �drifts� that are driven throught the slotted hole while red hot. This is also the moment of truth when you'll find out if the grain of the wrought iron is going to split out on you:


Once you reach the limit of the slot diameter, then you start forging the eye to the correct shape and size:


Once you get the eye to the correct proportions and size, then locate the cap-removing tab position:


All the while you have to be mindful of the bevels on the side of the body. Touch them up so they flow nicely to the eye end. Deepen the cap tab too:


Add the Black Frog Ironworks stamp, and any other personalization stamping:


Start making the gentle arc of the handle:


[img]http://www.blackfrogmusic.com/pics/temp/tut14.jpg[/img]

I designed this opener so that it can be used a couple of ways. Many times when you open a bottle, one hand is holding onto the bottle and the other hand is holding the opener while popping the cap off. The cap tends to go bouncing around as it falls off- usually ending up on the floor.

I wanted something that I could drape my index finger over the cap while opening the bottle. This way the cap stays with the opener as you open the bottle for easy disposal. I put the arc in the handle so that it fits nicely with the curvature of the remaining fingers. I have big hands, I wanted the end of the opener to land where my pinky finger is.

I didn�t have a beer bottle handy at work, but this is the general way I like to use the openers, with my finger out on the eye end to catch the cap while opening.

Of course you can still grab the opener with all your fingers and have the bottle cap bounce around after opening�
[img]http://www.blackfrogmusic.com/pics/temp/tut15.jpg[/img]

Last step before adding the leather lanyard is to burn in the oil finish while the part is at a �black heat�, cooler than red hot but still extremely hot. I do this several times to give a nice deep finish. Or if someone wants the color finish, it is thoroughly wire brushed and then flame colored best I can.
[img]http://www.blackfrogmusic.com/pics/temp/tut16.jpg[/img]

Final step after cooling is to put the hole in the ball end and install the leather lanyard, and done!

Regards,
Todd

One last pic, I just snapped this pic outside to try and show the flame colors.
They look different in different lighting, it is tough to capture on camera.

This was a cloudy day, no direct sunlight, snapped with my cell phone camera:

BlackFrog,

Extremely nice write-up! Very infomative thread on a subject I know next to nothing about. Really appreciate the education. I'm going to start digging for funds... that truly is a hand-crafted work of art!

Up for a cool product

Wow impressive. this is why I ike the fire.. who knew we had a resident blacksmith. keep up the good work

Very nice!

Indeed and rare material he is working with for sure. Most all fencing and other ironwork in our country is cast.

Would you take 2oz of silver and $10 for shipping for one?

I'll take 2 blackened ones if still avail. Pls PM details for a USPS MO to be sent. Don

Great work and a very handsome looking opener. I'll take two in the flame option. pm inbound.

Very cool and original. I like it very much. Thanks for taking the time to post the tutorial.

Wow, thanks everyone! All PM's responded to.
I'm finishing up orders for another site today, and I will be a very busy guy over the next couple of weeks filling the orders here!

If you ordered one, I will send you a note when it is shipping out so you'll have a heads -up on incoming arrival.

I'd be mighty interested in one of those fire pokers if you've got any time leftover. Post or PM what you need for one.

Eric and Tom were fist in with their order, here's the first two for the 'Fire ready to ship out, Eric yours is the top one and Tom has the bottom one.
The colors look better in person than I can capture with crappy lighting on camera.



Also, I have a few "Island Of Misfit Toys" openers available if you want one right away. These two are forged correctly, but I screwed up on the Frog stamp. The colored one had a faint frog stamp and I tried to deepen the stamp a second time. I didn't get it perfectly oriented and it 'double-stamped', causing a blurry frog.

The black one has the frog stamp upside down in your hand, but would be perfect if you're going to hang the opener on the wall. I've actually had people in the past request the frog stamp in this orientation before. Both have the year 2013 on the side. These are ready to roll right now if you don't care too much about the frog stamp.... Since these are already finished, I can't add any personalization to them.

Booyah!! It looks great. I can't wait to see it in person and crack open a few!

Eric

Interested in the fire colored misfit. Shoot me a PM with the price and such if you would.

Thanks

Kirk

The 'misfit openers' have found a happy new home!
Thanks Kirk, hope they open many happy beers for you and your family/friends!

Much appreciated Todd, I am a sucker for stuff like this.

Fantastic work would love to have 2 with the flame colors

Pm inbound Merry Christmas to u

Thanks jay

Pm sent, looks awesome!
Merry Christmas!

Thanks
Wesbone

Wow, these are awesome! PM Sent for payment details.

Looks like you tapped into a niche here Todd. Thinking you are going to be backed up with orders fairly quickly.

Badass old school stuff never goes out of style.

Frog,

I'd like four (4), all flame colored. Please PM your mailing address and my total cost shipped to Houston, Texas. I will send you a check. You can wait until it clears your bank before shipping.

Nice work!

Oh, and Merry Christmas!!

Wow!
Merry Christmas everyone! I'm just getting back from being unplugged for a few days, and answering all PM's.

I'm quite shocked at the response I've got here on the 'Fire for these bottle openers!

I'll be working my way through the lengthy order list, so please be patient as I go.
I'm not a production shop and do this on my free nights/weekends.
This is the extent of my irownork forging "shop" in the corner of my overly-filled garage:


But I do work out there in just about any conditions:


I get asked about doing other things as well, here's a few of the latest projects besides bottle openers and fire pokers.
Everything is all metal:






So I'll be a very busy guy working on bottle openers for the next several weeks working my way down the list.
I'll will send you a note when your opener is shipping out.
Thanks all!

Do any metal artwork of dogs? I'm always looking for cool black lab stuff.

I haven't tried it, but I don't think it would be much different.
If you have an idea or design, let me know.
I did the duck scene from seeing something similar on a truck window decal....

Just letting people know I am working my way (slowly) through the list, it may be toward the end of January by the time I get to the people that just put in orders in the last day or two....

This was a large batch from several forging sessions, and these are the ones that passed my standards.
I try to get them fairly uniform to the way I designed them.
And if they don't meet my standards, they don't get sent out.

I've already PM'd a few people letting them know that I was working on their opener, had it personalized, but wasn't totally happy with the way it turned out and that I'm starting over on theirs. I'd rather take more time and get it to my satisfaction rather than send out something I'm not satisfied with.

Great lineup and cool artwork! You must hug the forge pretty closely at -2 F! Brrr!!! With all these orders you may need more fence line!

Eric

My bottle opener arrived today. I ordered the flame colored variant. I have to say it's pretty dang awesome! In full light it has a silvery hue with some interesting case coloring. I love it. Pic 1 shows you what it looks like next to some of the original material. Very cool. I just cracked open 2 brews and it performed flawlessly. I'll probably have to keep testing it tonight just in case... lol. I love this old world craftsmanship and give big kudos to Todd.

Get yourself one!!

Eric


In darker light...

Beautiful craftsmanship. Is that the placebo shown with it?

Cheers,

Good morning, I would take two "Flamed " if still available to 11942. P M me a total plus mailing information I will send a check out right away.

Regards,
Steve

While forging the next batch of openers, and we've hit a slight delay in production.
My favorite opener making tongs busted:


I bought these a few years ago at an auction for a few bucks, hand made, probably from the early 1900s. But they worked great for doing these openers. I knew they were getting weak in the jaw. So now it's not like I can wander down to the local hardware store and grab a new pair of opener forging tongs....

So before any more openers can be made, I'll have to spend some time forging a new set of tongs. Hopefully the new set will last another 100 years.

Glad I got mine before the "malfunction". Mine was waiting on me when I got back from Christmas travels. It is a fantastic and truly nostalgic item! Very excited about it. Thanks!

Lee

Glad your opener arrived and you're putting it to work!

I should be able to forge a new set of tongs in 4 to 5 hours of time, and then be back in bottle opener production.

Another note about these. There are hundreds of different beer bottle and cap designs out there, and while I would love to try them all I don't have them all at my disposal for testing. The major brands are fairly consistent, but some of the little micro brews have some more unique bottles.

If you find that this opener works a little finicky with your favorite micro brew beverage bottle, just let me know and I can alter your opener a bit so it works perfectly with your oddball bottles.

More shipping out today.
Here's the one for John, a member here (NONRESIDENT) with his brand on the side in black finish.



I spent a good part of the day yesterday (before watching a fantastic Packers win ) forging some new tongs!
We should be back up and running forging more bottle openers now.

It was -6 below zero this morning when I left for work... I don't mind working out in that, but it sure takes a lot more fuel for the forge to get to forging heats.

Happy New Year

There's a lot to like about that photo, Mink! Happy New Year!

Eric

They are really nice, I would like one in flame colored.

Thanks and happy New Year!

Oh hell... I'll take one like EricM ordered. Giving in to peer pressure! Please PM me where to send funds, Black Frog.

Thanks,

John

can/will you make fire dogs? i think the proper name is andirons.
Ronnie

and just for the hell of it I'll take 3 of the openers.
pm me the address to mail the money.
Ronnie

Wow, those are awesome looking Blackfrog. Thanks for the pictorial.

Happy new year!
I was working out there today, about 15 degrees and 8" of snow coming down.



I'll be shipping out more on Friday and keep working down the list of orders. Thanks again to everyone for the patience!

***I do have another 'misfit bottle opener' avaialable.***
Forged very nicely, but this one has a blurry double-frog stamp that I'm not happy with. Black finish with the new year 2014 on the side, and ready to ship out now. PM me if your interested in getting a black one right away and don't care too much if the frog stamp isn't the greatest.

That is something I haven't tried to make.
Usually you need some pretty beefy stuff to make andirons that'll stand up to fireplace use.
And without a striker (guy swinging a sledge for you) or a power hammer, I don't really have the ability to work stuff that big by myself.

....not yet anyway.

The latest "misfit opener" is spoken for!
.....but I'm sure with all the openers I'll be forging in the next weeks that there will be a few more.

I received the bottle openers and wanted to tell everyone that the photos really didn't do my openers justice. The work is very high quality and I am well pleased. I bought one for me and another for a hunting buddy.
Like Eric, I ordered the flame colored ones and wanted to give Todd a shout out for producing some fine pieces. If anyone else is considering one of these, I would recommend Todd without reservation.

Thanks!!
It is hard to try to capture the colors on camera to show people what they are really like in natural light.

With this cold snap I was going to put off forging for a few days until it warms up some.

Screw that.
Suck it up, buttercup.
Life is short, put on your big boy pants and get out there.



I'll have more openers shipping out this week, I'll be PM'ing the people that will be getting the incoming deliveries.

PM sent - VERY cool product and thanks for taking the time to detail how it's done. I love learning about stuff like this.

Here's some more shipping out today/tomorrow for Fire members:



And with doing this many openers, I also get more openers where the grain within the wrought iron splits out on me.
Just like driving a nail near the end of a wood board and it'll split sometimes.
Each one of the rejects is a lot of wasted time, and a lot of bad words said.
This was my reject pile a few weeks ago, and has grown quite a bit since then:



I get asked about the finish as well. The black finish is an oil finish that is burned into the surface of the metal. In old times they used bees wax burned into the metal. I don't care for using bees wax because it has a tendency to stay a bit tacky to the touch and attracts dust that doesn't look very nice.

The flame finish is where I thoroughly wire brush the finished forged opener and then using a torch heat up certain areas to bring out the temper colors of the metal. It is a finicky process because too hot and you miss all the colors, too cold you don't get enough colors.... It takes a gentle touch and some practice.

With either the black oil finish or the flame color, I apply one coat of Renaissance Wax (real high quality stuff that museums use) followed by a coat of carnuba wax.

Be aware that nothing is a permanent coating on metal. I expect that you would see usage wear on this opener over time (which I think looks cool). Just like worn blueing on the underside of a rifle receiver from being cradled in a hunter's arm over countless miles. But if you ever want your opener "re-finished" down the line, just let me know and I'd be happy to do it free of charge. Or I can tell you how to do it yourself if you prefer.

I will take 2 of these with the flame colors. Please PM me your info on sending you funds.

Thanks,
P & Y

+1

I just received mine also. Excellent workmanship!

Thanks.

PM sent for three of them.

I also get questions about the lettering or personalization.
The stamping set (letters and numbers)that I use for these are characters that are 1/8" high, all upper case.
I do have a 1/4" set, but I find they are too large for these openers and don't look right.

If someone wants the year and/or initials or name, they go on the sides. Year on one side, and initials/name on the other.
Or just the year, or just the initials/name, up to you.

Stamping a long string of characters is difficult. Trying to do the stamping when the metal is still around 1000 degrees, trying to hold the opener steady on the anvil, hold the individual character stamp in correct position, alignment, and orientation, and then strike it with the hammer, not too hard, not too soft.... That's tough to do and be consistent. Really is a three-handed operation, I do my best. But that inconsistency also gives it a neat hand-made feel to it.

Here's one for a 'Fire member that turned out very nice. This is 1/8" characters on the side.

I received mine today Todd did a wonderful job on my flame colored openers they look much better in your hand then in pictures.

Thanks again Todd for fabulous work

Jay

I will take 1 silver and 1 fire colored. Will send you a pm as well.

Got mine yesterday! awesome product, anyone who orders will not be disappointed!

Thanks again Todd!

Wesbone

I'll take 2. Flame colored.

PM Send for payment information.

Thanks.

My 2 came in yesterday's mail. They were for my 2 youngest sons.
We opened the package and the rave reviews were a'plenty from all present.
You have a hit item there Todd. Not only is the design and workmanship suberb but story and manufacturing process that go with them will insure a cherished item for a lifetime.

Now I would like to order one more if possible. PM will be sent.

DonW

Thanks for the very nice words!

I'll keep forging these until my supply of the salvaged wrought iron cemetery fencing runs out. After that, I can still forge these out of modern steel and they will look about the same, but have a slightly different feel in your hand. And they won't be quite as cool as 100 yr old wrought iron....

Just another note about the openers and those that have received them already. Before shipping them out I rub in one coat of Renaissance Wax, followed by a coating of high quatlity carnuba paste wax to help protect your opener from wear.

I would recommend an occasional (maybe once a year?) coat of high quality paste wax (not the liquid stuff) and buffing with cotton rag to help keep your opener looking nice.

I've been out forging every night after work, and most of the weekends too trying to gain some ground on the order list. This latest batch of salvaged wrought iron cemetery pickets is proving to be especially finicky. More than usual the grain is splitting out the end on me and my reject pile is growing faster than I'd like. But the ones that are forging fine are showing a bit more character of the grain of the wrought iron, which I think is very cool.
You can see some of the 'cracks and crevices' in the metal from the wrought iron grain.

Here's from the last few forging sessions, before applying the finishing steps.



BUT! ****I have another "misfit opener" available.****
Another double-frog stamp, but barely noticeable. It has "2014" on the side and a flame color finish.
Let me know if you'd like this one right away without having to wait on the order list for one.
If you're not too concerned about a slight double-frog stamp, this one is for you!

I'll take that misfit "double frog in flames" opener. PM me the payment requirements.

Todd I received mine today and promptly tried it out. Looks awesome and works perfect. It has a heft to it that says "I will be yours forever". Thanks man!

"I will be yours forever. .." !

Wow, I'm gonna steal that and add it to my advertising material!
I completely agree with that sentiment, and I guess that sums up what I was after when trying to finalize a design I was happy with.

Glad you like it- Happy Beers!

Todd, mine arrived Friday and it looks fantastic...gonna take it to the grave

Dave, glad you like it!

For everyone else... Unfortunately right now I'm going to have to hold off on taking any more orders using the wrought iron. This latest batch of wrought iron is splitting out on me on almost every one.... I need to honor the orders I've already taken, and at this point I'm spending way too much time trying to get just one opener to turn out from the wrought iron pieces.... Just this week it took me 5 bad ones to turn out one good one, and using a lot of fuel and time in the process.

This really isn't too surprising to me though now that I think about it. This wrought iron came from the salvaged cemetery fencing, and I'm sure way back in the day they were not using the highest/purest quality wrought iron for simple fence pickets.

But I can make the same opener out of steel.
I use 1018 steel and they are the same look, same design, same stampings, same finish choices, difference is they are not made from the old wrought iron and have a slightly different feel to the metal surface.

If you're interested in doing that, I can put your name on the list. Everyone that has paid already will be getting their wrought iron order as I work through this batch. But I'd rather not take any more orders for the wrought iron openers until I fulfill the orders I have committed to. It may be that I just ran into a bad section of wrought iron and it will turn around and get better later on, we shall see. If so, I'll start taking orders for the wrought iron again.

Forging them out of steel is the same process and same steps, only the 1018 steel is much more predictable and consistent.
You can usually count on making a good one almost every time.

Thanks Dave! What a great picture!
May I steal that?

Here's one made out of 1018 steel for comparison. This one has a double frog stamp (another mis-stamp on my part) and flame colors before the wax coating is added. The colors are more vibrant before the wax is applied. The wax coating diffuses the light a bit and mutes the colors somewhat, but that is a necessary evil in protecting the opener. Wthout a protection coating, it would start rusting quickly just like any other bare steel.

The flame colors are caused by an oxidation layer forming on the surface of the metal. That oxidation layer is only a few molecules thick, diffusing the light reflecting off the metal and providing the colors you see. When you add a coat of wax, you are adding another layer of a few molecules thick that the light also has to travel into, and out of, to get to/from the metal. That is what diffuses the colors a bit.



But as you can see the openers made out of steel are the same as the ones made out of wrought iron. Just different metal material.
I think it is VERY cool to have something made out of 100yr old cemetery fencing, but if having actual wrought iron isn't a big attraction to you I can forge the steel ones anytime.

Fantastic! Got mine yesterday. A very solid piece!
Thank you!

Just an update, 'Fire members are keeping me plenty busy!
I haven't forgot about anybody, I'm still working through the list of orders I have to fill.

Over the last few weeks I've shipped out nine openers. I take the time to get the openers forged and finished correctly to my standards, so it isn't a quick process. But if you're on the list, I WILL get to your order as I keep forging away. The high temps here are not supposed to get above zero for a few days, so that slows down things even more than usual.

It would be nice if we might actually sniff temps that approach the freezing mark and above for a stretch.
I wouldn't waste so much forge fuel in the bitter cold and the cold anvil wouldn't be sucking so much heat out of the metal on each heating cycle.

Thanks everyone!

Another update, shipping out more this week, and keep working through the list.

This wrought iron batch is quite tempermental to work with.
Here's one that was unique, but ultimately went on the reject pile.
The entire body of the opener completely split along some internal grain line within the wrought iron.
This was very cool to see, but maddening in that it was another failed effort with wasted time and fuel.



That got thrown onto the reject pile, which has grown considerably.



I sifted through the reject pile just to see how many were there.
I counted 26 rejects in that pile, so you can imagine how much wasted time and fuel that equates to....

So those that still have orders coming, I promise I'm going to get to yours!
I just don't want to rush the process, and want to produce a quality result for you.

Well worth the wait folks.

Definitely worth the wait and nice to see this QC!

Eric

10 openers have found their way to new homes of 'Fire members around the country in the last couple of weeks!

Still making progress on the list of orders, so hang in there.
Of course I picked this winter to make these, the coldest we've had in thirty years.
Below zero temps have become the norm, and seems oddly warm when it approaches 20 degrees....

Just saw this and once you start taking orders again please put me down for 2 or PM me with specifics

I received mine and they are awesome! It was well used last weekend...thanks again!

My three showed up and they are fantastic! Look and feel great and exude quality. Make a fine gift for someone who will appreciate the work. First class operation all the way! Thanks

I received my opener Monday. It's badass.

Thanks for the comments guys!
It makes me happy to know that people find this stuff as cool as I do.
Life is too short not to open beers with some class and style.

I'm getting a better feel for the average success-vs-reject ratio of forging this wrought iron now. Once I get all caught up I'll most likely have to revise the price a bit to factor in the wasted time and fuel when rejects happen on the way to getting good ones. But I'll also offer the 1018 steel ones as an alternative.

My openers came yesterday and they are nice!
Ronnie

Depending on the particular section of wrought iron fence picket I�m working with, some openers finish with fairly pristine surface while others show visible grain lines of the wrought iron. Of course I have no way of predicting how any given piece will turn out in that respect, but some people prefer the ones with more �character� while other people (if given the choice) like the more pristine looking ones.

All openers have to pass my standards for size/shape/proportions before they get sent out. It is sort of the luck of the draw as to how much character the metal will exhibit on any given one. But when an opener is outside the norm far enough and may have some very cool cracks/crevices forming, I contact people ahead of time to make sure they are ok with it or if they would like a different one. Personally, I prefer the unique looking ones.

****I have a VERY unique one available for someone who is looking for quite a conversation piece.****
This one has grain lines all over, evidence of layering, and even a side crevice that formed during forging.
I think this one is very cool, looks like it was just dug up out of the earth from the Roman days.
I haven�t put a finish on it yet because something like this may look just right without coloring and could be left brushed silver.
But I will leave it up to whoever wants it. I�ll put a finish on there if you like, or leave it as is and simply wax it.

When some see a crevice in the metal like this one, they ask �will that break off at that crack?�.
There is still a 3/8� x 1/2� section of solid iron on the body, if you can snap off 3/8� of iron, you must have quite a grip.
But if you have any worries, like all my items I have a 100% lifetime replacement. If anything should happen to your opener I�ll replace it with another one, so you don�t have to feel like you�re taking a gamble on something that might not last.

Here�s the pics of the unique one I forged this week. This one has �2014� on the side, and a slightly offset frog stamp (on purpose) so the crevice wasn�t distorted inward.
If someone was looking for a unique one that will get people talking, here you go:

I'm interested! How much?

$60 to you door, finished however you like.
I don't consider this a "misfit opener" or one of lesser forging quality. The proportions are nice, and forged well. This one is just that unique that I wasn't going to send it out to fullfill the order list and take a chance on someone not liking what they get.

Some people really go after the character pieces, others do not.
I want to make sure people are happy and satisfied with what they are receiving.

I like character and I'll take it. PM sent

I'd like a couple when you start taking new orders.

same here

Well, that didn't last long.... Sold to HUNTSONORA, thanks!

I'll be finally getting caught up in the next week or two with all orders I had committed to previously, and then I can figure out how to proceed from here. Thanks guys!

I'd like one when you take orders again please

Those units are going like hotcakes. I recall the aftermarket dealings for the Cabbage Patch dolls many moons ago. Remember that?

Now, its going to be:
"Pssst, Hey Mac wanna buy a Blackfrog Opener??"

Todd, your imagination, ingenuity and workmanship are to be commended. A real bright spot in the dismal state of affairs we see around us.

I'm really floored at the response to these!

I really liked the design I eventually settled on, thought some people might find it interesting and I'd sell a few.... This has been well beyond what I thought people would like. The downside is that my supply of this wrought iron is limited, once it runs out I'll have to use modern steel unless I can source more original wrought iron.

Other downside is that I only have so much free time to forge a few nights a week, and maybe a Sunday afternoon. So the throughput of my "shop" is quite limited, and that's the reason it takes me quite a while to get to people's orders. I try to do my best so that the wait was worth it.

If and when you take orders again please put me on the list. Just tell me when and where to send money.

It's a shame you didn't have the dies to stamp 2014 in Roman numerals. That really would have made this one look a relic. I appreciate items with character and am really pleased with my "double-die" opener. Good buy Huntsonora!

Roman numerals!
Good God is that a great idea!
.......I will have a stamp made for that.
thanks!

Just got mine today and it is freaking awesome! Thank you for posting that opportunity up and when you get caught up let me know as I will order some as gifts. These are great

Some folks recognize quality and appreciate "old world craftsmanship", seems you are 2 for 2.


Completely understand that!
You obviously enjoy making these, and have great pride in your work, don't get pressured into making more than you enjoy doing.
Enjoyed the tutorial and pics, (thanks) keep them coming.
Put me down for a couple "sunday afternoon" ones. (when you get caught up)

Thanks guys!
I make mistakes and goof up once and a while, I try to keep it to a minimum and catch things before they get out of my hands.

Well, it had to happen sometime, a mistake got sent out on my part.
I spelled someone's name wrong on the side of the opener.
**forehand slap**

With sincerest apologies to that person, I'll be forging a new correct one before any other work happens.

I received my opener today and Todd's work is truly amazing. Definitely a lot of pride in his work. Enclosed in the package was a print off of the process. I thought that was really neat. I agree with Roy don't burn yourself out on these.

I have one of the "modern steel" versions . . . still cool as shi!!, and man is it beefy, well-conceived, with a great feeling of old-world craftsmanship. Love it.

You know what? I look forward to getting done with work so I can go home and light up the forge. Working red hot metal into shape is incredibly "therapeutic" so to say, for all that ails you.

Same here when you take orders again put me on your list for a flamed one.

Please let me know when you start taking orders again. I would like one. Thanks.

I'll take two when you are taking orders again. Thanks.

I'm finally caught up to all previously placed orders before I stopped taking any more.
You guys have kept me quite busy at the forge!

I also have a running list of people that indicated they would still want them, and I'll start notifying people as I continue.

But unfortunately the splitting out of some of the wrought iron (about 30-40% of the time) when forging these and the fuel and time wasted is going to result in a bit of an increase in the price. Plus we have all seen what the propane prices have done in the last few months, and my forge runs on propane.

So here's what I can offer. For the original wrought iron openers, I'll include any personalization of name/initials/date (within reason) shipped to your door for $75.
Still offer the choice of finishes, blackened oil, flame temper color, or brushed silver. I'll keep forging these until my supply of the wrought iron runs out.

As an alternative, I'll also offer the 1018 steel versions with all personalization included, kept at the previous price, shipped to your door for $60.
The 1018 steel is much more predictable and uniform to work with, meaning very few rejects so I can keep the price where it was.

I was a bit uncomfortable before with people paying me so far in advance and then having to wait many weeks to get their opener. I don't like having people's money that long without them having a product. So what I'll do is work my way down the list and notify people when I'm a week or two out from their order and see if they are still interested. If so, then we can settle up at that point.

That way I'm not committing to more than I can handle, and you won't be paying money to sit on a 4-6 week wait.

I'm notifying people as I work through the list, and more being slowly sent out each week to 'Fire members.

This seems to working out nicely, I'm not buried with a mountain of orders all at once, and people aren't paying money to wait a long time for their opener to be forged. I'm trying to notify people on the list a week or two away from their order.

Here's what dates in roman numerals look like. The two here are for birth years.
Cool stuff, this pic was taken before the openers are fully wire brushed and the finish is applied.....

I like the Roman numerals. Looks great!

Eric

These are one of the cooler things here on the classifieds. I know I love mine!
My sister used mine and asked if Blackfrog was still making them. We'll stir this one up again and see what comes around.

I too am curious if he is still toiling away on these. My FIL's birthday is coming up.

Tag

I'd be in for another one...

Following

He hasn't posted in about 8 months. Hope all is well. Would love to have a couple more myself.

I'd like two as well, Hope he's just been too busy with work.

He was online about a month ago.

I believe he still sells them.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/160407...search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

I'm enjoying the heck out of mine. And it really works.

Love mine!

It's been quite a while since I've been on here, way too busy with other things. I was quite surprised from just the word of mouth referrals on these openers. I still forge them, and still have some of my wrought iron supply left.

I'm very glad people are enjoying their openers, and thanks for the nice words! I was doing the Etsy site at $57 + $10 shipping, and then extra costs depending on what customized stamping was desired. It was easier here on 24hrfire to just say $75 delivered to your door and that includes any personalization stamping and your choice of finish. The 1018 steel ones are identical to the wrought iron, just a different material. $60 to your door for the steel ones.

The steel ones are easier to forge and don't split out and cause 30%-40% waste factor of time and fuel that you get with using original wrought iron for these openers. I haven't brought this thread to the top because I was getting word-of-mouth orders, and have been plenty busy forging other things.

If people still would like them, the forge is always open!

I get asked if any other styles are possible as well. Here's some other openers done in the last year or so that I have pics of as an example of other things that can be done for hand forged bottle openers.

For the Chicago Blackhawk fans:


For the hockey fans up north:


For a car owner with expensive tastes:


For a life-long hot-rodder's 70th birthday. That's a #70 carb jet that you see screwed into the opener.
For his 71st birthday he can unscrew this one and install a #71 jet.

I'm one of the lucky few that's got to spend some time working metal like this. You, sir, are great at your craft.

Thanks OH! I really do enjoy forging. Missed my calling. The only frustrating part that has me saying lots of bad words is when these wrought iron openers split open on the grain lines. Bad words are said, but the end result is worth it when it does all go well.

I've been forging this week, and another batch of openers are being shipped out to 'Fire members in the next few days.

This one is a flame color with a little blue sky reflected off the metal as well.

These are too nice to go unnoticed. I hope you are still forging them, sir!

I've bought three from him--2 wrought iron and one steel. One of the WI and the steel were given as birthday gifts with their birth year stamped on one side and their last name stamped on the opposite side. They get glowing reviews and are always envied at family get-togethers.

I love mine too. If he's taking orders again, I recommend you guys take advantage.

Thanks for the note! My wrought iron supply has dwindled, so modern steel is what I forge them from now. I haven't advertised, been busy forging other projects.

I thought the demand would have died down, but I still have people who bought some, or received them as gift contacting me for more... Nice to know people enjoy them! :-) I can forge more if you'd like one.

Lots given as Christmas gifts!

Quality, for sure. I love mine.

For those that have one, remember that once a year or so a good quality paste wax and buff is recommended to keep it looking sharp and protected.

My buddies and I love ours! Great quality!

These are so awesome!

I've made a few of these for myself and as gifts. I even got my daughter to make a couple.

I like the blackhawks version. Nice!

For those interested, I'm still forging these with normal steel. Same design, same look, just modern material.

These personalized ones are going out for Christmas presents, here they are before the finishing color choice process, and before the leather lanyard is installed:

That is awesome! I used mine just the other day and was thinking about whether you're still making them!

Eric

Thanks Eric! I hope you're doing well and that your opener will open a lifetime of happy beers for you!

Great for Christmas gifts! I use mine a TON!

Wow, just found this post. Impressive

Thread from four years ago! Glad people are still enjoying their owners! I still have people who bought some years ago contacting me to buy more for presents. I don't have the wrought iron material any longer, but still make the same out of modern steel. Same design, same size and shape. Can still do the same finishes, black oil finish, polished steel, or flame temper colors.

$70 delivered to your door.