Serious question, how are you coping with supply chain issues for forge coal?

I've been waiting over a month for my usual order of forge coal to arrive, and it's really starting to hurt my business. Without it, I can't heat my steel properly for shoeing, and I've had to turn down jobs. The supplier blames shipping delays, but there's no clear timeline. It hit me that we're so reliant on these outside services that we have little say in how things run. I'm thinking about switching to propane, but that means buying new gear. Has anyone found a good local source or another way to get by? This whole mess has me rethinking how I keep my basics in stock.

3 comments

3 Comments

xenam761mo ago

Ugh, supply chain issues are the worst. A month without coal? That's brutal for shoeing work. Turning down jobs because of shipping delays feels so unfair. It's scary how reliant we are on outside stuff. Switching to propane sounds like a huge hassle with new gear. Really hope you find a good workaround soon.

rowan_black1mo ago

My grandpa still talks about the 1970s oil crisis shutting down his blacksmith shop for weeks. It's wild how we keep building systems that fail if one thing gets stuck.

blakecampbell1mo agoMost Upvoted

Yeah @xenam76, I kept a small backup bag of coal for emergencies after a delay hit me. It's not a long term fix but it buys you a week to figure things out. Maybe check with local farriers to see if anyone can spot you some fuel until your order lands.