A Fire Poker

The design

A fire poker is about 30 inches (75 cm) long: a handle (loop, scroll, or ram’s horn), a twisted section for grip and decoration, a long shaft, and a point with a side hook for pulling logs. Use 3/8- or 1/2-inch square mild steel.

The steps

1. Handle: taper the end and roll it into a scroll or a loop over the horn (see Bending and Scrolling). For a loop, draw the end out, bend it back on itself, and close it against the shaft.
2. Twist: heat a few inches below the handle to an even orange, clamp just below the hot zone in the vise, and turn the handle end with a wrench or tongs - a full turn or more, steadily. Cool the ends of the hot zone with water to control where the twist stops. Straighten after.
3. Point: taper the far end to a long point, square then round (see Drawing Out).
4. Hook: either split a short tine off near the point and bend it back, or forge a separate hook and forge-weld or rivet it. The simplest version just bends the tapered end into a short hook.
5. Straighten the whole length on the anvil, sighting along it.

Bend and twist at a high heat, as Bacon advises for all bending, and place the heat only where the shape should change ¹.

Working long stock

A poker is longer than most forges’ hot zone, which helps: forge one section at a time and hold the cool end, gloved, without tongs. Support the far end on a stand at anvil height so it doesn’t lever the hot section off the anvil.

Finish

Wire-brush, then wax or oil the warm steel. Fireplace tools take heat but not much moisture, so a wax finish lasts well.

What to take from this

A fire poker from 3/8- or 1/2-inch square combines a scrolled or looped handle, an evenly heated vise twist, a long tapered point, and a hook. Forge one section at a time, support the long end, straighten by sighting down the length, and finish with wax on warm steel.