Forge Finish paste wax
When Johnson’s Paste Wax was discontinued, I did what most blacksmiths did—looked for a replacement. Then I looked closer.
Digging into the MSDS sheets, I realized it was mostly cheap petroleum distillates—paraffin, solvents, and filler. It wasn’t built for metal. It was built for wood floors, and even that was questionable.
That sent me down a rabbit hole.
What if a wax was made not for mass production, but for those of us applying it to hot steel by hand? What if it used natural ingredients—not because it’s trendy, but because they actually perform better, with higher smoke points and cleaner finishes?
Over six months and dozens of test batches, I worked with blacksmiths across the country, refining a formula that we all agreed hit the mark: easy to apply, dry to the touch, protective without being hazy or gummy. Built for steel, but just as useful on wood, tooling surfaces, or shop equipment.
This is the wax I now use on nearly everything in my own forge. It's made in small batches, from a blend of real materials—because that’s what the work deserves.
Specs:
Available in 4oz or 8oz tins
Primarily natural waxes + d-limonene(Orange terpenes)
No silicone. No filler. No low-grade petrochemicals.
Designed for forged work, high-temp application, and utility finishes
Also excellent for woodworking, lathe tools, machine surfaces, etc.
Made from food-safe ingredients. I use it on utensils—but not as a condiment. I'm not your lawyer.
Note: I’ve recently partnered with U.K. and Canadian distributors. I still ship internationally, but if you're overseas, it may be cheaper to order through them.
U.K. : Thornwood Forge
Canada: Cloverdale Forge
When Johnson’s Paste Wax was discontinued, I did what most blacksmiths did—looked for a replacement. Then I looked closer.
Digging into the MSDS sheets, I realized it was mostly cheap petroleum distillates—paraffin, solvents, and filler. It wasn’t built for metal. It was built for wood floors, and even that was questionable.
That sent me down a rabbit hole.
What if a wax was made not for mass production, but for those of us applying it to hot steel by hand? What if it used natural ingredients—not because it’s trendy, but because they actually perform better, with higher smoke points and cleaner finishes?
Over six months and dozens of test batches, I worked with blacksmiths across the country, refining a formula that we all agreed hit the mark: easy to apply, dry to the touch, protective without being hazy or gummy. Built for steel, but just as useful on wood, tooling surfaces, or shop equipment.
This is the wax I now use on nearly everything in my own forge. It's made in small batches, from a blend of real materials—because that’s what the work deserves.
Specs:
Available in 4oz or 8oz tins
Primarily natural waxes + d-limonene(Orange terpenes)
No silicone. No filler. No low-grade petrochemicals.
Designed for forged work, high-temp application, and utility finishes
Also excellent for woodworking, lathe tools, machine surfaces, etc.
Made from food-safe ingredients. I use it on utensils—but not as a condiment. I'm not your lawyer.
Note: I’ve recently partnered with U.K. and Canadian distributors. I still ship internationally, but if you're overseas, it may be cheaper to order through them.
U.K. : Thornwood Forge
Canada: Cloverdale Forge
When Johnson’s Paste Wax was discontinued, I did what most blacksmiths did—looked for a replacement. Then I looked closer.
Digging into the MSDS sheets, I realized it was mostly cheap petroleum distillates—paraffin, solvents, and filler. It wasn’t built for metal. It was built for wood floors, and even that was questionable.
That sent me down a rabbit hole.
What if a wax was made not for mass production, but for those of us applying it to hot steel by hand? What if it used natural ingredients—not because it’s trendy, but because they actually perform better, with higher smoke points and cleaner finishes?
Over six months and dozens of test batches, I worked with blacksmiths across the country, refining a formula that we all agreed hit the mark: easy to apply, dry to the touch, protective without being hazy or gummy. Built for steel, but just as useful on wood, tooling surfaces, or shop equipment.
This is the wax I now use on nearly everything in my own forge. It's made in small batches, from a blend of real materials—because that’s what the work deserves.
Specs:
Available in 4oz or 8oz tins
Primarily natural waxes + d-limonene(Orange terpenes)
No silicone. No filler. No low-grade petrochemicals.
Designed for forged work, high-temp application, and utility finishes
Also excellent for woodworking, lathe tools, machine surfaces, etc.
Made from food-safe ingredients. I use it on utensils—but not as a condiment. I'm not your lawyer.
Note: I’ve recently partnered with U.K. and Canadian distributors. I still ship internationally, but if you're overseas, it may be cheaper to order through them.
U.K. : Thornwood Forge
Canada: Cloverdale Forge
Tips and suggestions for use
Apply at the lower end of or preferably just below the smoke point. The smoke point for this product is a bit higher than Johnson’s so it should give you a slightly larger window for hot application. Whatever you do, please do not apply so hot that you burn/melt the brush. You will get nasty burnt crud and discoloration in the finish.
Apply with a chip brush, I’m partial to the cheap 1” brushes you can buy in bulk at every home-goods store.
Don’t over-apply. A thin coat is all that is needed, too much product could result in a a slightly tacky finish. If there is an abundance of product on the piece it will wipe off easily while warm.
Wipe/buff the piece once it has cooled with cloth or a paper towel. This step makes a huge noticeable difference.
Order a small container of D-Limonene! Okay hear me out, solvents are supposed to evaporate leaving a consistent(ideally) film behind on the piece. Your paste wax will harden/thicken up over time, you can mitigate this somewhat by keeping the lid on as much as possible, but given enough time, it’s inevitable. I suggest ordering a small container of D-Limonene(Natures Orange on AMZ is ~$30). This way you will always have control over the consistency of your product. It’s as easy as it sounds to reconstitute the product and adjust the consistency however you desire. Sidenote: D-Limonene is just a kick-ass product to have around anyway, it’s an amazing and safe cleaner/degreaser and is my first go-to cleaning product. You could reconstitute the product with Turpentine or Mineral spirits if you are in a pinch, but you are robbing yourself of a simple pleasure.
Tips for cold application: Even though this has been designed with hot application in mind, it’s still designed specifically for metal and I’ve been using it with great success on several other items including cast iron surfaces, tables, vises, etc.
Ideally you can quickly run a torch or heat-gun over the surface to get the metal to sweat out the condensation. Wipe off the condensation with a clean rag or paper towel.
Apply product with a cloth, or non-abrasive pad with medium pressure in a circular motion.
Allow the product to dry–time will vary depending on conditions–usually about 5-10 minutes. And then buff the product off with a clean rag. You should be left with an incredibly slick high gloss surface.