Smart tools ,dumb days

Chris and Onur have started a new podcast. Check it out.Hammers and Hot takes

Why Fire & Steel Is Coming to an EndThis episode marks the end of the Fire & Steel Podcast.What started nearlyfive years ago as a solo project, with Toby interviewing guests from across theworlds of blacksmithing, craft, and beyond, gradually evolved over time.Eventually Onur joined the show, and later Chris came on board as well,creating a three-person format that allowed the conversation to flow morenaturally and made it easier to keep episodes going even when one personcouldn’t make it.The podcast changed shape a few times, as many long-running shows do. Like mostindependent podcasts, it was always something done alongside work, life, andeverything else, which sometimes made schedules difficult and episodes harderto keep consistent.About ten weeks ago weattempted a bit of a relaunch — aiming to make the show more structured andintentionally positive, with the goal of putting something constructive outinto the world rather than simply reacting to whatever was happening in the newscycle.But despite thatintention, the conversations often drifted back toward the same place:discussing the problems and negativity that seem to dominate so much of publicdiscourse.For Toby inparticular, that raised a bigger question about what the podcast wascontributing to the world. A big personal goal is to create things thatultimately honour God and bring something positive into people’s lives. When itbecame clear that the podcast was continuing to lean toward discussing thenegative side of things, it started to feel like the right time to step awayrather than continue down that road.So after five years,this will be the final episode of Fire & Steel.Thank you to everyonewho has listened along the way — from all of us, and very much from mepersonally. Through the podcast I’ve had the chance to speak with so manyinteresting and thoughtful people, and I’ve been fortunate enough to turn manyof those conversations into genuine friendships. I’m incredibly grateful forthe kindness people have shown me over the years, the things people have donefor me, and the opportunities I’ve had to help others as well. While I can’tname everyone, it’s been an absolute privilege to connect with so many peoplethrough this show, and I’ll always be thankful for that.A huge thank you aswell to the Patreon supporters who backed the show and helped keep it going.Some of you have been supporting us for years, and we’re incredibly gratefulfor that support. In particular, thank you to: Alex Greenaway, WorkingHands Podcast, Keith Colby (Knifematerial.at), Refined by James,KraftyMan Forge, Fingal, Mike Nigh, Tim Kingsford, Timfrom TurgWorks, AJ (Ajmal Inayat Khan Afridi), Donny Dulevich,Sharman Knives, Coppertop Customs, OnlyFans@BenCuttsKnifeworks, Triple-T Podcast, Brigham Kindell, NorthernIron Forge, Joey Atilano, Ginger – Team Onur, Bob Gore –Metalstorm Forge, Hobby Hawk Knives, and Bryan Hunt (Hidden RoseForge).Your support genuinelymeant a lot to us.And of course, aspecial thank you to Chris and Onur. Not just for being part of the podcast,but for their friendship as well.P.S. If you’ve already ordered shirts or stickerpacks, don’t worry — they haven’t been forgotten. We will still be having themprinted and posting them out. And if anyone would still like to grab one, youcan do so through the links over the next week. After that, we’ll be closing itdown and that will be the final run.  Support us at Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/fireandsteelpodcast or buy our merch tshirts stickers  Find us athttps://www.instagram.com/fireandsteelpodcast/ https://www.instagram.com/murrillforge/          www.murrillforge.com Email [email protected] Onur  https://www.instagram.com/diesineveryfilm/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/user/DiesineveryfilmChris https://www.instagram.com/full_steam_designs/Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/chrispowellfsd

Episode 11This week on the Fire & Steel Podcast we ended up going somewhere we didn’t expect — as usual.We talk about:The rise of AI and where it’s genuinely useful (and where it’s just hype)How social media is changing — againMeta’s shifting tools, ad options, subscriptions, verification, and what it all actually meansThe balance between building audience and selling your soul to the algorithmThe state of politics in America and how it influences global conversationMedia narratives, outrage cycles, and digital tribalismWe also wrestle with bigger questions:Is AI empowering creators or replacing them?Are platforms helping small businesses — or trapping them?Has social media made politics louder but less thoughtful?And where does personal responsibility sit in all of it?It’s not a rant. It’s not a manifesto.Just three blokes trying to think clearly in a noisy world.Support us at Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/fireandsteelpodcast or buy our merch tshirts stickers  Find us athttps://www.instagram.com/fireandsteelpodcast/ https://www.instagram.com/murrillforge/          www.murrillforge.com Email [email protected] Onur  https://www.instagram.com/diesineveryfilm/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/user/DiesineveryfilmChris https://www.instagram.com/full_steam_designs/Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/chrispowellfsd

Episode 10 🔥 Fire & Steel Podcast — This Week’s EpisodeThis week on the Fire& Steel Podcast, it’s a loose, honest, very real catch-up episode — thekind that happens when makers sit down, hit record, and let the conversation gowhere it wants.We start by ventingabout modern software that’s powerful on paper but maddening in practice.LightBurn, Photoshop, Premiere Pro — all incredible tools, all capable ofcompletely derailing your day when they decide not to behave. If you’ve everfelt like software is actively gaslighting you, you’ll feel seen.Chris talks throughordering parts for his various project vehicles, including using ChatGPT towork out gearing ratios — one of those moments where AI can genuinely beincredibly helpful, saving time and brainpower when the maths gets a bit heavy.That naturally leadsinto a wider conversation about AI and ChatGPT more generally: when it’sgenuinely brilliant at problem-solving, and when it’s very confidently wrong.Toby shares a recent experience where ChatGPT absolutely stitched him up whiletrying to solve a Premiere Pro issue, confidently making things up and turninga simple problem into a deeply frustrating one — and why blind trust in AItools can sometimes make things worse rather than better.We also dip into thejoys of phone providers, network issues, and delivery companies, including anespecially painful run-in with UPS, and how systems designed for “efficiency”often seem engineered to remove any actual human logic from the process.There’s no rigidstructure this week — just an unfiltered conversation about tech, tools, AI,projects, and the everyday frustrations of running businesses and buildingthings in an increasingly automated world.Expect rants, laughs,honesty, and the reassurance that it’s not just you losing your mind.  Support us at Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/fireandsteelpodcast or buy our merch tshirts stickers  Find us athttps://www.instagram.com/fireandsteelpodcast/ https://www.instagram.com/murrillforge/          www.murrillforge.com Email [email protected] Onur  https://www.instagram.com/diesineveryfilm/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/user/DiesineveryfilmChris https://www.instagram.com/full_steam_designs/Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/chrispowellfsd

Episode 9 Onur is back in thehot seat this week, joining Toby and Chris for a wide-ranging conversation thatmanages to be both educational and unintentionally entertaining.As always, the episodekicks off with some honest talk about social media — how we’re using it, howit’s evolving, and the ongoing challenge of balancing real craftsmanship withthe modern expectation to document everything.Toby shares detailsabout several exciting commissions currently on the horizon, including a numberof knives and the potential for an upcoming sword build. The discussionexplores what goes into projects at that level, the responsibility behindcommissioned work, and why these builds are rarely as straightforward as peoplemight assume.Chris talks us throughhis laser welder — what drove the decision to invest in one, how he’s gettingon with it so far, and how tools like this are beginning to reshape workflowsfor modern makers.Meanwhile, in what maybe one of the more “Onur” moments to date, we hear the story of his landlordunexpectedly catching him half-naked in the workshop… a reminder that no matterhow professional we try to be, workshop life rarely goes entirely to plan.Despite the occasionalchaos, this episode is packed with practical insight, thoughtful conversation,and a genuine look behind the curtain at what life is really like for workingmakers. Support us at Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/fireandsteelpodcast or buy our merch tshirts stickers  Find us athttps://www.instagram.com/fireandsteelpodcast/ https://www.instagram.com/murrillforge/          www.murrillforge.com Email [email protected] Onur  https://www.instagram.com/diesineveryfilm/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/user/DiesineveryfilmChris https://www.instagram.com/full_steam_designs/Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/chrispowellfsd

Fire & SteelPodcast — Episode 8This week it’s just Toby& Chris — no Onur — and it turned into one of those episodes that feelsless like a “rant” and more like a genuinely useful conversation.We talk about socialmedia, how we each use it, and the real-world ways it can actually bringmoney in (without it turning into that classic doom-and-gloom “I hateInstagram” chat). We share what’s worked for us, what hasn’t, and the sort ofcontent that seems to move the needle when you’re trying to grow a business andnot just post for the sake of posting.The main chunk of theepisode goes deep into AI — how we’re using it, why so many people seemweirdly proud of refusing to touch it, and what they’re missing. Toby speaksopenly about how AI has genuinely helped him as someone who’s dyslexic andmassively idea-driven — where the thoughts are there, but getting them outof his head and into something real can be the hard part.We chat about thedifference between typing prompts vs using voice conversations, and howbeing able to work through ideas out loud can feel like having someone sat inthe passenger seat helping you build something in real time — fromresearch, to planning, to writing documents and PDFs… all while driving downthe motorway.But it’s not blindhype either — we also talk about the reality that AI can be confidentlywrong, sometimes wildly so, and why you still need your own judgement. Usedproperly, it’s not making people dumber — it’s helping people move faster,think clearer, and actually execute.And because itwouldn’t be Fire & Steel without a bit of gear talk… Chris also shares hislatest madness: another truck project (twin cab dually, 8-foot bed… anda Cummins swap in the works), plus a new laser that’s turned up for him totest.A proper mixed bagthis week — business, tools, tech, and the way the world’s changing whetherpeople like it or not. Support us at Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/fireandsteelpodcast or buy our merch tshirts stickers  Find us athttps://www.instagram.com/fireandsteelpodcast/ https://www.instagram.com/murrillforge/          www.murrillforge.com Email [email protected] Onur  https://www.instagram.com/diesineveryfilm/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/user/DiesineveryfilmChris https://www.instagram.com/full_steam_designs/Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/chrispowellfsd

Episode 7 This week on theFire & Steel Podcast… it’sa bit of a workshop update episode… with the usual detour into everythingelse.Toby’s been deep in forgemode this week, making some big changes to the workshop — taking downwalls, shifting equipment, and reshuffling the space to make room forsomething new: a silver ring-making jewellery class coming soon toMurrill Forge.The only downside?The place is currently an absolute bombsite. Dust, tools, chaos… thefull “mid-renovation” experience.From there, theconversation (as always) wanders into the real important stuff — including abit of a rant about modern celebrity culture, and how some people in thepublic eye can come across as performatively caring, disingenuous, andmore focused on appearances than real impact.It’s one of thoseepisodes that starts in the forge… and ends up somewhere completely different.In this episode Top of FormBottom of Form  Support us at Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/fireandsteelpodcast or buy our merch tshirts stickers  Find us athttps://www.instagram.com/fireandsteelpodcast/ https://www.instagram.com/murrillforge/          www.murrillforge.com Email [email protected] Onur  https://www.instagram.com/diesineveryfilm/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/user/DiesineveryfilmChris https://www.instagram.com/full_steam_designs/Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/chrispowellfsd

Happy new year ( we bought opinions )Episode 6After a short break, we’re back for the first episode of the year — and, as it turns out, we had a fair bit to get off our chests.This episode is a loose, unscripted catch-up where we ease back into the rhythm of the podcast, wander through a few big ideas, and follow the conversation wherever it naturally goes. Some light-hearted moments, some deeper discussions, and the usual detours you’d expect when we haven’t been behind the mic for a few weeks.Think of this one as a reset rather than a manifesto — a long-form conversation to kick the year off before we get back into more structured episodes.Normal service resumes shortly… probably.Support us at Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/fireandsteelpodcast or buy our merch tshirts stickers  Find us athttps://www.instagram.com/fireandsteelpodcast/ https://www.instagram.com/murrillforge/          www.murrillforge.com Email [email protected] Onur  https://www.instagram.com/diesineveryfilm/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/user/DiesineveryfilmChris https://www.instagram.com/full_steam_designs/Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/chrispowellfsd

Episode 5 — Lasers, AI Chaos, Plumbing Pain & Tools We’d Never LendIt’s just Toby and Chris this week, with Onur out sick — which means things drift slightly off the rails in the usual Fire & Steel fashion.Toby talks about finally getting hands-on with his laser, experimenting with rotary setups, Yeti mugs, brass pieces, and the strange world of EDC coins, pills, and ultra-hyped collectibles. We dig into maker marketing, limited drops, and why some people will buy anything if it’s hyped hard enough.Chris breaks down his recent run of AI-generated posts, why people love them, and why a loud minority absolutely lose their minds over AI. We talk about anti-AI outrage, creativity, research tools, and why most of the anger feels performative rather than practical. “We also drifted into a surprisingly thoughtful conversation about faith, Christianity, and using AI as a research tool — and why that topic seems to upset people far more than it probably should.”“We also drifted into a surprisingly thoughtful conversation about faith, Christianity, and using AI as a research tool — and why that topic seems to upset people far more than it probably should.”Toby goes on a very real rant about modern customer support, hour-and-forty-minute hold times, faulty pumps, unpaid troubleshooting, and why tradespeople end up charging what they do. A brutally honest look at why “just fitting it cheaper” often costs far more in the long run.We talk about expanding forge classes, adding jewellery and ring-making, balancing weekday vs weekend courses, and the long-term reality of running multiple income streams. Knives are a luxury. Plumbing is a necessity. That tension shapes everything.The tool game takes a turn this week, drifting into which tools we’d never lend out and which brands we secretly judge people for. Ryobi gets dragged. Brand loyalty gets questioned. Opinions are strong.A classic two-man Fire & Steel episode: tools, tech, rants, business reality, AI, and the kind of conversations that probably make more sense when Onur is around — but still land exactly where they should.🖥️ Lasers, EDC Culture & Maker Hype🧠 AI, Art & Manufactured Outrage🔧 Plumbing Nightmares & Why Trades Burn You Out⚒️ Forge Life, Classes & Long-Term Plans🛠️ Tool Talk & Brand SnobberySupport us at Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/fireandsteelpodcast or buy our merch tshirts stickers  Find us athttps://www.instagram.com/fireandsteelpodcast/ https://www.instagram.com/murrillforge/          www.murrillforge.com Email [email protected] Onur  https://www.instagram.com/diesineveryfilm/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/user/DiesineveryfilmChris https://www.instagram.com/full_steam_designs/Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/chrispowellfsd

Episode 4This week we drifted far from the workshop and straight into the bizarre world of Hollywood, old movies, and why celebrities seem to be getting stranger by the year.We talk about how older films felt more grounded, more human, and how actors actually looked like… real people. No filters, no airbrushing, no impossibly square jawlines — just solid storytelling and normal-looking humans.We dive into the rise of cosmetic surgery, Ozempic bodies, endless fillers, and how modern Hollywood seems to filter out anyone who looks even remotely like an actual person.Continuity errors in films, bizarre casting choices, and the weirdness of modern celebrity culture all get a mention.This week we imagine the workshop burning down and you can only save ONE tool.– Onur: His forging press– Chris: His torque wrench– Toby: His late dad’s drill pressSentimental, practical, and a bit chaotic — exactly how we like it.We also touch on the upcoming Edgy Expo knife show happening in Perth, Scotland in 2026 — a new show on the scene that’s shaping up to be something special.A mix of film nostalgia, Hollywood madness, tool talk, and maker banter.Another classic episode of Fire & Steel.🎬 Old vs New Movies🌟 Celebrities Aren’t Normal Anymore🔥 Weekly Game — “The Tool You’d Save in a Fire”🔪 Edgy Expo – 30th March 2026 (Perth, Scotland) Support us at Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/fireandsteelpodcast or buy our merch tshirts stickers  Find us athttps://www.instagram.com/fireandsteelpodcast/ https://www.instagram.com/murrillforge/          www.murrillforge.com Email [email protected] Onur  https://www.instagram.com/diesineveryfilm/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/user/DiesineveryfilmChris https://www.instagram.com/full_steam_designs/Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/chrispowellfsd