Warning about cheap firebrick from that big online store | Blacksmiths

Felix Nelson · 2026-03-11T22:40:06.357797+00:00

Last week I was lining my new forge and grabbed a box of 'high temp' firebrick from a popular online seller. The price was about half what my local supply place charges, so I figured why not. I got them set up, fired the forge to a normal working heat, and within two hours I could see serious cracks forming. By the next morning, one brick had completely split in two. My buddy, who runs a shop in Toledo, told me he had the same thing happen three years ago with the same brand. He said the material is just too soft and can't handle the repeated heating cycles. I'm out $40 and a day's work, and now I have to tear it all out. Has anyone found a reliable brand that won't fall apart but also doesn't cost a fortune?

elliot_harris256mo ago

Ugh, that's the worst. My first forge lining looked like a jigsaw puzzle after one firing, guess I should've spent more than pizza money on it.

4

shah.barbara6mo ago

Feel your pain... had the same thing happen with a cheap kiln shelf once. Totally get what elliot_harris25 means about the jigsaw puzzle look.

1

michaelcoleman5mo ago

Yeah, that soft stuff crumbles fast. @elliot_harris25, maybe your pizza money would've lasted longer than those bricks.

1