1 Day Knife Making Course

Learn the ancient and invigorating craft of Blacksmithing by making your own knife. 

5% Discount when booking for 2 
10% Discount when booking for 4... applied at checkout.

WHAT YOU’LL DO 

The Forge - We’re not at the pub just yet… 
Upon arrival at 10am, you’ll be met by the instructing smith who’ll give you a tour of the forge, provide tea, coffee, and biscuits and give the safety brief. The next step will be to discuss and choose the design of your custom blade. The tip, blade size, shape, and tang options are all interchangeable, allowing you to design the knife of your dreams. 

You Twisted Fire Starter 
After the plan has been made, it’s time to man the bellows and start the fires. You’ll be taught how to properly maintain and control the raging inferno, enabling you to heat and forge the steel. You’ll gain an understanding of how the bellows function, the teamwork required to keep the forges lit, how the fire functions as well as the history of blacksmithing and its impact on the world. 

Let the Hammer Fall 
It’s time to get to work! The first process will be to draw down the tip of the knife, shaping the stabby bit. Next comes shaping the blade and bevelling the blade, that is to say, forming and thinning the cutting edge. Now the blade is shaped, it’s time to forge the handle or tang because you want to be able to hold onto your new favourite lump of metal. During these processes you’ll also get to experience smithing and striking, where two smiths work together, taking turns to swing their hammers to move the metal faster and use tools like flatters and fullers to shape the metal more precisely. 

You Grind Me Right Down Baby Right Down
Onto the profiling of the blade. Using some old school hand and foot-powered grinding stones and metal files, you’ll refine the blade shape, define the bevel and sharpen the cutting edge ready for hardening, but not too sharp yet, the knife has a couple more appointments with the fire first. Hardening and Tempering.

Now for the scary part.
This is where all your hard work comes to the test. After many hours of intense forging and grinding, now you’ll want to slow down and take a breath. It’s time to harden and temper your blade, transforming it from a decorative knife into a functional blade that can cut and stay sharp. This is a delicate process where one wrong move can shatter the knife, so you gotta focus!  Now your knife is hard and relaxed, it’s time to do the final sharpen. Back to the grinding wheels and stones to create that razor edge. 

The Bellowing Belly 
It’s no fun working on an empty stomach, so we’ll have an hour to rest and eat. Though if you’re really keen, lunch can be eaten on the go. Be sure to bring plenty of food as you’re sure to work up an appetite. 

Flash! Ahhhhhh! 
The final job of the day, when you’re dirty, sweaty, and tired, is to jump in-front of the camera and show off your hard work to the world! Because if you didn’t catch it on camera it didn’t really happen. However, unlike most experiences, you get to leave with your masterpieces to treasure forever. 

WHAT YOU GET - A small to medium-sized stabby, cutty implement. A knife of your design, forged from upcycled spring steel by your own hands, two small knives are also possible. The build a bear of cutting tools. Around 7 hours at the forge, learning our craft from experienced and enthusiastic Smiths, with plenty of tea and coffee to fuel you. 

GUIDELINES 
Working at the anvil is physically demanding and comes with some risks, blisters and burns being foremost among them. Please seek advice from your doctor before booking if you are unsure. To minimise the risk of injury please dress accordingly, long sleeves are advised, long trousers and work boots are a must. Please try to avoid synthetic clothing, we recommend cotton-based materials like denim. Open-toed footwear is not allowed in the forge. Leather, safety, work or hiking boots are strongly advised. And please ensure you are able to tie long hair back from your face. The forge can be very cold in spite of the fires, therefore please check the weather before setting off and bring warm clothing if it is cold.
 
Inclusions
What's Included
🥤 Drink - Tea, coffee and water
🧰 Equipment - All forging equipment and PPE is provided, bar footwear. Please ensue you are wearing sturdy boots.
 
What you'll need
🧤 Warm Clothing - The forge can get cold, bring layers to stay warm when away from the fires.
🍴 Food - Lunch and Snacks
🥤 Drink - Water bottle or any other beverage of choice.