1 Day Knife Making Course

The day begins with a welcome to the forge, safety briefing, and an introduction to the tools, fires, and materials. You’ll learn how to light, manage, and work a traditional forging fire using hand-blown bellows before moving to the anvil. Guided step by step, you’ll forge a blade from carbon steel, learning essential techniques such as drawing out, tapering, refining the edge, and forming a hidden tang. All forging and shaping is carried out using hand tools only — there are no power hammers, linishing belts, or grinders. You’ll also carry out the hardening and tempering of your blade using traditional techniques. Heat is judged by eye, magnetic properties of the steel, and temper colours. There are no kiln ovens or digital temperature controls — just careful observation and experience. Blade refinement is completed using traditional methods, including hand-powered grinding wheels and wet stones, allowing you to work at a controlled, deliberate pace.

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What you’ll make 

You’ll forge a simple carbon-steel knife blade with a hidden tang, fitted to a burnt-in wooden handle blank. The blade will be forged, heat treated, shaped, and refined during the day. The handle is left intentionally unfinished, giving you the option to glue and shape it in your own time at home. Each knife is individual, forged by hand, and designed to be practical and durable.

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Who it’s for

• Complete beginners
• Those new to knife making
• Participants looking for a focused, one-day experience

This course is ideal if you want to understand the full knife-making process without the time commitment of a multi-day course.

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How this differs from the Two-Day Knife Making course 

The One-Day Knife Making course focuses on a simpler blade with a hidden tang and partially finished handle. The Two-Day Knife Making course allows more time for:

• Developing your own blade shapes
• Forging a full-tang blade
• Gluing and pinning handle scales
• Fully finishing the knife during the course

If you’re looking for more design freedom and a fully finished knife by the end of the course, the two-day option may be more suitable.

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What’s included

• All forging tools and safety equipment (excluding footwear)
• Carbon steel and handle materials
• Expert tuition in a small-group setting
• Tea, coffee and water

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What to wear & bring

• Long sleeves and long trousers (cotton or denim recommended)
• Sturdy boots (no open-toe footwear)
• Warm layers — the forge can be cool away from the fires
• Lunch and snacks
• Long hair must be tied back

The two-day course offers more time, more control, and a fully finished knife, making it better suited to those wanting a deeper, more immersive experience.