Bladesmithing Courses

Bladesmithing Courses

Because of the high demand for course days, your course dates can only be guaranteed to you once payment has been made in full at the time of booking. Because I only have a maximum of two students on any course I have to run the bookings on a first come first serve basis. Course fees are £220 per person for the one day bladesmithing course and £420 per person for the two day chef's knife course. I also require that the minimum age of a student is eighteen years of age. I can not legally sell a knife to anyone under the age of eighteen and so I apply this criteria to anyone making a knife with me.

Once you've decided on a date I will give you my bank details so payment for the courses can be paid by BACS transfer. Once booked if there is a problem and either of us are unable to make the class I will reschedule another mutually acceptable date. If however you change your mind and just don't want to take a class and cancel later than one month before the scheduled course date I will charge a £50 administration fee and return the balance of your course fee.

Please bring your own packed lunch, I will have tea, coffee, cold drinks and biscuits on hand as we know forging is thirsty work. Classes will be held from my workshop at my home in Southampton, the address will be supplied at time of booking. Classes start at 09:00 when we'll have a coffee, tea or cold drink and a safety talk / induction and a walk around the tools in the shop. Leather aprons and gloves, safety glasses and any respiratory equipment will be supplied. You will need to wear suitable clothes; long trousers, long sleeved top, preferably cotton and robust leather shoes etc. No shorts or flip flops please, admittedly not much of an issue during winter, but you know what we get like when there's a bit of sun on show.

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If you would like to read reviews on the knife making courses that I run please go to www.craftcourses.com

Any queries or questions please ☞contact me.

One day course

£220 per person

You will make one of two styles of brute de forge utility/hunting knives with a full flat tang handle and wrapped with para cord. At the end of your course day your knife will be taken home in its own heavy Cordura zip up knife case for safe storage and transportation

Two day chef's knife course

£420 per person

On this two day course we will make a chef's/kitchen knife with a hidden tang from 1075+ Cr high carbon tool steel. The first day will be spent making the blade, heat treating your knife, grinding in the primary bevels and the second day will be spent making, shaping and fitting an exotic hardwood handle and finally sharpening your knife. At the end of your course day your knife will be taken home in its own heavy Cordura zip up knife case for safe storage and transportation

Three day Damascus chef's knife course

£620 per person

The three day Damascus chef's knife courses are booked on an ad hoc basis, these are strictly one to one classes and are only available to a student if they have already completed a one or two day bladesmithing course with me. I feel that the extra experience gained from already having worked in the shop will allow you to get the very best out of the Damascus knife you will make.

Day one will be spent making the billet of steel, stacking, welding the layers together and finally drawing the billet out to a working blade thickness. We'll then cut and grind the knife out to one of the four types of knives that I offer, a Santoku, Honesuki, Funayuki or a Nakiri style blade. Then we will aim to harden and temper the blade by the end of the first day.

Day two will be all about grinding the primary bevels into your blade as accurately as you possibly can to get the very best out of the pattern that you've made in the steel, this is where the experience at the grinder will really come into its own. Once we're happy with our primary bevels the blade will have its surface finish refined, cleaned and made ready to go into the coffee etch overnight to bring out the patteren in the blade ready for us to come back the next day and complete the handle.

Day three will be spent making, shaping and fitting an exotic hardwood handle and finally sharpening your knife. At the end of your course day your knife will be taken home in its own heavy Cordura zip up knife case for safe storage and transportation

Please contact me for more details.