Knifemaking Foundations

A one week immersive course in knifemaking for those who want to get a solid start. The course covers the knife making process with extra focus on forging, grinding and heat treatment of carbon steels. You will also make your own forge so you can continue to make and heat treat at home.

View Dates

Want to get a solid start in knifemaking? Be comfortable in forging and griding blades. Learn and practice heat treating carbon steels. This week long intensive helps you build your skills and confidence as a knifemaker. It has a maximum of four students only.

The week will start with a two day knifemaking course to get you to make two completed knives. It covers

• forging the blades
• normalising and annealing the steel
• descaling
• surface grinding
• profiling
• bevel grinding
• squaring shoulders of the ricasso
• heat treatment - hardening and tempering
• post heat treat grind
• hand sanding
• guard construction
• handle assembly and glue up
• handle shaping 
• sharpening

We then make a gas forge that you will use for the rest of the course and take back to your workshop.

The fouth day is all about forging blades

• forge half a dozen blades of different styles.
• hidden tangs vs full tang
• kitchen knives
• clip points
• hammering in the plunge lines
• moving steel and creating the shape you want
• speed forging

The last day will be about grinding blades 

• looking at edge geometry
• thinness
• different grind styles - flat, convex, hollow, scandi and chisel
• heat treating the blades

These blades you will take home to finish along with your two completed knives and gas forge.

By the end of of the week you should have the solid foundations of bladesmithing.

Note this is a very physical course moving at a steady pace to cover all the elements. Make sure you are ready.

Cost includes: Tuition, insurance, materials, use of tools, gas forge compontents, workshop consumables, safety gear, morning and afternoon tea.

Need to bring: Lunch, appropriate clothing and covered footwear

Course Dates