Knife Making
with the
Iron Age Forges
Group courses (between 3 and 6 people) are run out in the open using archaeologically reproduced Iron Age forges, basically holes in the ground with charcoal and bellows! The whole process of making a knife is done using hand tools but there is no reason why you can’t turn out very good knives with this set up, despite the lack of mod-cons.

These forges require a little more effort on the part of the operators because when not actually forging you are likely to be pumping the bellows for your comrades. Time constraints are a little tighter due to the heat treating, but I still let YOU decide what you make, the only criteria we stick to are that we don’t make anything over about 5” blade length and that the blade is a stick tang. 

We start with a piece of 1/2" round EN45 spring steel, a bit of native hardwood and if a 3 day course then a bit of 4mm veg tanned leather. By the end of the weekend we all have a finished and fully functioning knife!
The group gathers around as I demonstrate the next step in the knifemaking process...Starting with a 1/2" bar of Spring Steel, the group uses my Iron Age forges to beat out a blade...In the background Charlotte is getting the fire ready for a cup of tea!Man, Woman or Child, forging can be a family activity. Once the blades are forged they need to be heat treated. the first step is to harden the blades in tallowThree finished blades ready for handles....A block of wood is selected and a pilot hole drilled to receive the tang...Using a bar of hot steel we burn fit the tangs before gluiing everything together.Shaping is done with a range of handtools. Some choose to carve with a knife, while others use rasps...More shaping...On a three-day course we also make sheathes. These are made by wet forming vegetable tanned leather.My one concession to power tools on this course is the use of a foot-powered grinder for the first stage of sharpening. But it is not allowed out before this stage!
This lucky group were the first to use the Iron Age forge set up. That time it was in a field! They booked the course as a Stag Party for the big fella in the back row.The knives that they produced next to the raw materials.No group shot of these guys, but they are all in this picture.The knives made buy the men in the smokeA rare occasion where I took the teaching forge on the road. Never again, but these three enjoyed the weekend!And their work... This young man wanted to use the Iron Age forge for his one-to-one course. Normally I wouldn't do this as it means I have to bellow for the student, but at the time I had no workshop!Another private group booking showing off their fabulous knives. It was a great weekend in the woods!And their knives up closeFather, daughter and son-in-law came for a private group course in the woods and made a fine selection of knives.The knives. Boris (the lady on the left) folled my advice and made a small but useful knife; the others went for two of the most difficult knives to forge outside: long blades and hooked blades! Well done though!On a three day weekend in 2008 this group made a fine range of useful knives. Though we did need to retreat indoors for some of the work thanks to the weatherThe knives and their sheathesThe last group knifemaking course of 2008 saw this merry group in the woods.Our knives, minus one which was in the middle of being sharpened at the time.
Click on the images below for a better idea of what you could do. I've arranged them to show the whole process from forging through to making a sheath for a finished knife.  The second gallery is the rogues gallery, showing you a selection of former students and their finely crafted knives!
Here are some of the knives produced in the Iron Age forges. Most of the knife pictures includes the knife that I made alongside the group.
booking and course enquiry
Examlpes of students' work