book blacksmithing course

The first day of your course we welcome you in our forgery with a cup of tea or coffee and a slice of traditional Twents raisin bread. After a short introduction we will make a design for your own custom knife. This can be a classic chef‘s knife, a hunting knife, a carving knife, a Japanese Santoku knife, an outdoor knife or something entirely unique. From our extensive assortment of natural and stabilized wood types and spectacular composites you choose the material for your knife handle. We will help you every stap of the way to realize your perfect design.
Then the real deal starts. You will compose your own damask package and subsequently fireweld it, with the use of hammer, anvil and airhammer. The package is folded en welded several times to reach the desired number of layers. This day you will truly experience the old craft and the heat necessary to forge the steel. The end result will be heated in the oven to 730 degrees Celsius, after which it slowly cools down during the night for us to be able to process it the next day.

This day we will transform the forged damask plaque to a knife. First we draw the shape of the knife on the plaque in order to be able to saw and grind it in its rough shape. Then we make the perfect plane and the exact desired thickness with use of the pot-grinding machine. With state-of-the-art knife cutters we shape and sharpen the blade. Manual filing and sanding give the knife its finishing touch. After drilling holes for attachment of the knife handle we perform an optimal heat treatment of the steel. After hardening and cooling down in special hardening oil, we temper the steel so that it becomes tougher. After this the knife is etched, to reveal the knife’s own unique damask pattern. The rest of the day we spend on preparing and processing the knife handle.

Today the chosen knife handle is mounted and shaped. By sanding and polishing the true beauty of the wood or composite reveals itself. A moment of awe! Finally, the knife is cut razor-sharp. Because of the professional support, the use of high-quality materials and the best equipment and machines, we guarantee a first-class end result that not only looks stunning but also has outstanding material properties and a hardness of HRC 60-61.