I am often asked if I offer courses teaching others how to make knives and tools, or to improve their sharpening skills. I do, and each course is tailored to the requirements of the student. Amongst the regular courses that I offer are:
Terms and Conditions
Unfortunately, due to the poor conduct of a small number of people, I have to lay out some rules. Most of these should fall into the realms of common courtesy.
1) As space on some courses is limited a deposit is required for all courses except the sharpening course (in which case I ask for the whole cost to paid upfront). Deposits are priced thus: £30 for a one day course, £50 for a two day course. Deposits are required at the time of booking, with the balance to be paid at or before the start of the class. Deposits are non-refundable within two weeks of a course commencing unless the cancellation has occured at my end.
2) Should a course need to be cancelled for any reason, a full refund (or transfer to another course if preferred) will be given. I will also give as much notice of this as possible.
3) Should a course have to be cut short (eg. the Great British weather makes it unsafe), then a proportional refund or postponement of course will be granted at the discretion of the organiser. So far this has not happened, as I try to have back up plans ;-)
4) Although everything possible has been done to ensure that these courses are safe, there are inherent dangers with activities of this nature. You will be briefed as to any particular health and safety precautions. The organiser and instructors take no responsibility for injury or loss caused.
5) Participants under 16 years must be accompanied by an adult. Adults wishing to leave their youngsters in the care of the organiser are welcome to do so but are asked to fill out a consent form. By booking an under 16 onto a course, the parent/guardian is promising that they are mature and sensible enough to follow the tuition without disruption of the class.
6) Conduct.
All participants are expected to conduct themselves in a reasonable and adult manner at all times. Please respect and follow instructions given by the tutors and organisers, these instructions are given for good reasons.
I will NOT tolerate antisocial, offensive or dangerous behaviour. Should this behaviour be observed, you will be given a single warning only. If the behaviour continues then you will be asked to leave and forfeit your fee. No excuses and No exceptions.
make a seriuosly posh blade with only basic handtools and my ancient forges!
15th-16th May
At the start of each course I introduce you to the tools and materials that will be used, followed by the health and safety talk (such as "don't touch metal from the forge it WILL be hot and don't touch the edges of my tools as they WILL be sharp!).
If you would like to know more or book onto a course, please contact me. Unless otherwise stated, the price for the courses includes liquid refreshments on tap and all materials. Due to the increasing popularity of some courses, I ask for a £50 deposit to secure places.
Most courses start at 9am (sharpening courses start at 10am) and finish somewhere between 4:30 and 6pm, depending on the subject matter and the ability of the group. Unlike many bushcraft schools, I don't charge you £300 for 4 hours of teaching and 4 hours of "own time" each day. If you come on one of my courses you will be busy the whole time and I like you to feel that you have got value for money!
Whether it is a new kitchen knife or a chisel that you want to make, you can come into my fully equipped workshop and have my undivided attention. You will be able to make every part of your knife, with me showing you how to forge, grind, heat treat and polish the blade, fit a guard and handle; finishing of with a custom fitted sheath from top quality English leather.
How long are the courses?
Well, that depends on what you want to make, what level of finish you desire and how easily you pick things up. As a guide, based on previous students' work, this is the minimum that you should be able to accomplish:
Day 1 (or a one day course)
If you intend to make a forged finished blade, then you will be able to forge the blade and heat treat it with time enough to move onto the next step.
Once you have a finished blade you can fit a simple handle, such as a piece of antler or a rustic branch, and sharpen your knife up.
If your design has a more involved handle, that requires shaping, then you will be able to prepare the handle pieces and depending on the complexity of your design you should be able to glue the pieces together ready for shaping later at home or durng the next day of your course.
Day 2
Prepare and glue the handle onto the blade, if this wasn't done by the end of day 1.
Shape handle to fit your hand and design, then finish it to a fine satin finish with hand abrasives and oil the wood to protect it.
Unless your knife is of a very simple design, it is unlikely that you will get the time to make a sheath, but it has been known.
(If your blade has also been ground, then today you will spend a while polishing it to the level that you desire, and possibly etching to reveal any hamon present. You will then be able to fit the handle and begin shaping.)
Day 3
Unless you have a particularly complex design, this is a sheath making day.
Make a template of your sheath and cut out the leather.
Dye the leather, glue the bits together and punch the stitching holes.
Sew the sheath and finish it with oil and wax.
You can also book a longer course if you would like to completely finish a particularly complex knife, such as one including decorative file work, wavy temper lines, inlays, fancy sheathes and the like. If you prefer, you can break the course up, this is often very useful for people who only have one spare day per week. It also means that we can use better quality resins that take 24 hours to cure.
With the opening of my new workshop, I am now able to offer 1-to-2 classes in the workshop. So you and a friend (or child) can come and share the forge. Timescales and the range of things that you are able to make are the same as if it were a 1-to-1, but the price per head is a little less.
Prices:
All materials and refreshment (not lunch) are included in the price of the course. The price of the course will to an extent depend on what you would like to achieve, but as a rule of thumb for knife (or similar tool) making courses:
One person in the workshop: £150 per day
Two people sharing the workshop: £110 per day, each
These courses are run in small groups and can be put together from a group of your friends, or you can book onto a course that I have set a date for. If you form your own group then you can decide what you would like to make and when you would like to make it!
I teach groups using the Ancient Forge set up for three reasons. Firstly because my workshop is not suited to teaching groups, secondly because the ancient forges demonstrate how little equipment one actually needs to make a functional tool, and thirdly this set up is a great group experience, both for team building and the social aspect!
The way this works is pretty much like the one to one course above, but it takes a little longer to forge things because while somebody is pumping the bellows for the other team members, they can't be forging and will need to rotate in order that they can catch up. So, the time scale for making any particular piece must be adjusted accordingly. This isn't a problem as the Ancient set up tends to inspire more 'primitive' designs; people are more inclined to make a small forged blade with a simple stick tang and a nicely carved wooden handle.
Day 1
After me demonstrating each step, everybody will be given the chance to catch up. By the end of the day we will all have a forged and heat-treated blade.
All of the blades will be hardened in tallow and then tempered the old fashioned way by watching the colours spreading across the blade. This is trickier than the modern method of putting it in an oven, but it is far quicker and you don't need electricity!
Day 2
The group can select a handle material from a choice of woods, antler, bone and horn (whatever I have available at the time). Then fit the handle to their blade using natural glues or modern epoxy. Everyone will then be able to shape and decorate their handles at my outdoor workshop (i.e the woods!) or by the campfire.
Again, I will teach everyone to sharpen their knives and any extra details that people wish to build into their designs can be discussed. Also the course can be spread over separate days or weeks if desired. I use the same forge set up for various other courses, such as spear making, eating/cooking utensil courses and a few others that are plotting away in my head. Take a look at my course list for more details.
Using tools that you can easily get from your local hardware store, I can teach you to put a professional edge back on any of your cutting tools. As with my Iron Age courses, I run these in small groups. You can either book into one of my organised courses as an individual, or you can form your own group (no more than 8) and we can set a date together. The actual content of each course will vary according to what people have brought with them and the time taken by the group, but below gives an idea of what can be covered.
Likely Tools Covered
Aspects Taught
Straight knives (kitchen knives, etc)
Pocket knives
Scissors
Shears and Secateurs
Chisels and Plane Irons
Axes
Billhooks and sickles
Handsaws
Wood cutting drill bits
Sharpening and general maintenance
Sharpening, cleaning and general maintenance
Sharpening and general maintenance
Sharpening and general maintenance
Sharpening and general maintenance
Sharpening and general maintenance
Sharpening and general maintenance
Sharpening, setting of teeth and general maintenance
Sharpening
Below is a list of courses that I plan to run this coming year. Except for a few exceptions, all of my courses will be run in the woods using only hand tools and those involving forging will include the Iron Age forge set up.
If you would like to know more or book onto a course, please contact me. Unless otherwise stated, the price for the courses includes liquid refreshments on tap and all materials. Due to the increasing popularity of some courses, I ask for a £50 deposit to secure places.
Most courses start at 9am (tool maintenance courses start at 10am) and finish somewhere between 4:30 and 6pm, depending on the subject matter and the ability of the group. Unlike many bushcraft schools, I don't charge you £300 for 4 hours of teaching and 4 hours of "own time" each day. If you come on one of my courses you will be busy the whole time and I like you to feel that you have got value for money!
January
February
20th-21st
March
20th-22nd
April
May
15th-16th
June
26th-27th
July
10th-11th
August
September
18th-19th
October
2nd-3rd
16th-17th
November
20th-21st
(20th)
(21st)
December
4th-5th
4th
5th
No courses in January this year as I'm trying to get on top of the Woodland Management!
Basic Tool Sharpening and Axe Use Book on both day courses and save money!
Basic sharpening course. On this 1-day course you will learn to straight edges such as knives, chisels, axes and billhooks. Other tools can be described, but time is limited. I also offer a 2-day course that covers more types of cutting edge and in more detail.
Some sharpening equipment will also be available for purchase.
Max number of students: 8Price: £60
Number of places left: 6
Axe Use and Maintenance. So you’ve bought an axe, now what? I’m offering you the chance to learn about different types of axe and how to use them to their fullest. We will cover Axe Identification, Axe Safety, Felling a tree, Snedding the tree and Converting the tree into useful things. The conversion will include splitting a tree with gluts, hewing the tree into a flat board/beam and then carving something a little more ornate (or useful!). The specifics of the course can be tailored to the interests of the group on the day.
I will also have a stock of axes for you to try a range of styles. It is particularly important if you have not yet settled on an axe to try a few out!
Max number of students: 8Price: £80
Number of places left: 6
Price for BOTH days: £130
3 Day Knife Making course. Using the iron Age forges we will take a piece of spring steel and turn it into a fine quality knife, all forged and heat treated on the first day. On the second day we turn to our handles, which will be of some great British wood or antler. Day three is the sheath making day. Each of our knives will go home with a custom made sheath made from the same heavy duty veg tanned leather that I use. If the inspiration and time are willing then you can decorate the sheath to make it all the more special. All of the work will be done without the aid of power (who needs that?!), but in the end we ill have a fine quality and razor sharp knife!
If you are unable to make the third day (the boss won't let you off work for example), then you can stop after day two and return with your knife on the sheath making day course offered later in the year (that day woud be included in the price of this weekend).
Max number of students: 6Price: £250
Number of places left: 5
Nothing planned as I'll be demonstrating for most of this month as it is!
Hamons: Advanced (primitive) Bladesmithing. For those who have already learned to forge a blade, this offers you the chance to make a posh blade with only basic equipment. We will forge a blade out as normal, but then we will file and polish it before coating with clay to create a differential hardening within the steel. Following heat treating the blades can be refinished with abrasives and etched in acid to reveal a Hamon, the wavy line seen on Japanese blades.
Previous experience of bladesmithing is vital for this course as the blade forging cannot take all day! Preferably students will already have been on a knifemaking course with me, that way I know how you have been taught and that you are capable! We have to forge the blade in half the time and good control of the forge is essential.
Max number of students: 6Price: £200
Number of places left: 5(£180 for previous students)
Knife Making weekend. Using the iron Age forges we will take a piece of spring steel and turn it into a fine quality knife, all forged and heat treated on the first day. On the second day we turn to our handles, which will be of some great British wood or antler. All of the work will be done without the aid of power (who needs that?!), but in the end we ill have a fine quality and razor sharp knife!
Max number of students: 6Price: £180
Number of places left: 6
Axe Making weekend. Using the Iron Age forges we will forge out small axe heads (hatchets) and heat treat them on day one. Day two will be concerned with fitting and shaping the handles (made from locally grown cleft ash), finishing with the all important sharpening and testing of our new tools!
Max number of students: 6Price:180
Number of places left: 6
Sorry no courses this month, I'm demonstrating for most of it!
3 Day Knife Making course. Using the iron Age forges we will take a piece of spring steel and turn it into a fine quality knife, all forged and heat treated on the first day. On the second day we turn to our handles, which will be of some great British wood or antler. Day three is the sheath making day. Each of our knives will go home with a custom made sheath made from the same heavy duty veg tanned leather that I use. If the inspiration and time are willing then you can decorate the sheath to make it all the more special. All of the work will be done without the aid of power (who needs that?!), but in the end we ill have a fine quality and razor sharp knife!
If you are unable to make the third day (the boss won't let you off work for example), then you can stop after day two and return with your knife on the sheath making day course offered later in the year (that day woud be included in the price of this weekend).
Max number of students: 6Price: £250
Number of places left: 6
Daggers: Advanced (primitive) Bladesmithing. Something a bit different and more challenging for those who have already forged a blade. This 2-day course will be focussing on the forging, hand finishing and heat treating of a double edged blade. So whether you want a dagger for living history, an athame or just because they have a certain aesthetic quality, this is the weekend for you!
Previous experience of bladesmithing is highly desirable for this course. Preferably students will already have been on a knifemaking course with me, that way I know how you have been taught and that you are capable!
Max number of students: 6Price: £200
Number of places left: 6(£180 for previous students)
Tool Sharpening courses Book on both day courses and save money!
Basic sharpening course. The first day of this course is almost to the Basic 1-day course that I also offer. On it you will learn to repair ( grind out damage) and sharpen simple edges such as knives, chisels, axes and billhooks.
Some sharpening equipment will also be available for purchase.
Max number of students: 8Price: £60
Number of places left: 8
Further sharpening course. On this second of the two days we will cover some of the more obscure cutting edges that are commonly used. Such as curved guages, scissors, saws and specialist tools (for example, I ran a bespoke two day course just for book binders' tools last year!).
We will also go into a little more detail about the care and refurbishment of the tools that you bring with you. If time allows and the group are interested this could include removing and refitting handles and the like.
Some sharpening equipment will also be available for purchase.
Max number of students: 8Price: £60
Number of places left: 8
Price for BOTH days: £100
Sheathes and Pouches. Book on both day courses and save money!
Sheath Making. Come and learn how to make sheath for your knife, axe, billhook, etc. Using the same quality leather I do in my sheathes you can wet-form, decorate and sew custom clothing for your blade! Enough leather will be provided for a 6" or less knife, but if you want to sheath something bigger I can sell you enough to do the job.
Max number of students: 8Price: £80
Number of places left: 8
Leather Pouch Making. Come and learn how to make yourself a leather pouch, ideal for keeping bushcrafty bits or any thing else in really! We will be using high quality English leather and you will have the opportunity to decorate the leather too.
Max number of students: 8Price: £80
Number of places left: 8
Price for BOTH days: £150
Iron and Wood Gifts. Book on both day courses and save money!
Blacksmithing Basics. Try your hand at blacksmithing using my Ancient Forges. This is an introduction course where you can make a selection of simple gifts for your friends and family! Such ojects can include keyrings/pendants (coils and leaves), coat hooks, bottle openers, fire pokers, BBQ skewers and much more. How many object we actually make on the day will depend on what the group decides are most appealing and how well you all take to the work at hand.
Max number of students: 6Price: £100
Number of places left: 6
Wooden gifts.
Using simple (but sharp) hand tools, you can make yourself some cracking gifts from green wood. These can be as simple as a wooden coat hook, but most people will be wanting to make a spoon, cup, spatula, candlestick, etc. As with the iron working course, the details of this new course for 2010 will be fleshed out nearer the time (please let me know if you have any preferences or ideas for objects to be made!)
Max number of students: 6Price: £80
Number of places left: 6
Price for BOTH days: £170
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The courses below have yet to be fixed with a date, but they will all be run during 2010!
Charcoal Making. Come and help with a charcoal burn, seeing the process through from stacking the wood to sieving the charcoal. We will also be carrying out a small scale oil drum burn that you can easily replicate at home! As well as learning how to do the charcoal making yourself you can take away a bag of fine Organic English fuel prepared during the weekend. The tutor for this course is my own supplier, 'Black' Alex.
Max number of students: 10Price: £
Number of places left: 10
Bow Making. Under the tuition of a skilled bowyer, you can come to the woods and make yourself a fine shooting bow. Starting with simple staves of ash (from the woodland around us!) we will carve, shape, tiller and smooth our bows. In the evening we can set to making strings and the arrows which we will be able to shoot from our bows at the end of the course! This is a very full on course, but well worth the effort. We will be making European Flatbows, a design which over 6000 years old, yet still out shoots the famous English longbow!! We can finish off the course by shooting around my own field archery course.
Max Number of students: 6Price: £
Number of places left: (Plus £20 for materials)
Arrow making. Separate to the bow making course, this is purely about the projectiles. We will be making a few good arrows from scratch. Most archers shoot arrows assembled from shop-bought parts (as we will on the bow making course),but on this one day course I shall teach you to make arrows from shoots of hazel. We shall straighten and true the shafts, fletch and cut goose feathers and cut self nocks, finally fitting a durable steel point (these are bought in, though I will have some handmade ones available). This course is open to all, but particularly appropriate for those coming on the bow making course: you can make arrows to match your prehistoric bow! We can finish off the course by shooting around my own field archery course.
Max number of students: 6Price: £
Number of places left: for those from the bowmaking course!
Knife and Axe Use. Due to popular requests, I'm putting on this course to teach people how to safely and efficiently use a range of cutting tools. The course will cover the use and care (including some sharpening) of knives, axes, saws, chisels and most likely a few other tools.
This course is for learning how to use these tools safely and efficiently and also how to teach or supervise others to do the same. So this is an ideal course for scout leaders, parents or outdoor activities leaders.
Tools will be provided, but if you have your own then please do bring them along.
Max number of students: 8Price: £
Number of places left: 8
The Next Course is:
Hamons:
Advanced (Primitive) Bladesmithing
15th-16th May
In previous years I’ve been asked to put on more advanced courses for people who want to have a go at forging slightly different blades. So this year I have introduced two such courses: Hamons and Daggers.
The course offers you the chance to make a properly posh blade to take away with you, using only basic hand tools and my Ancient forges. A Hamon is the wavy line often seen on Japanese blades and is the result of a very specific differential hardening process involving a clay coating. By the careful use of clay, correct heating and quenching, followed by polishing and etching the blade this line can be quite spectacular with lots of ‘activity’ possible! There a selection of knives with hamons in my knife gallery for more of an idea
Saturday:
Forge a blade from a piece of virgin tool steel. (your design, of course)
Refine the shape and surface with files and a sen (Japanese scraper/drawknife type tool)
Grind the blade to a good finish with handstones to prevent cracking during heat treat (and make clean up easier)
Sunday:
Mix a clay coating
Apply the clay that will guide the hamon
Harden the blade (oil or water for the brave!) followed by tempering
Refinsh the blade with stones and sandpaper
Etch with some acid to see what you have in the blade!
If time allows refinishing in a variety of ways is recommended as each blade has it’s own character and etching with different acids at different levels of finish will often bring out a range of very interesting features.
Previous experience of bladesmithing is vital for this course as the blade forging cannot take all day but must be done in the morning! Preferably students will already have been on a knifemaking course with me, that way I know how you have been taught and that you are capable! We have to forge the blade in half the time and good control of the forge is essential.
Max number of students: 6Price: £200
Number of places left: 5(£180 for previous students)
Knifemaking Course
15th-16th May
Using the tools of the original Masters of Iron, I invite you to my woodland workshop to make yourselves a sturdy, functional knife. On the saturday we will forge out blades from bars of tool steel using ground level Iron Age forges, followed by hardening and tempering in the fire. On sunday we will selcet a piece of handle material (wood, antler, horn, etc), drill it, fit it and glue it with natural glues (or epoxy if you prefer!). The handles can then be shaped, sanded and decorated using simple handtools, oiling the natural materials to keep them in good order. Finally we will sharpen the knives so that they can do ther job properly!
Take a look at the full description of an Iron Age knife course above for more details!
Location: My Woodland workshop just outside Cheriton Bishop, Devon.
Max number of students: 6Price: £180
Number of places left: 6
This is an introduction to safe and efficient use of axes. During this one day course I’ll teach you how to identify the correct axe for the job in hand and then how to carry, store, handle and care for it correctly. We will look at safe and unsafe working practice at each stage and then the efficient and correct way to handle the tool. I’ll touch on sharpening and general maintenance but that is another course in it’s own right!
After meeting the range of axes that I have for you to try out, we will use each tool for it intended purpose. The finer details of which tools and techniques to work on will be based on the preferences of the group, but here are some examples of what we can cover (if there is something else you are interested in, then just say!):
Splitting logs (splitting maul, etc)
Splitting kindling (hatchets, etc)
Felling trees (felling axe and the obligatory SFA)
Limbing and dismember the tree (as above and hatchets)
Cleaving trees (axes and wedges)
Hewing a beam (side axe, and felling axe)
Hollowing a form such as bowl or seat (hatchets and adze)
Carving (hatchet and side axe)
Max number of students: 8Price: £80
Number of places left: 6
Book onto both days and save money!
Whole weekend for only £130
Primitive Bowmaking
The bow that we are going to make is the European flatbow, along the lines of the Meare Heath and Holmeguard bows. These bows predate the longbow by several thousand years and are actually more efficient and (in my opinion at least) more fun to shoot. Over the course of the weekend we will turn a stave of English Ash from my woodland (other native woods may also be on offer) into a beautiful working bow. Since I'm not a master bowyer, I have enlisted the expertise of David Sinfiled to tutor this course. David's website can be seen here.
Saturday will be concerned with the rough shaping and primary tillering of the bow. We are going to be using handtools that haven't changed much in a very long time: axes, drawknives, rasps and scrapers. Then around the campfire in the evening we can make a couple of arrows and a layed in bowstring (both skills in their own right!).
On sunday we can finish the shaping and tillering to produce a bow that will shoot straight! We should have plenty of time to get a bit of practice in at the range and we may even get out into the field archery course.
This is a fantastic value for money course. Most other bowmaking courses I've looked at cost well over £200 and you make the usual boring longbow. Here you get to make a unique and more ancient type of bow, your own string and your own arrows! And you get to shoot around my field archery course for free! What more could you want?
Location: My Woodland workshop just outside Cheriton Bishop, Devon.
Max number of students: 6Price:
Number of places left:
Arrow Making
Most archers assemble their own arrows as it's a cheaper way of buying arrows and allows you to tune them to your specific requirements. Making arrows from shop bought parts is easy and only takes about 15 minutes per arrow, this course is different.
Starting with natural hazel sunshoots,we will scrape off the bark and straighten the shafts over a small fire. Then we can smooth the shafts down with abrasives to make them more uniform in size and shape, smoothing them down as we go. After carrefully cutting self nocks in one end we can begin the fletching. I will provide some feathers for fletching, these will need to be cut to shape and size and glued and/or whipped in place. Finally we can glue on a steel pile, these can be either store bought piles or one that I have made myself. I may even be able to conjure up some stone (slate rather than flint I'm afraid), bone and antler to tip our Primitive Arrows with this time! All materials are included in the price for this course.
Assuming that we all have at least one good arrow to shoot, we can then try out our handiwork at the range. Then off we go to the field archery course, if you are feeling confident in your skill as an archer and arrowsmith/fletcher!
Location: In my woodland near Cheriton Bishop in Devon.
Max number of students: 6Price:
Number of places left:
Leather Possibles Pouch
Many bushcraft enthusiasts carry a 'possibles pouch', this is simply a pouch to carry those basic essentials such as fire lighting kit, pocket knife, first aid kit, etc. Of course, you don't have to use a leather pouch for bushcraft, it is a very useful extra pockt or small storage space when out and about. Many Living History and Role Players carry out of character object in a case on their belt. Likewise I know several people who carry a first aid kit with them at all times, this is a more elegant way to carry things!
During this one day course, you will be able to wet form a pouch from vegetable tanned leather. It can be decorated and dyed a colour of your choice and then sewn up with a belt loop on the rear. At the end of the day you will have a finished pouch to carry all your loose change and car keys!
Location: My Woodland workshop just outside Cheriton Bishop, Devon.
Max number of students: 8Price:
Knifemaking Course
Using the tools of the original Masters of Iron, I invite you to my woodland workshop to make yourselves a sturdy, functional knife. On the saturday we will forge out blades from bars of tool steel using ground level Iron Age forges, followed by hardening and tempering in the fire. On sunday we will selcet a piece of handle material (wood, antler, horn, etc), drill it, fit it and glue it with natural glues (or epoxy if you prefer!). The handles can then be shaped, sanded and decorated using simple handtools, oiling the natural materials to keep them in good order. Finally we will sharpen the knives so that they can do ther job properly!
Take a look at the full description of an Iron Age knife course above for more details!
Location: My Woodland workshop just outside Cheriton Bishop, Devon.
Max number of students: 6Price:
Number of places left:
Feast Weekend
On this course I shall be teaching a whole range of primitive skills, including forgework, green woodwork, firelighting (real flint and steel), natural cordage making, wild food identification and prehistoric cooking! I will be providing the bulk of the food, but please feel free to bring along anything you think the group would like to try as well. Now how is that for value for money!
The aim of the weekend is to spend the saturday and sunday making equipment in preparation for a feast on sunday evening. Just so that nobody feels they have to rush away from the meal early, everyone is free to stay overnight in the woods! Here is an idea of what we will be doing:
Saturday - Iron Work, all made using the Iron Age forges
Toasting or eating forks
Eastern style kebab skewers
Sunday (daytime) - Green Woodwork, fire and food
Fashion a wooden eating board (like a trencher) from a cleft log
Make a length of cordage to suspend utensils or tie them together
Carve wooden spoon (from same log as board)
Learn to light a fire with a traditional flint and steel (we need to cook on something!)
Help to search the woods for wild food
Sunday (evening) - The Feast
Prepare and cook food
Make bread
Make soft cheese
Cook kebabs over the embers of a fire
A vegetable stew will be ticking away, eaten with your spoons?
The pit oven will have been cooking all afternoon with succulent parcels inside
Toast marshmallows
Eat, drink and be merry!
Monday (morning) - Decamp
pack up and leave in the daylight.
Max number of students: 6Price: £
Number of places left: 6
Magical Tools
In preparations for your Solstice Celebrations I’m offering the chance to come to my woods and make a variety of ritual objects from a range of materials. The actual course content will depend on the tastes of those that attend, but here is an idea of the sorts of things that we could make over the weekend:
Saturday: Metals. Heated in the Iron Age forges (charcoal fire)
Forged athame (from iron) blade
Beaten copper alter bowl
Scrying/dowsing pendants from copper or iron
Sunday: Wood and Antler
Wooden wands (can have other materials attached, carved, burnt, etc)
Wooden Staffs (as for wands)
Runes and talisman make of wood, stone, bark or antler
Wooden candlesticks (from tri-forked branches?)
Scrying/dowsing pendants from wood, stone or antler
All of the wood and stone used will be sourced in the woods, in fact if time allows I expect that students will be able to select and harvest it themselves. Everything that we make will be made using hand tools in the open air workshop of my lovely woodland. If you wish to bless you tools in the woods then you are welcome to do so of course. I shall have the tea-brewing fire going all day!
Max number of students: 6Price: £
Number of places left: 6
Axe Making
Using the iron age forges we will spend the first day converting a hammer into a versatile axe head (or adze if you prefer!). The use of hammers saves us a great deal of hard work in the hole punching stage, but it still needs to be opened up to accept a larger and therefore stronger handle. Once the hole is done the blade can be forged out and shaped as a carving axe, splitting axe, side axe, adze (flat or hollow), or just a general purpose hatchet. After that, the head will be filed to its final shape and heat treated in the fire.
On Sunday we will carve and fit the handles from ash harvested in the woods. Then we can sharpen the axes up and try them out!
Location: My Woodland workshop in Cheriton Bishop, Devon.
Max number of students: 6Price: £
Number of places left:
Axe Using
This is an introduction to safe and efficient use of axes. During this one day course I’ll teach you how to identify the correct axe for the job in hand and then how to carry, store, handle and care for it correctly. We will look at safe and unsafe working practice at each stage and then the efficient and correct way to handle the tool. I’ll touch on sharpening and general maintenance but that is another course in it’s own right!
After meeting the range of axes (and some adze too) that I have for you to try out, we will use each tool for it intended purpose. The finer details of which tools and techniques to work on will be based on the preferences of the group, but here are some examples of what we can cover (if there is something else you are interested in, then just say!):
Splitting logs (splitting maul, etc)
Splitting kindling (hatchets, etc)
Felling trees (felling axe and the obligatory SFA)
Limbing and dismember the tree (as above and hatchets)
Cleaving trees (axes and wedges)
Hewing a beam (side axe, felling axe and adze)
Hollowing a form such as bowl or seat (hatchets and adze)
Carving (hatchet and side axe)
Max number of students: 8Price: £
Number of places left:
Spear Making Course
Using the Iron Age forges and a range of hand tools we can make a few good throwing spears. These have lightweight heads are designed to be thrown at oncoming enemies or prey, but today we use them for target sports (like darts, only bigger!). With luck we will be able to make three spears each, so we can have a proper game of Spear Darts! The spearheads will be made from EN45 spring steel and heat treated for toughness, so if they hit a rock they will suffer less damage than mild steel versions. This course would be great for re-enactors and those with a fascination in ancient arms and armour, as well as those who just enjoy target sports.
Saturday – Spearheads (using the Iron Age forges)
(After safety briefing)
Forge small spear heads
File the heads to a finished shape
Heat treat the heads for toughness
Sunday – Shafts
Carve spear shaft from cleft ash
Fit and finish the spears
Learn to throw at a vertical target
Location: My Woodland workshop just outside Cheriton Bishop, Devon.
Max number of students: 6Price:
Number of places left:
Basic Tool Sharpening
This 1-day course will cover how to sharpen and maintain simple edged tools, such as knives, axes, chisels and billhooks. Following a demonstration of how to sharpen each tool, you will have to chance to practice on your own tools. As the day goes on I can show you alternative methods that may work better for you, that way you are garunteed to go home having learned at least one technique that works for you! We will only use the kind of tools and materials for the sharpening process that you are likely to have in the shed or that you can easily get from the local hardware store without spending a fortune.
So far everyone who has been on one of these courses has fealt that they left with a new confidence as well as some nice sharp tools! I can also offer advice on the general upkeep of your tools and sharpening kit (some sharpening kit will be available for pusrchase on the day). I offer a 2-day course in which the second day covers such tools as scissors, saws and the refurbishment of handles.
Max number of students: 8Price: £
Number of places left:
(Not just) Spoon Carving
After selecting a piece of green wood we will sit down to some carving. The goal is to finish up with a beautiful and useful range of eating utensils including at least one spoon (be it teaspoon of ladle), but along the way I will teach you how to use axes, knives and hooked knives safely and efficiently. I'll also go into the sharpening of the tools, wood selection and treating the treen that you make so that it lasts for years. Cups (kuksa if you prefer) and dishes are also on the cards.
I've set this out as a one or two day course, so if people would just like to get a taster of greenwood work then they can.
Saturday - tool use and simple carving projects
How to use the cutting tools safely
How to sharpen the tools
Wood selection
Splitting a log into useful parts
Carving a board
Spreading knife
Spatula
Sunday - More carving and finishing
Carving a spoon from the log
Carving a bowl or cup (kuksa if you like.
Aftercare for your wooden treasures
Max number of students: 8Price:
Number of places left:
Bells and Bangles
On this course you are given the opertunity to make a variety of personal addornments out of steel, brass and/or copper using the Iron Age forge and a range of hand tools. All of this is done in my woodland workshop near Exeter in Devon.
Those of who do a bit of living histroy or live roleplay (LRP) love to make your own kit, but often the metal work is out of your reach due tothe specialist equipment needed. This course gives you the opertunity to make yourself a few bits ready for the 2008 season! The items that we make will be in determined by the interests of the group, but can include those pictured above. When I am at shows I often have a range of penanular brooches, belt buckles, keyrings/pendants, torcs and bracelets out for sale. Normally forged in iron (well steel), many of these objects can be made from copper or brass aswell depending on your tastes. After the forging we can decorate the items using a selection of punches and chisels or files. We may even try a little colouring using brass or copper and the heat of the fire ;-)
The length of the course is flexible so that if you decide that you would like to make more small pieces or a more involved object, then you can do. Even if you don't book onto the second day in advance, you have the option to stay on if you feel that you would like to. All materials are included in the price.
Max number of students: 6Price: £
Number of places left:
Knife and Axe Use
This course is aimed at those who would like to learn how to use sharp tools more efficiently or safely. It is also aimed at those who teach others/ work with groups who use sharp tools; such as scout leaders, youth workers, BTCV volunteers, the Police, etc.
During the course of this weekend you will be introduced to the main types of tool likely to be encountered by youth groups (if your group has other tools, then please let me know and they can be incorporated), how to store them, sharpen and maintain them and then the actual use. We will go through the safe methods of use as well as danger signs to watch out for, before actually using the tools and practicing some basic exercises that can be taught to others to familiarise them with sharp tools. Notes on the course are available afterwards if you would like to keep them for your records.
Here is an idea of what we will be doing:
Saturday - Study and Maintenance of Tools
Sharpening and general maintenance of:
knives
axes
saws (bowsaws, two-man saws and handsaws)
Tool ID and nomenclature
Tool Selection (some mention of brand names, but more about the correct tool for the job)
Knife/Axe etiquette
tool storage (during and after use)
Sunday (daytime) - Cutting Techniques and Exercises
Axes:
chopping standing and fallen wood
splitting firewood
carving
exercises using axes (to help familiarise yourselves with a tool, or just for giggles )
Knives:
basic cutting techniques
more advanced techniques (more suited to scout age and upwards than cubs)
exercises using knives (small whittling projects that can be taken indoors or around a camp fire)
Saws:
felling trees
crosscutting with various saws (bowsaws, pull saws and two man saws)
splitting wood with a saw (if you don't have an axe, a saw will do the job)
Max number of students: 8Price:
Number of places left: 8
Charcoal Making
My charcoal supplier has retired one of his kilns in my woods so that we can offer courses in making the stuff! The process of charcoal production is a time consuming and skilled art that cannot be rushed, but by working on a smaller scale it is possible to produce your own at home. 'Black Alex' will explain the principles of the burn, timber processing, charcoal grading and refining, etc while we work on two seperate kilns.
The large kiln will have a pre-burnt charge of charcoal for us to work through the sorting and grading, before restacking with wood and setting the burn off. This will be managed throughout the day. This way you get to see the complete process at full size, only backwards as it would take too long to finish a burn of this size.
We will also have some oil drums around. While the large kiln is doing its thing, Alex will show you a few simple ways to produce charcoal at home. The oil drum can be turned into a small kiln that is capable of supplying charcoal for all your barbecue needs this summer! You will stack and burn the wood in the morning and with luck by the end of the day there should be a good charge of finished charcoal for you to grade and bag.
At the end of the course, along with the knowledge and understanding of the charcoal making process, you will be able to take away a bag of freshly produced charcoal! All of the wood used during this course will be from the trees cut so that I could build my workshop in 2008.
Location: My Woodland workshop just outside Cheriton Bishop, Devon.
Hamons:
Advanced (Primitive) Bladesmithing
In previous years I’ve been asked to put on more advanced courses for people who want to have a go at forging slightly different blades. So this year I have introduced two such courses: Hamons and Daggers.
The course offers you the chance to make a properly posh blade to take away with you, using only basic hand tools and my Ancient forges. A Hamon is the wavy line often seen on Japanese blades and is the result of a very specific differential hardening process involving a clay coating. By the careful use of clay, correct heating and quenching, followed by polishing and etching the blade this line can be quite spectacular with lots of ‘activity’ possible! There a selection of knives with hamons in my knife gallery for more of an idea
Saturday:
Forge a blade from a piece of virgin tool steel. (your design, of course)
Refine the shape and surface with files and a sen (Japanese scraper/drawknife type tool)
Grind the blade to a good finish with handstones to prevent cracking during heat treat (and make clean up easier)
Sunday:
Mix a clay coating
Apply the clay that will guide the hamon
Harden the blade (oil or water for the brave!) followed by tempering
Refinsh the blade with stones and sandpaper
Etch with some acid to see what you have in the blade!
If time allows refinishing in a variety of ways is recommended as each blade has it’s own character and etching with different acids at different levels of finish will often bring out a range of very interesting features.
Previous experience of bladesmithing is vital for this course as the blade forging cannot take all day but must be done in the morning! Preferably students will already have been on a knifemaking course with me, that way I know how you have been taught and that you are capable! We have to forge the blade in half the time and good control of the forge is essential.
Above: The set up of an itinerant Iron Age blacksmith
