Knife Making
with the
Iron Age Forges
Group courses (between 3 and 6 people) are run out in the open using archaeologically reproduced 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. From 2009 the structure you see above has housed an example of the forge used by itinerant smith from the Iron Age (which is what I also use when doing public demos) and a more modern Roman/Saxon forge. Prior to 2009 these courses utilised a pair of the Iron Age forges without the luxury of a fixed roof! Have a look at the Workshop Tour page for a better look around

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 4.5mm veg tanned leather. By the end of the weekend we all have a finished and fully functioning knife!

I demonstrate the first step as the group watch carefully. At each step of the process they will stop and watch me before copying what I do. Here is the Iron Age forge. an anvil is either side and the students begin the knifemaking process...And here is the more modern Roman/Saxon forge set up. No better than the Iron Age version in many ways, but easier to use if you have back or leg troublesGet it hot and HIT IT!Decide how long your blade will be. Apparently that is 6" !!A well oiled team getting into the rythm of the forge Seems counter-intuative, but the bend really will come good in the endFinal shapings and straighteningBefore heat treating, the edges are filed true and some other cosmetic tidying to the blade can be done. remember though, files only cut on the PUSH stroke!Once the blades are forged they need to be heat treated. After relieving stress, the next step is to harden the blades in tallowthe blades are then cleaned up prior to temperingThe blades are tempered over the coals to achieve the desired balance of toughness and edge retention. Three 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.once the blades are in place, the knives-to-be are set aside for the glue to set. Time for lunch!Handles are shaped using a variety of tools, primarily drawknives and rasps.after shaping, a bit of sanding is in order. How long this takes will depend on how fastideous you are about scratches! When the handle is finished, a good coat of oil is applied to bring out the colour of the wood and to nourish it.On a three-day course we also make sheathes. These are made by wet forming vegetable tanned leather. Take a look at my sheath making course gallery for more pics...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!Finally the knives are sharpened and they are truely finished!
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.James arranged for himself and two friends to have a weekend awayand the knives. mine to the left.A great group from July 2009. sadly I didn't get a close up of the knives :-(Last group for 2009. And our knives. One had already been buried in a rucksack, so is missing from the shot. Mine is at the topMarch 2010, first group of the year. Great bunch and they did very well!and our knives. mine top leftA small group for the mid summer course.Our knives. The handles are a bit dirty from the sharpening, but will clen up ok. mine at bottomAnother group of lads came down as a private party. a great weekend was had and by golly can these northerners drink tea!our knives, mine at bottomLast group of 2010 and a very capable group to finish the year onour knives, mine at centre bottom
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