Course Information
Blacksmithing Bushcraft Gear
Blacksmithing - Bushcraft Gear
For thousands of years, your ancestors have used the heat of the forge and the strike of the hammer to work iron and steel into useful and beautiful items. Now it's your turn.
By popular demand, we have expanded our half-day of knife forging (held during our Bushcraft 2-day) and created a new expanded class on primitive blacksmithing. Work the "black metals" (iron and steel) just like the smiths of old. No propane. No power tools. No experience required. We'll show you all of our tricks and tips to set up your own forge and start working. Whether you plan to build a forge in the backwoods or in your own backyard, you'll be amazed at the minimal amount of gear it takes to start smithing, and you'll love our "dirt cheap" method of building a forge.
Each of our blacksmithing classes will cover the basics of safety and smithing, and make a different knife style, plus several other items. The subjects of this class include:
• Forge safety
• Building your own forge
• Sourcing abundant local fuels and their suitability to different tasks
• Hammer techniques (you won't believe all you can do with just a hammer!)
• Sourcing safe metal (some scrap metal gives off deadly fumes)
• Shaping and hardening your own flint & steel striker and cooking hooks
• Making your own bush knife
• Decorative embellishments, to make your work really stand out
This course will run from 9am to 4pm. Hearing protection will be provided. Please bring leather work gloves and eye protection. Please wear closed toe footwear, preferably leather hiking boots or work boots. And wear only natural fiber clothing. Cotton, leather, linen, hemp and wool are great choices. Don't wear synthetic clothing, as it can catch fire from sparks. Be ready to get dirty and sweaty, and have a great time.
The Saturday, January 7th, 2023 class is now FULL. Please look for this one again.
Two quick notes for students:
1) Space is limited to 8 students per class, so claim your spot now!
2) Due to material costs and start-up cost for this class, we cannot accept BOGO credits for Blacksmithing classes at this time. Sorry.
Course Location: Near Stafford, Va. Detailed directions are emailed upon enrollment.
Required Equipment: Bag lunch and drinks for yourself, appropriate clothing and wet weather gear for the expected weather, and a pen to take notes.
Recommended Equipment: Some seating is available at camp, but please bring a camp chair if you have one. Leather gloves are provided for use during class, but if you have huge hands or very small hands - we recommend that you bring all-leather gloves that fit you.
Be well prepared for your class by studying the art of blacksmithing. This is our top recommendation for contemporary blacksmithing books.