Blacksmithing

Would you like to try blacksmithing, and get a taste of the craft? Join instructor Steve Gurzler for 3 weekday evenings to learn how to operate a coal forge to bring metal to incandescent heat and shape it with hammer in hand. This class will use the Artist Blacksmiths Association of North America (ABANA) curriculum to teach the basics of blacksmithing. Students can expect to create 2 or more projects during the 3 evenings. Class size is limited to ensure all can advance at their own pace.

This basic class will give you the foundation needed to start out on your journey of blacksmithing. You'll learn fire management, hammering methods, drawing out, upsetting, cutting, splitting, twisting, and convenience bending along with a demo of forge welding. Make punches and chisels and learn to harden and temper them. Heating material and heat management will be taught and much more.

This basic class will give you the foundation needed to start out on your journey of blacksmithing. You'll learn fire management, hammering methods, drawing out, upsetting, cutting, splitting, twisting, and convenience bending along with a demo of forge welding. Make punches and chisels and learn to harden and temper them. Heating material and heat management will be taught and much more.

This basic class will give you the foundation needed to start out on your journey of blacksmithing. You'll learn fire management, hammering methods, drawing out, upsetting, cutting, splitting, twisting, and convenience bending along with a demo of forge welding. Make punches and chisels and learn to harden and temper them. Heating material and heat management will be taught and much more.

This basic class will give you the foundation needed to start out on your journey of blacksmithing. You'll learn fire management, hammering methods, drawing out, upsetting, cutting, splitting, twisting, and convenience bending along with a demo of forge welding. Make punches and chisels and learn to harden and temper them. Heating material and heat management will be taught and much more.

Interested in blacksmithing but unsure how to start? Open Forge Night is the place for you! Every third Wednesday of the month during our blacksmithing season, come see demonstrations by expert blacksmith Steve Gurzler. Observing the demonstration is free and open to the public. If you want to try your hand at blacksmithing there is a $20 fee to cover the cost of materials. Safety precautions must be followed - including hard shoes with no open toes, long pants, goggles (supplied) and gloves (supplied).

Would you like to try blacksmithing, and get a taste of the craft? Join instructor Steve Gurzler for 3 weekday evenings to learn how to operate a coal forge to bring metal to incandescent heat and shape it with hammer in hand. This class will use the Artist Blacksmiths Association of North America (ABANA) curriculum to teach the basics of blacksmithing. Students can expect to create 2 or more projects during the 3 evenings. Class size is limited to ensure all can advance at their own pace.

The Bowie Knife conjures thoughts of legend and history. In this class students will create their own version of this iconic American knife. Students will begin by forging the blades to shape from high carbon steel bar stock, followed by grinding and heat treating the blade. Once the blades are finished the class will turn to the handles fabricating a guard, bolster and wood handle for their knives.
This class will focus on several key techniques in knifemaking: fitting a guard, as well as shaping and designing hidden tang wooden handles.

The Bowie Knife conjures thoughts of legend and history. In this class students will create their own version of this iconic American knife. Students will begin by forging the blades to shape from high carbon steel bar stock, followed by grinding and heat treating the blade. Once the blades are finished the class will turn to the handles fabricating a guard, bolster and wood handle for their knives.
This class will focus on several key techniques in knifemaking: fitting a guard, as well as shaping and designing hidden tang wooden handles.

The Bowie Knife conjures thoughts of legend and history. In this class students will create their own version of this iconic American knife. Students will begin by forging the blades to shape from high carbon steel bar stock, followed by grinding and heat treating the blade. Once the blades are finished the class will turn to the handles fabricating a guard, bolster and wood handle for their knives.
This class will focus on several key techniques in knifemaking: fitting a guard, as well as shaping and designing hidden tang wooden handles.

The goal of this class is to produce a blade ready for quenching with minimal use of a grinder. The focus will be on the tanto, the dagger carried by samurai. Students will start with a piece of high carbon stock. This class will follow historic processes as closely as possible. Students will forge their bar into a blank of precise dimensions, before hand forging bevels and relevant blade geometry. Then, hand files will be used to finish the blade. Blades that are ready will be quenched at the end of the 2nd day. This class includes an in depth discussion of heat treating, and blades will be clay coated when quenched for a hamon. The third day will start at the forge to make a basic fitting, the habaki, from copper. After that, the class will turn to the wood shop, where students will use hand tools to make a wooden handle and sheath using traditional methods. This class is for intermediate smiths.

The goal of this class is to produce a blade ready for quenching with minimal use of a grinder. The focus will be on the tanto, the dagger carried by samurai. Students will start with a piece of high carbon stock. This class will follow historic processes as closely as possible. Students will forge their bar into a blank of precise dimensions, before hand forging bevels and relevant blade geometry. Then, hand files will be used to finish the blade. Blades that are ready will be quenched at the end of the 2nd day. This class includes an in depth discussion of heat treating, and blades will be clay coated when quenched for a hamon. The third day will start at the forge to make a basic fitting, the habaki, from copper. After that, the class will turn to the wood shop, where students will use hand tools to make a wooden handle and sheath using traditional methods. This class is for intermediate smiths.