Blacksmithing
Showing 1–12 of 15 results
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A Taste of the Forge II- September 2025
$180.00 – $200.00If you've taken Taste of the Forge or another basic blacksmithing class at AFS, then you're ready for Taste of the Forge II! This class, taught by blacksmith Steve Gurzler, builds on the students' prior experience to bring them to the next level, pursuing more advanced skills. Like in Taste of the Forge, we will follow the Artist Blacksmiths Association of North America (ABANA) curriculum in a small class format. Students can expect to create 2 or more useful or decorative objects over the course of 3 weekday evenings.
Dates/Times
- Thursday, September 4, 2025 – 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
- Thursday, September 11, 2025 – 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
- Thursday, September 18, 2025 – 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Instructor: Steve Gurzler
Member Tuition: $130.00
Non-Member Tuition: $150.00Material Fee: $50.00 Included in fee shown on checkout page
Location: AFS, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY
Special Notes: Hard shoes and long pants are required for student's safety. Students should be high school age and older. Parents must accompany children who are under 18 years of age.
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Blacksmithing 107: Make a Forged Leaf Key Ring- September 2025
$100.00 – $110.00This 4 hour class is ideal for the beginner blacksmith with little to no experience. We'll explore basic techniques first, then move on to forging leaves to create a decorative leaf keychain. ABANA
Dates/Times
- Friday, September 19, 2025 – 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Instructor: Steve Gurzler
Member Tuition: $75.00
Non-Member Tuition: $85.00Material Fee: $25.00 Included in fee shown on checkout page
Location: AFS, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY
Special Notes: Hard shoes and long pants are required for student's safety.
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Blacksmithing 117: Forge Welding Basics, Fire Poker & Chain Links- October 2025
$155.00 – $175.00This course is designed for students who have completed a basic class or who have equivalent experience. We will cover the basics of forge-welding, learn to forge weld a loop on a bar, then will move on to forging a short length of chain. ABANA
Dates/Times
- Saturday, October 25, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Instructor: Steve Gurzler
Member Tuition: $130.00
Non-Member Tuition: $150.00Material Fee: $25.00 Included in fee shown on checkout page
Location: AFS, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY
Special Notes: Hard shoes and long pants are required for student's safety.
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Bowie Knife- September 2025
$775.00 – $875.00Taught by renowned instructor and winner of the History Channel's Forged in Fire, Mace Vitale. The Bowie Knife is America's most famous knife, steeped in history and legend. In this five-day class, students learn the ins and outs of forging, grinding and heat treating this iconic blade. Once the blades are complete, students will create a guard and handle using steel and wood. Attention will be paid to the feel and balance of these knives, as well as the edge geometry and performance.
Dates/Times
- Thursday, September 4, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
- Friday, September 5, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
- Saturday, September 6, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
- Sunday, September 7, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
- Monday, September 8, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Instructor: Mace Vitale
Member Tuition: $650.00
Non-Member Tuition: $750.00Material Fee: $125.00 Included in fee shown on checkout page
Location: AFS, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY
Special Notes: Hard shoes and long pants are required for student's safety.
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Complete Basic Blacksmithing- September 2025
$620.00 – $720.00This 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.
Dates/Times
- Friday, September 12, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
- Saturday, September 13, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
- Sunday, September 14, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
- Monday, September 15, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Instructor: Dick Sargent
Member Tuition: $520.00
Non-Member Tuition: $620.00Material Fee: $100.00 Included in fee shown on checkout page
Location: AFS, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY
Special Notes: Hard shoes and long pants are required for student's safety.
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Damascus EDC Knife- November 2025
$310.00 – $350.00In this course, using a Damascus billet you have previously forged or can purchase in this course, students will forge a full tang style EDC knife. Students will heat treat and bevel their knives in preparation for fitting the handle. We will discuss and implement etching processes to reveal the beautiful pattern welded steel, then finish the handle making an eye catching and functional tool. I this course we will discuss in detail forging processes, grinding techniques, fit & finish and etching procedures.
Dates/Times
- Saturday, November 22, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
- Sunday, November 23, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Instructor: Cody Csontos
Member Tuition: $260.00
Non-Member Tuition: $300.00Material Fee: $50.00 Included in fee shown on checkout page
Location: AFS, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY
Special Notes: Students who do not have their own Damascus billet may purchase one from the instructor for an additional charge of $80. Hard shoes and long pants are required for student's safety.
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Damascus Paring Knife- September 2025
$370.00 – $410.00In this dynamic two day class students will forge a billet of pattern welded damascus, then forge heat treat, grind polish and etch several 2-3" bladed all steel paring knives. These little knives though relatively quick to make, are extremely useful in the kitchen and a wonderful platform to explore how thickness and geometry of the edge contribute to a knife's cutting abilities. Most students complete at least two knives in the class. This repetition is essential to cementing the skills learned in the class, allowing students to truly learn from mistakes and reinforce the lessons learned. Skills covered include: basic forge welding of damascus steel, pattern development in damascus steel, forging blades to shape, basic heat treating of knives, grinding and finishing of knives, etching damascus steel and sharpening knives.
Dates/Times
- Saturday, September 27, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
- Sunday, September 28, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Instructor: Matthew Parkinson
Member Tuition: $270.00
Non-Member Tuition: $310.00Material Fee: $100.00 Included in fee shown on checkout page
Location: AFS, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY
Special Notes: Hard shoes and long pants are required for student's safety.
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Handforged Skillet- October 2025
$310.00 – $350.00In this 2 day workshop, students will learn basic sheet metal forging and riveted construction. Starting with a steel disk, learn to shape a simple skillet body and forge a decorative riveted handle. Create a functional and decorative piece of cookware to last a lifetime!
Dates/Times
- Saturday, October 4, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
- Sunday, October 5, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Instructor: Ian McCarthy
Member Tuition: $260.00
Non-Member Tuition: $300.00Material Fee: $50.00 Included in fee shown on checkout page
Location: AFS, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY
Special Notes: Hard shoes and long pants are required for student's safety.
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National Curriculum Level 1- August 2025
$620.00 – $720.00The National Curriculum offers a step-by-step progression through three levels of fundamental blacksmithing skills. Certification signifies that a smith has demonstrated mastery of a specific set of skills, increasing in complexity with each level: Level I (beginner), Level II (intermediate), Level III (advanced). Level I is the first level of the curriculum and is designed as a guide through beginning blacksmithing techniques. Starting with safety, Level I then moves into core skills and techniques, including tapering, bending, forging and heat-treating hand tools, punching and drifting, basic blacksmithing math, forging to dimension, forge-welding, and creating tenons. It culminates in a final project, the Gate Latch, designed to test the student on these skills. Upon completion of Level I, students will have confidence in the most essential blacksmithing skills and be able to forge a wide variety of projects. The program is designed to provide a solid foundation within the craft. To earn certification, the student needs to successfully complete the projects and techniques as outlined in the checklist in the Level I Student Packet. This is found on the website abana.org The checklist allows students and instructors to keep track of progress. ABANA will accept the recommendation from an Affiliate's Education Program Chair or the judgment of a Certified Level I Instructor that qualifies a student as having passed Level I.
Dates/Times
- Friday, August 15, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
- Saturday, August 16, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
- Sunday, August 17, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
- Monday, August 18, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Instructor: Robert Menard
Member Tuition: $520.00
Non-Member Tuition: $620.00Material Fee: $100.00 Included in fee shown on checkout page
Location: AFS, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY
Special Notes: Hard shoes and long pants are required for student's safety.
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Open Forge Night- August 2025
$25.00Interested 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 $25 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).
Dates/Times
- Wednesday, August 20, 2025 – 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Instructor: Steve Gurzler
Member Tuition: $0.00
Non-Member Tuition: $0.00Material Fee: $25.00 Included in fee shown on checkout page
Location: AFS, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY
Special Notes: Participants who wish to try their hand in the forge are asked to pre-register and will be asked to provide a $25 materials fee. Observing the demonstration is free and open to the public. Hard shoes and long pants are required for student's safety.
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Open Forge Night- November 2025
$25.00Interested 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 $25 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).
Dates/Times
- Wednesday, November 19, 2025 – 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Instructor: Steve Gurzler
Member Tuition: $0.00
Non-Member Tuition: $0.00Material Fee: $25.00 Included in fee shown on checkout page
Location: AFS, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY
Special Notes: Participants who wish to try their hand in the forge are asked to pre-register and will be asked to provide a $25 materials fee. Observing the demonstration is free and open to the public. Hard shoes and long pants are required for student's safety.
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Open Forge Night- October 2025
$25.00Interested 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 $25 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).
Dates/Times
- Wednesday, October 15, 2025 – 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Instructor: Steve Gurzler
Member Tuition: $0.00
Non-Member Tuition: $0.00Material Fee: $25.00 Included in fee shown on checkout page
Location: AFS, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY
Special Notes: Participants who wish to try their hand in the forge are asked to pre-register and will be asked to provide a $25 materials fee. Observing the demonstration is free and open to the public. Hard shoes and long pants are required for student's safety.