Courses are starting again so I am now taking bookings. There will be covid-19 guidelines that will have to be followed but due to the unstable nature of the situation I will brief you of these upon arrival.
Your safety is our main concern and every step will be made to insure you have a safe and enjoyable experience at Highfield forge.
Hope to see you soon
Andy
In this knife making course you will make a rustic knife over four hours out of a piece 1045 carbon steel. I will take you through the forging process step by step starting with the handle and then moving onto the blade. You will learn how the heat treatment is done, from hardening to tempering. You will also learn how to shape your knife with a belt grinder including how to bevel, then finish it with a para cord rap handle.
I will also answer any questions you may have. The course starts at 10am and runs for up to four hours.
You must be 18 or older to do this course. If you look under 25 please bring ID with you.
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Cancellation and a full refund can be obtained up to 2 weeks before the course starts. Start dates may be amended on request.
You will be provided with a piece of 1045 carbon steel all the tools you will need, plus all the protective equipment, eg. gloves, glasses, but please dress in old clothes.
4 hours (10:00am to 2:00pm)
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Splendid day š
Response from Highfield forge:
Glad you injoyed you time at Highfield forge šGreat course , bought for me as a retirement gift by my wife. Thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing. Would highly recommend this course to anyone looking for something a little bit different.
Response from Highfield forge:
Thank you šMy partner took this course last weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it, thanks to Andy for his knowledge throughout, would definitely recommend!
A great and fascinating experience.
The whole process was very well explained and I'm chuffed to bits with my self made parachord handled knife.
All thanks to Andrew
An ideal dad and lad day out.
Excellent.
Quality day both guys Andy and Dave were really good with us couldnāt be more helpful definitely recommend and my knife at the end was quality thank youšš»šš»
I bought the knife making course for my boyfriend for Christmas & he took part in the course yesterday. He thoroughly enjoyed the whole course, learnt lots of new things & enjoyed the one to one tuition with Andy. He loved it that much, he said he wanted to make another knife straightaway so he could practise what he had learnt! I have already purchased the axe making course for his birthday to try next time & he is looking forward to that! Would highly recommend.
Bought this for my Dad for Christmas as he loves Forged in Fire. He came out beaming and really chuffed with the knife he had made. He said Andy was very knowledgable and down to earth! Would recommend to everyone!
What an amazing experience, Andy was brilliant and very knowledgeable. The course was paced well and I throughly enjoyed myself!!
I would recommend this course š
Got this for an Anniversary present for my husband who loves watching Forged in Fire and I couldnāt wait for his reaction when he got home.
He absolutely loved it, it couldnāt have been better and the knife he made was amazing. He also couldnāt praise the instructor Andy enough who he said was very helpful and knowledgable.
A very enjoyable day and he canāt wait to go back so I will definitely get him on the Axe making course next.
Thank you so much x
Exactly what we were hoping for from the course. Challenging and quite intense but pleased with the results.
I bought this course for my brother's Birthday who has always seemed interested in blacksmithing but struggled to find opportunities.
I cannot express more that my expectations were completely blown away at how brilliant a time he seemed to have had. He has shown his knife (that he crafted there, himself) to anyone that is even remotely interested.
I am so thoroughly satisfied with how the day went that the next plan is for my dad and myself to go with him next time.
By all accounts, Andy and Dave sound like brilliant, genuine guys that my brother got on with very well and it was not at all awkward. I was also surprised as to how much freedom my brother had in crafting the knife, since it sounds as if he was able to do 99% of the crafting unassisted, but with guidance and instruction from Andy and Dave.
A fantastic service which is more than recommended by me, especially if you are up North (we travelled from Liverpool) as there seems to be limited forges around here, which is reflected in this review and the others.
Bought this for my husband. He was really excited for the day and really enjoyed it. Really happy with the final product and he is thinking of coming again in the future for a different course.
due to Covid, both lads were very professional and kept safe according to government guidelines. Dave was very patient and an excellent teacher. had great fun making the knife and would definitely go again
I bought the course for my husband Jon, he came back raving about the place. He had a fantastic time and would like to go back to make an axe next.
What an awesome time today making a knife at Highfield forge.
Andy and Dave were absolutely superb and explained everything step by step in a very clear way. Even when I forgot some instructions they were on hand to give advice and point me back in the right direction.
The end result was me walking out of the forge with my own knife and sheath which was so satisfying. I will definitely be back to have a go at the axe making!
Highly recommend anyone giving this course a go, well worth every penny!
A great way to spend 4 hours. I was given this as a gift and had a fantastic time.
I would urge anyone even remotely interested is forging, knife making or just general metal working to take this course.
Andy and Dave are fantastic teachers with very clear, concise, calm and informative instructions and happy to help with any questions and problems you may have no matter how good, or not, you are.
I canāt wait to go back there for round 2. Cheers lads š
What a morning.
I had been given this for my birthday and couldnāt wait.
Andy and Dave where great instructors. They had patience to explain everything and show you twice if you wasnāt sure.
Definitely coming back.
We had a blast! I absolutely recommend this half-day course to any beginner! I am a woman, with not a lot of strength in my arms and moderately fit, and we came together with a guy friend. We both found it challenging in the arms (don't hesitate to ask for a lighter hammer sooner - 2.5kg was too much for me, but a lighter one was much better!) but oh so satisfying and fun. You get to do each step of the process yourself (except the differential tempering which requires experience).
Andy and Dave were super friendly and warm. They explained anything that needed explaining, gave proper demonstrations, answered all our questions; they corrected us and helped us out when necessary. This is a working forge, so most of the time we were left on our own to do our thing (which I really appreciated) but they kept an eye on us and checked in regularly. Sometimes they would rectify whatever needed rectifying, to make sure that, for example, no cracks were going to develop later, ruining our work.
I loved the forging bit. Using the belt grinder was a bit more challenging for me because I never used any power tools before, but given time to focus it actually got fun. Overall we ended up super happy and physically tired (in a good way!) and we have a beautiful custom knife that we can show off and use. Also, we had a bit of choice and liberty in the shape of it so our knives don't exactly look the same and that's satisfying.
The forge is a fun place to be in, with all the stuff and gear and the music around, and Andy and Dave working on their own projects. The price is very reasonable for the experience and result you get. I recommend this experience to all and especially to women who wonder if they'd like it or if they can do it. For me it was very new and exciting, and I'm sure you'll love it too!
When you arrive at the forge the sounds, smells and heat can be a little intimidating but have no fear. Within minutes Andy will have you swinging a hammer with glee as you begin to shape and craft your own knife from glowing hot steel.
The course is fun and informative from start to finish. Andy is always on hand to help correct mistakes and provide guidance.
A few points of advice.
1. Make sure you follow the suggestion above and take plenty of drinking water.
2. If you can secure yourself a pair or grip/impact supporting gloves for your hammer yielding hand you may save yourself the odd blister. If you can't then you'll still be able to hammer away so don't worry.
Enjoy your time in the forge. I certainly did and will be booking again in the near future.
Did the axe making course here with some friends.
Friendly welcome and great, clear explanations of how to make the axe. Just the right amount of 'mick' taken whenever we inevitably screwed up.
Thoroughly recommended.
Excellent four hour course with Andy, excellent tuition and demonstration, very experienced and knowledgeable, well worthwhile. If you are intending to book a course itās advisable to take a drink with you.
Had a brilliant time. Andy and Dave helped out and gave advice with their obvious years of knowledge. Came away with a beautiful knife and a massive smile on mine and my son's faces'. Would recommend this to anyone.
Absolutely brilliant!!! I got this as an anniversary present for my boyfriend who likes knives and does woodwork, so thought he would enjoy learning how to make a knife from the beginning. I was also taking part but didnāt expect to have so much fun doing it myself! Dave and Andy are both great and easy going lads, they made sure we were safe in everything we did but also wanted us to have fun and make our own knife, only intervening when needed on corrections to make sure we had something nice to take home but still with our own mark on it. Great atmosphere and definitely an experience worth having. I know we already have our eye on the axe course! Wholeheartedly recommend! Thank you both guys š
I did the full day knife making course and came away at the end of the day with a finished knife. It was a great day in a relaxed atmosphere, Andy and Dave demonstrated the techniques and allowed me to get a great hands on experience. I felt the balance between letting me do the job and their guided input was spot on. I was also very impressed wth their attitude toward safety. Definately recomend this for anyone who wants to get their hands dirty and have a go.
I booked this course for my boyfriend for his birthday. Absolutely fantastic experience from start to finish. Although I wasnāt taking part, they made me feel welcome to stay and observe and Iām so glad I did. Andy & Dave were fantastic teachers, they created a relaxing atmosphere and had a laugh with everyone whilst still making sure everyone was safe and learning the right techniques. Both clearly knew their stuff and were happy to answer any questions. It was so nice to see a working forge, and for my boyfriend to live out a dream of his and forge his own knife! Andy & Dave let everyone make a knife exactly how each person wanted and nothing was ever too much. Thanks for making his birthday special, and for letting me be part of the experience with him! Also Iād like to say thank you to Natalie for making it so easy to arrange this.
My wife got me this course as a birthday present. What a treat, Andy and Dave made the day. You are taken through the full forging process with excellent guidance all the way. Great technical knowledge and they are both easy going. You are able to adapt your design and come away with a great piece of hand forged steel. I can't speak highly enough of the staff or the experience. Already planning our next trip to the forge.
Bought it as a gift for my partner and it was a great experience. Everyone was incredibly friendly and helpful. They made me and my friend feel welcome to stay even though we did not do the course. It was a great day out and would highly recommend it to anyone.
Great experience. Very friendly and knowledgeable guys. They allowed you to complete the metalwork but were ready to help out if needed. We came away with some pretty decent knives and a great sense of achievement. My husband is addicted and will go back again for another project I'm sure.
This was a fantastic experience.... andy the course leader was very welcoming and great at explaining the process. As a complete beginer i was able to knock up a very respectable blade which looks good and actually works. Would definately reccommend this course for anybody for an experience a little different
Really enjoyable day. I'm a complete beginner, and had no trouble keeping up, thanks to the patient teaching. The course was easy to understand, enjoyable throughout and I didn't notice my brand new blisters until I was far enough along not to care.
By the end of the course I came away with my new knife, feeling like I'd learned a bit and very happy with the experience.
Just the best day ever.
Andy was the perfect host. Very welcoming and accommodating. His level of knowledge was excellent.
Still looking at the knife in disbelief that I made it, but the ache in my arm soon confirms it.
Everyone should have a go, Iāll be back to forge an axe.
Special mention to Dave as well, excellent tuition, very helpful and just the right amount of cheeky... ;)
Thanks again, lads. See you in December!
Had an amazing day with Andy great guy enjoyed from start to finish very helpful and makes you feel very comfortable will definitely be doing another ASAP
Just got back from this knife making course with Andy. Got to say I had a great time. Andy is very knowledgeable and a great instructor, he lets you get on with it while giving you pointers and guidance to keep you from making too much of a mistake. I've always wanted to have a go at forging a knife and I wasn't disappointed. Smacking a red hot piece of steel into shape is so much fun! Definitely recommend this to anyone. Amazingly, at the end of 4 hours or so I ended up with a really nice knife that both looks good and is razor sharp!
I had booked this course as an anniversary treat for my wife & I as we had enjoyed watching it on TV &i had always had an interest in weapons ect.
We had a fantastic day in the forge which far surpased our expectations, you were given clear instructions on what to do & they had planned the activitie in such a way as to allow you to find your sea legs & grow your confidence as the knife forgeing progressed.
Although the instructors were on hand to help/advise & would correct any errors quickly as they occurred you really were left to do the majority of the work so at the end you have a massive sens of achievement & pride in what you made.
I would happily recommend this course to anyone who is curious about blacksmithing or just looking for something different to try. Dont be put off thinking you might not be physically able to do it as you will suprse yourself my wife is very slightly built & found the hammering hard but managed to turn out a beautiful knife.
It is a fun relaxed day with some cool relaxed instructors! Give it a go you will love it.
Fantastic experience. Andy is knowledgeable, affable and patient. This was from start to finish a great day and Andy was a fantastic instructor explaining, demonstrating and then let me get stuck in. I will not only be recommending this to others but looking to go back again myself. Cheers Andy.
I'd been keen to try blacksmithing for a while now, but have no experience in this field.
I was bought the 4hour lesson and managed to get when there were no other "students.
The forge was as I expected, covered in soot and smelling of burnt steel. It has everything you need and set out really well. What I didn't expect was Andy. Top bloke. Really friendly and for me was really knowledgeable and enthusiastic, which is exactly what you need. Always had something to say and explained the reasons for what you were doing.
There is no mucking about either. Straight into it... forging the knife from a molten billet of steel and four hours later having a finished article (well for four hours work anyway).
Andy talks you through each step and shows you what to do "once" so you get the feeling you actually make the knife, which I have to say is so very rewarding.
For me personally this was a brilliant experience and have now got the bug. I'm already looking at booking a further session to learn more. I would highly recommend for anybody interested in blacksmithing/bladesmithing.
I was bought this course as a present after getting into Forged in Fire (I know....). The course was absolutely brilliant, really insightful and the actual way to make a knife, not just what you see on TV, Andy even joked that you don't get to see the boring bits but even those bits were insightful. Andy had a apprentice/ friend there at the time and the mentoring received was great. Both were clear and direct with their instructions, patient and even corrected some of the minor (or major, if you don't listen) mistakes. The day flew and at the end myself and missus had made a knife each that we were both proud of. Highly recommend the course and I will be going back to do other courses. Well worth it.
Absolutely brilliant course. Was bought this as a Christmas present.
The forge is right at the bottom of a private road. When you get there, Andy hands over a lump of metal, explains the science behind it, turns on the forge, then itās about 4 and half hours of fire, hammers, and grinding. You come away absolutely knackered, massively satisfied, and youāll have a very cool knife for cutting steaks and wood. Would recommend this as a brilliant gift for anyone stuck in an office. Thanks Andy!
Chris
I was bought this for a Christmas present and I could not be happier.
Andy was fantastic throughout with providing knowledge and guidance but emphasising that the knife is mine to make, with his support. It was a safe, but laid back environment. I would definitely recommend this to anyone, and I would like to go back to do more!
Went with a friend and after a slight delay finding the forge (at the end of the road but it looked like it was No Access) had a fantastic time. Andy is a great teacher and doesn't rush you. It is really exciting to see the blade emerging from the steel after all the hammering. Even more fun is cleaning up on the grinders. The finished blade looks much better than i thought it would! I'm definitely intending to go back
I've been on a couple of Andy's courses now and have massively enjoyed every minute. Andy has the time, patience and knowledge to explain the techniques and process's of blacksmithing in a way that really allows you to learn and progress. Alongside this you will produce an individual knife you will always be proud of, I know I am. Highly recommend
I had a great day with Andy, could not believe how fast it went. I was very pleased with the quality of the knife I made with Andys expert help, I have come away with something unique to keep and use. Thoroughly recommend to anyone looking to do something completely different and very gratifying!
A great day for my 18 year old son.His birthday present turned out to be a fantastic triumph thanks to Andyās paitience and tutorage. A proper charcoal forge (not gas) gave my son the full experience which even with the sweat and aching arm couldnāt wipe the broad grin from his face. Thanks Andy you really made his day
Had a fantastic day with Andy. He was very knowledgeable and answered any questions. This was hands on from the word go until the knife was completed.
He was great at letting me have a go, crack On and only stepped in when needed. My favourite birthday present ever! So good Iām currently trying to work out how to turn my shed into a smithy! I would recommend this to absolutely anyone who has an interest in blacksmithing.
Fantastic course amazing setting learnt so much very informative and authentic course. Definitely recommend them s course brilliant day.
what a great course . I had a fantastic afternoon with Andy,
and with it been 1 to 1 i learnt a lot, because Andy is patient my hammering got much better to (well it couldn't get worse)
very good value for money .I will definitely be back to have another go.
Had a brilliant day with Andy. He's patient, able to instruct an demonstrate. Also takes time to explain why things are done. Wish i could go and do it again tomorrow. Will definitely be back for another go at the forge.