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Can’t recommend this course highly enough. Bob was fantastic and incredibly patient and made the day really enjoyable. I wasn’t entirely sure the course would be for me - I’m fairly sedentary and work in an office type environment. However I was wrong - it is truly something anyone can have a try at.
Bob also went above and beyond in the afternoon session (where we make something specific) when I’d asked about making a gecko! Not something they’d ever done but with a bit of research, thought and trial and error we made a fantastic gecko!
Thank you and I’m hoping someone will buy me another lesson for my birthday later in the year!
Had an absolutely fantastic day with Colin and I learned so much, can't wait to set up my own forge to practice what I learned. I was able to make a coat hook, blacksmith tongs and a bottle opener. Would recommend this course to everyone.
I will definitely be back to try the hammer skills.
Had a great day. Bob's an excellent teacher, a good brew maker (I had black coffee) and I will definitely be going back to improve my skills.
Wow! What a fantastic day I've just had with Bob. Such a great guy who by end of the day felt like an old friend. I went along for a day expecting to hit a bit of iron and ended up learning so much about the craft. I now know so many interesting facts about horses feet and horseshoes.
Bob is such an interesting character and a master of his craft. He's great at pointing out what you need to do, but also knows when to leave you to it so you can find your own feet. He even makes a half decent brew!
Thanks again Bob, I've had a brilliant day.
Colin's a really nice guy who taught me loads of techniques. I'd never done any blacksmithing before but came away with 3 wonderful items - a fire poker, a bottle opener and an ornamental viking knife. Highly recommend this course.
I booked a surprise birthday present for my husband. Bob was super helpful with the booking of the course, he took the time to ask where we were coming from so he could give helpful directions.
My husband has had an amazing day, he thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. He has made a lovely letter opener and a toasting fork with an impressive treble clef at the top.
I would highly recommend Bob to anyone.
I have gained good brownie points with such a fab present!
I spent a great day with Bob and learned a lot. A wonderful friendly atmosphere and Bob has great practical skills which amazed me all day. I came away with some amazing things I'd made with Bob's help. I cannot recommend this day highly enough.
My 17yr old son had the best time on the half day course. It was everything he hoped it would be, the instructor (Bob) was so friendly, he made the experience so enjoyable. My son came home with a piece of ironwork that looked so professional, something we'll have many years of use. He'll definitely be returning for further education.
My boyfriend booked this course for us as a surprise for my birthday, and I can honestly say it's the best gift I've ever received! Bob was an excellent teacher, with incredible skill, endless patience and a clear passion for the craft. He guided us in building a basic foundation of skills and tool use, which stood us in good stead for the crafting in the afternoon. We made bottle openers and amazing Viking style knives, and I can't stop looking at them, I can't believe I made that! I've had an absolutely fantastic day, Bob creates a lovely atmosphere, with lots of tea and banter and made us feel comfortable straight away. I really can't recommend this course enough. Thank you Bob!
Had a brilliant day with Bob on the Hammering Course, would recommend to anybody. Bob is a master of the art, a truly skilled craftsman.
Booked this course as a surprise for my fiance who loves gaming, fantasy and forged in fire! So obviously he loved it! Bob was amazing, very patient and obviously very skilled in his craft. We did the half day course and, as well as making tips and learning hammer skills, at the end he got to make his own viking knife! Very enjoyable experience and we will be back for another half day soon! Thanks Bob!! #legend
This was easily the best blacksmith course I have done (and I have done a few!). The emphasis was definitely on developing skills rather than just completing a finished object (although I was very pleased with my products) as can be found on other courses.
Bob is a great teacher, giving you guidance and advice but also leaving you time to work on your skills, and most importantly a desire to do it again and become even better.
Myself and my two sons, had a great day on the course, which was perfectly ran by Bob, who is a real character. We had lots of laughs, and learnt an awful lot, thanks to Bob's guidance, and we had a brilliant lunch with him at the local dine-in chip shop, which I thoroughly recommend.
We made a boot scraper, a set of Belfast sink brackets, and Dan’s unique long handled shoe horn!!
I can’t recommend the course enough, plus we stayed overnight at The Fleece pub nearby which was brilliant as well.
Cheers again Bob....!
I had a fantastic day with Colin! He is friendly, patient and matter of fact. I was able to observe how to complete each stage of making my poker/ash scraper and hook and at the end of each stage/demo the reins were handed over to me to make it happen. It was great to see and take part in all manner of techniques and tool use. I felt absolutely involved in the process from design to completion. Couldn't be happier and very, very much recommend Colin's courses. Inspiring.
Fantastic day. Hard work, taught basic skills and then made our door foot scraper.
My friends and family chipped in to send me and a friend on this course after they noticed that I happened to be watching a lot of Forged in Fire lately and it was well worth the money. Working as a machine fitter who earns a living from a workshop, I had a small degree of confidence that I'd be going home with something that resembled a Viking kitchen knife and a functional bottle opener. This definitely would not have happened without Colin's guidance and wealth of experience and thanks to him the items came out better than I expected for a first timer.
The experience was both enjoyable and educational which leaves you finishing the day with a sense of accomplishment (I had to get some beer on the way home to test the bottle opener). Colin taught us how to properly heat steel, work it using a wide range of different methods, while also explaining what colours to look out for, how to treat the steel and how to rectify any mistakes using the best possible techniques. Although Colin kept us supervised to make sure we weren't about to ruin our work, once you work yourself into a rhythm you also get a liberating sense of independence while working on your project.
Overall, a brilliant day out, taught by a very experienced and down to earth guy. I would love to go back to make something else in the future and would recommend this course to anyone who has an interest in trying their hand at blacksmithing.
Went last week, had a great time with Bob and learnt alot. One of the things I made was a bottle opener, which I've used frequently since.
Completed a day with Bob last week. He is a knowledgeable and patient teacher. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely do it again. Excellent course.
absolutely amazing time, been a couple of times now, with both Colin and Bob and they are both patient and good teachers
I bought my boyfriend and dad a blacksmithing day with Colin and it exceeded all expectation! They both had the best day and came away with two works of art each. I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a great day out or as a gift idea.
They now both want to learn more so I am sure we will be back!
Thank you :)