Hammer and Hound Forge reviews

1 Dec 25'

Ian reviewed: Damascus Steel Knife forging

"Had a great time with Alex, who is an excellent craftsman and a talented educator. 2 days later we took home excellent Damascus knife each which will last a lifetime."

28 Nov 25'

Jackie & Phil Dyson reviewed: Archive, DO NOT LIST

"Outstanding! We had a fantastic day learning how to forge with Alex, who was fun, informative and helpful throughout the day. He always started with a step by step demonstration and was on hand to help us at every stage. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to have a go at working with metal. "

24 Nov 25'

Alan Astbury reviewed: Beginners Knife Forging Day

"This was a public course with 5 attendees, only two had met previously and no-one had any experience. Alex established a rapport with everyone really quickly and after the safety briefing got us 'forging' straight away. It was full on day, you could choose the type of knife you wanted to create- even carving the handle from a block of wood. There was no wasted time or messing about; Alex kept the pace moving and helped everyone along so that no-one got left behind. Plenty of equipment and space to do your work safely. At the end everyone was pretty happy with their creations. This is an excellent and thoroughly enjoyable experience that I would highly recommend. My only regret is that I didn't think it through enough beforehand in respect of the type of knife I wanted to make. So I'll be going back and do another course."

24 Nov 25'

George reviewed: Beginners Knife Forging Day

"An amazing experience to learn so much from Alex. The day was informative and incredibly enjoyable. I would thoroughly recommend this course to everyone. Thank you, Alex!!"

19 Nov 25'

Matt reviewed: Axe / Hammer Forging Day

"Great experience. Very informative walkthrough the whole process, complete with a nice explanation of why heat treating and tempering work the way they do. Enough work to do that it truly felt like my own completed product, but enough help when needed that I actually have an axe and not some weird bottle opener or robotic crab or something. Will definitely be booking in for another course at some point."

18 Nov 25'

Rhys reviewed: Axe / Hammer Forging Day

"I had a fantastic time at this course. The first part of the day was strenuous but was absolutely worth it to put the effort in. I learned a lot and had great fun doing so. Alex was an amazing instructor who made the whole thing interesting, informative and safe."

17 Nov 25'

Ali McDonald reviewed: Axe / Hammer Forging Day

"Thoroughly enjoyable day. Ended up with a great little axe. Ideal for chopping sticks for my fire but the main thing was what I learned. Alex was a good instructor and has a fantastic workshop."

6 Nov 25'

Sam B reviewed: Beginners Knife Forging Day

"As enthusiasts of the TV series Forged in Fire, I purchased this experience as a birthday present for my husband. We completed the beginner’s knife forging day with Alex, and we couldn’t have asked for a better instructor—especially with this being our first time forging. Alex was high-energy from start to finish, with a great balance of seriousness and lighthearted fun in his teaching style. He’s immensely knowledgeable, and his passion for the trade is unmistakable. That passion also shone through in his interactions with us—ensuring our safety, helping us understand the forging process and tools, and guiding us to create quality pieces we’re proud to have made and will cherish for years to come. I would definitely recommend this class. It was an authentic, hands-on experience, and even with effort required by the nature of it's craft , it was incredibly enjoyable all around. "

3 Nov 25'

Eimear reviewed: Archive, DO NOT LIST

"We had the fantastic day doing the beginner blacksmithing course! Alex is so welcoming and friendly and clearly passionate about what he does. The day was fairly physical but he was more than happy to help out when I started to struggle, which meant I could finish all three items. I would totally recommend this course to anyone, I had absolutely 0 experience or knowledge of blacksmithing before and still made 3 pretty good pieces!"

2 Nov 25'

Shiv N reviewed: Beginners Knife Forging Day

"I booked this course with 2 other friends and we found it hugely enjoyable. Alex was a friendly, welcoming and supportive teacher and took the time to engage with each attendee and give them individual advice and assistance, ensuring that we all left with a usable knife by the end of the day. I'd love to book another of his courses again in the future, and would really recommend this experience to anyone and everyone who might be tempted to give blacksmithing a go."

2 Nov 25'

Ross reviewed: Archive, DO NOT LIST

"The beginners blacksmithing course is great fun! Alex is a fantastic teacher and demonstrates what over a decade of experience looks like. He is patient and encouraging, even when you burn your metal. Anyone looking for an experience like this should definitely give this course a go!"

1 Nov 25'

Andrew Morrell reviewed: Damascus Steel Knife forging

"Once again, Alex was brilliant and helped me make the best Damascus Steel Knife that I could. Exactly as I imagined it. Alex helps where he needs to but makes sure the knife is 100% your work. This is my 5th experience and I’m already looking to book another one."

30 Oct 25'

Jamie reviewed: Damascus Steel Knife forging

"I had a brilliant experience over the weekend crafting my Damascus kitchen knife. Alex is an excellent and clearly passionate tutor taking you through the process, and I definitely plan on returning to make more with Hammer and Hound."

21 Oct 25'

Jonathan Harri reviewed: Archive, DO NOT LIST

"Amazing to learn so much in one day. Alex was so good at getting points across. Enjoyed day as a whole. Would definitely recommend this course."

20 Oct 25'

Col reviewed: Beginners Knife Forging Day

"An enjoyable day, in a small group so we always felt there was enough instruction and support, with ample tooling so no waiting around for equipment. Alex is a considerate tutor with much experience, making all participants feel safe and competent to produce unique and personal knives each."

19 Oct 25'

Gabriel reviewed: Beginners Knife Forging Day

"I had an amazing experience with the Beginner Bladesmith Course! Alex was a fantastic teacher — patient, knowledgeable, and great at explaining every step of the process. By the end of the course, we each finished our own knife, which was incredibly rewarding. Highly recommended — definitely give it a try!"

19 Oct 25'

Daniel reviewed: Beginners Knife Forging Day

"Absolutely fantastic, course was well ran and very informative. Plus Alex was great in helping when you stuck. Would definitely recommend. "

15 Oct 25'

Joe reviewed: Archive, DO NOT LIST

"Excellent course with an excellent instructor! "

12 Oct 25'

Angus reviewed: Archive, DO NOT LIST

"Alex was a great tutor and helped me every step of the way! Would definitely recommend this course to others as you learn so much, I had no idea how complex the forging process was really until this course. Definitely an eye-opening experience!"

10 Oct 25'

Kristofer williamson reviewed: Archive, DO NOT LIST

"He's a great and lovely man. He helps you a lot. He walks you through all the steps and if you get stuck he comes back and shows you. You know lots about this craft and 110% tell anyone to give him a go. I did 4 courses with him now and will keep doing it because it's great to do and can give as a gifts that look that good when I finish it."

7 Oct 25'

Laura Swaddle reviewed: Beginners Knife Forging Day

"We spent a fantastic day learning to forge our own blades - our instructor Alex was friendly and super helpful, showing us all the techniques needed whilst ensuring we all took the lead on our own projects. The in-depth knowledge behind each step of the process was fascinating and we all benefitted from really understanding what was happening both physically and scientifically at each stage. This was a wonderful present for my partner's 40th birthday and we'll be recommending it to others! "

3 Oct 25'

Uwe Schifter reviewed: Beginners Knife Forging Day

"I just finished the beginners bladesmithing course. It was a very enjoyable day. I had no previous crafting experience and walked home with a nice knife and some newly learned skills and a better understanding of the processses involved. Alex's instuctions were very clear and to the point. He was very helpful giving encouragement and tips when necessary. I can highly recommend it."

22 Sep 25'

William Steele reviewed: Beginners Knife Forging Day

"A great day! We went from a small block to steel to our own first knives! Alex (instructor) gave us all necessary assistance on truly tricky bits with his years of skill and also allowed the flexibility for us to make something to our own imaginative design rather than just to a pre-made pattern. You'll leave with a hand made item with a machined edge that will cut straight away. Alex also had a great deal of knowledge of historical blades and so there were options to make various cultural recreations if you desire. On our course someone made a Scottish skene-dhu knife to be part of their sons traditional wedding dress. Good value for money and one of the only forging experiences available in the North East! "

21 Sep 25'

Bob Pass reviewed: Axe / Hammer Forging Day

"I enjoyed a course, given as a gift, so much last year that I booked to return. As before, Alex was a great teacher, encouraging and so skilled, the venue was ideal and the other course participants really great fun. Alex was also very patient and helpful with me, I am rather deaf and in the noisy environment of the forge, even the best of hearing aids struggle to cope. However, Alex made sure that I got all the information on both safety and techniques that I needed. We all got quickly immersed in the experience and produced practical small axes (we all wanted to make the axe, rather than the hammer, best not to dwell too much on the psychology here!) The course is challenging enough to demand full attention and application, we were certainly never bored! I came away really pleased with a nice, fully functional axe."

21 Sep 25'

Paul reviewed: Axe / Hammer Forging Day

"Very good day, well delivered."