Toolforging 101- Axe and Hammer Forging
Join us for a full-day, hands-on a toolmaking experience from 10am to 5pm, where you’ll forge your own axe or hammer from raw steel to finished tool.
In this immersive course, you’ll learn how to shape, heat treat, and finish your chosen tool, before fitting it with a properly sized handle. Whether you’d like to follow one of our tried-and-tested beginner-friendly designs or create something completely your own, we’ll guide you through every step of the process.
This course takes place using our gas forge wherein you can choose what type of tool, and what style you want to forge, creating a lively, collaborative workshop atmosphere. You’ll work with traditional techniques in a supportive environment, gaining practical skills you can take away and use for life.
By the end of the day, you’ll leave with a fully functional, handcrafted tool — and the satisfaction of having made it yourself.
Course Details
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Price: £195 per person (public course)
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Duration: 10am–5pm
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Minimum age: 18 years
Private experiences available upon enquiry
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Guests who appear under 25 will be asked to provide valid ID on arrival
Whether you’re interested in forging a tough, working hatchet or a finely balanced hammer, this course offers a unique opportunity to experience traditional toolmaking firsthand.
Click the button below to learn more or book your place — we’d love to welcome you back to the forge! 
What types of tools can I make? As this course is aimed at smiths with a bit of blacksmithing already under their belt, though beginners are most welcome to jump in. As such, more complex tool shapes that need you hit harder, faster and more accurately may be a bit difficult for beginners. See below for a bit of guidance!
The starting stock for one of our axes is 50mm x 25mm x 100mm and will result in an axehead around 2lb in weight, though if you grind more away you can lighten it. We can provide smaller billets for people wanting to forge sloyd carving axes.
Easy axe shapes include a fanned blade and rounded cheeks, though if you wanted to grind them flat (like a Hudson Bay) or spike them like many viking axes this is easy to do too! You will happily achieve a 4" wide blade, great for chopping firewood and general bushcraft.
Flat top axes (think Gransfors Bruks) are a little bit trickier, and bearded axes are much more difficult. If you would like to forge something larger or more complex, please get in touch to discuss!
Our hammers are forged from 40 x 40 x 100mm starting stock, around 2lb, with a wide variety of easy styles for beginners to tackle. Bladesmith's dogheads, lump hammers/mells, farrier's turning hammers, viking style cross peins, ball peins, claw hammers and even medieval spiked hammers. More complex types include armourers dishing, raising and sumping hammers, geology hammers, chasing/repousse hammers etc. If you would like to forge something larger or more complex, please get in touch to discuss!
We have even had people forge adzes, pickaroons, rakes, hoes and other tools on this course! Get in touch before booking to discuss your project if you want to go 'off menu'
The morning is spent forging your tool blank and, after a half hour's lunch break, we begin to grind, polish and heat treat your toolhead, along with fitting a handle. We carry astock of ash and hickory hafts. If you wish to bring your own haft (eg sentimental value), you are most welcome. For private bookings and odd requests (rake heads etc) we can order in more specialist hafts if given notice.
The course ends with a discussion on aftercare for your tools and on the in's and outs of UK knifelaw. In addition with all participants being proven 18+, we do not allow banned blade profiles to be forged on this course ensuring that all participants are following the law.
All participants must adhere to our attendance policy.
Your Heading
Participant's works!
Participants will need to bring a bag to take their tools home in after they have been wrapped up securely with bubblewrap. You may wish to bring additional stuffing (a blanket etc) to pack into your bag to prevent accident or injury.
As with all our courses, the class starts at 10am and ends around 5pm. We request that all participants arrive 10 minutes early. There is always the possibility of the class running long so we recommend participants account for this possibility in their plans.
You will need:
-sturdy boots and sensible forge clothes (check our guide)
-a packed lunch, or visit a nearby eatery at dinnertime