Wanted: Knife Making Course Recommendations?

Yeomans

Well-Known Member
Hi All,

Looking to do a knife making course and wanted to check in here for recommendations or places to avoid?

Looking for at least one day course to actually learn how to do it and techniques rather than just an 'experience' type events.

Thanks

M
 
Twisted Horseshoe Knives.
He does a "knife in a day" course. Proper forging from scratch, not using a pre-made blank. You design and make the type of knife you want.
 
Hi All,

Looking to do a knife making course and wanted to check in here for recommendations or places to avoid?

Looking for at least one day course to actually learn how to do it and techniques rather than just an 'experience' type events.

Thanks

M
See my posts #5 & #17 in this thread:
 
Everyone has to start somewhere. Those kind of courses are a great inspiration and introduction to knife making, and you get something usable to take home at the end of the day.
Yes, I know and my post isn't a dig at anyone, but you shouldn't be able to make a knife in a day.

The OP says, Looking for at least one day course to actually learn how to do it and techniques rather than just an 'experience' type events...

If you come away from a one day course having made a full knife you have not learned a thing, you have learned nothing transferable, you can't then make another knife, no how, no way.

These one day courses are worthless, they are simply an experience, but, you get a knife at the end, so all is well that ends well.
 
Yes, I know and my post isn't a dig at anyone, but you shouldn't be able to make a knife in a day.

The OP says, Looking for at least one day course to actually learn how to do it and techniques rather than just an 'experience' type events...

If you come away from a one day course having made a full knife you have not learned a thing, you have learned nothing transferable, you can't then make another knife, no how, no way.

These one day courses are worthless, they are simply an experience, but, you get a knife at the end, so all is well that ends well.
I think I learnt a heck of a lot in that one day, and certainly it formed a basis that I could have built on, should I have wished to install my own forge and continued the learning process in my own time. As I said, it was a great inspiration and a starting point.
 
Hi All,

Looking to do a knife making course and wanted to check in here for recommendations or places to avoid?

Looking for at least one day course to actually learn how to do it and techniques rather than just an 'experience' type events.

Thanks

M
I guess you’re looking for something fairly local to yourself?
 
Just booked myself on a few one day courses, I'm doing farming, motor mechanic, engineer, surgeon and gas fitter, just in case the knife making doesn't work out.

I'll obviously be fully capable of doing all of these after a full 8 to 10 hours of training.
With a good knife you are off to a good start at being a surgeon!
 
Thanks for the some of the helpful comments.

I think it was pretty obvious from the original post that I wasn't going to jack in my job after a one day course to become a proficient knife maker and start up my own company...
 
Just booked myself on a few one day courses, I'm doing farming, motor mechanic, engineer, surgeon and gas fitter, just in case the knife making doesn't work out.

I'll obviously be fully capable of doing all of these after a full 8 to 10 hours of training.
Quite agree Stuart, you forgot filling in forms to receive grants instead of working hard learning a trade saving up and buying your own kit.
I learnt in my toolmaking apprenticeship from 16-21 that getting the food order (rolls each day) for the people passing down their knowledge was very important also the ****ing fish and chips on a Friday.
However having people teach you how to grind to tenths of thou's or bend spring steel and heat treat is not learnt over a few hours.
Being a skilled trades man and having an opinion is being slowly drowned out by the form fillers and grant takers lol
 

I did a knife making course with Dave Budd in Devon around fifteen years ago. It took two days to make the knife and handle. We started with a small piece of steel drawing out the tang and blade at the forge by hand with a hammer. We then used grinders to shape the bevels before heat treating the blade. The next day we made and fitted the wooden handle. I opted to make a leather sheath at home but could have done a third day doing this with Dave.

I make and sell specialist wood turning tools so I was already familiar with edge tools, forging and heat treating steel but I had never made a knife before. It is quite a primitive thing, certainly very much a ‘beginners knife’ but it was great fun and I highly recommend Dave to anyone wanting to take the first step in to knife making or just wanting a one off experience.

As Stuart says it takes many, many years to become proficient in a craft or trade but there are people who have that wealth of knowledge and share it with others on short weekend courses. These experiences are so worthwhile; not necessarily as a way to learn something (which can’t happen overnight) but perhaps to spark an interest and to build memories which will last forever.

I still use the knife I made with Dave as my stalking knife today. It’s far from perfect but it’s still so much better than any of the factory produced knives I have tried over the years.
 
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