Experience days
If you have bought a blacksmith experience day with me and have been waiting to book, please get in touch via Facebook.com/Firehoundforge or Firehoundforge@outlook.com and we will get you booked in as soon as we can.
As the old Finn saying goes, “No one is born a blacksmith” and we all start somewhere. Whether you are interested in taking up a new hobby, testing the waters for a new career or just fancy an interesting day out, where better to start than the three-thousand year old father of all crafts?
What to expect;
All experience days include a warm welcome with the kettle on, a summary of the necessary health and safety, a detailed crash course in forging theory (focusing on areas appropriate to what you'll be making) and a overview of the day's plan, before delving right in and swinging a hammer.
I can teach up to four people at a time, including children from ages 12 and up, so long as a responsible adult or guardian is present.
How to book;
Experience days are booked on a case-by-case basis, rather than held on specific days. So let me know when abouts you'd like to have yours and I can give you a list of dates I'm available to teach around then. Aternatively, you can buy a gift certificate as a gift and the person recieving it can get in touch at a later date to book.
If you would like more information or to buy an experience day (for yourself or as a gift) send us an email at FirehoundForge@outlook.com and we'll get back to you as soon as we can!
What you'll need;
We provide tea, coffee & PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), as well as being well-stocked with first aid and fire extinguishers.
Comfortable clothes you don’t mind getting sooty. Natural fibres are safer than man-made. Polymers melt!
Sturdy, comfortable shoes or boots (no open footware, like ‘rigger’ boots, trainers or wellies).
Any soft drink you prefer, or snacks that don’t require a fridge.
Lunch for any all day course. There is also a good local Fish & Chip shop (closed Sundays).
Full day course (8 hours)
£220 for 1 person, £210pp for 2, £200pp for groups* of up to 4
*Weekends are reserved for full days & any other group bookings.
* Groups need to make similar items to get the most out of their time.
Designed to provide a longer experience with traditional forge work & to allow you to produce a larger project or several small ones. I recommend these for people with some experience working with their hands, those considering enrolling into a blacksmith college / apprenticeship, taking it up as a hobby, or simply those who want to forge all day!
Some of the items you can make are below - let me know if you have something specific in mind and I'll let you know if it's doable.
· Bespoke fully heat-treated knife (not ‘Damascus’ / pattern welded) - over 18’s only by law
· Tools for blacksmithing / gardening / cooking, etc.
· Fire iron set (poker, brush & coal shovel)
· Multiple items from the half-day course (see above)
· Artistic pieces or other larger custom projects
Half day course (4 hours)
£120 for 1 person, £110pp for 2, £100pp for groups* of up to 4
*Weekends are reserved for full days & any other group bookings.
* Groups need to make similar items to get the most out of their time.
Designed to give you a taste of blacksmithing whilst producing a piece of ironwork for you to take home. I run these from 1000-1400, although the times are flexible to some extent.
Below are some of the items you can make, though let me know if you have something specific in mind & I'll let you know if it's doable in the time.
· Letter / bottle opener, fire poker, shepherd’s crook
· Coat rack, iron rose, Celtic or Viking cloak pin
· Horseshoe heart (feel free to bring your own)
· Combination of small items (pendants, rings & keyrings)
Viking-themed day course (8 hours)
£220 for 1 person, £210pp for 2, £200pp for groups* of up to 4
*Weekends are reserved for full days & any other group bookings.
* Groups need to make similar items to get the most out of their time.
This day is designed to give you a fun day of forging, creating three small items based on the Scandinavian cultures from the 7th-10th centuries AD.
As this is a themed day, the three items you'll forge are;
· Trolls Cross pendant (a modern pagan design, based on the Othala rune &used to keep away trolls... I've never seen a troll so must be working)!
· Mjolnir (Thor's hammer) pendant
· Migration-period knife (based on various archaeological grave finds in Scandinavia).
Got a specific project or item in mind you want to make? That's fine! Just get in touch and we can plan a day bespoke to you and what you want to produce!