Classes and Open Forge Calendar

Bridgetown Forge offers a variety of classes, for both a novice and the experienced smith: forging Japanese-style knives, tool-making, tong-making, and basic smithing. Heat-treatment, steel selection, and metallurgy are also extensively covered. Hofi’s ergonomic forging method, which allows for fast, accurate forging with reduced effort, is taught throughout, and the emphasis is on practical, straightforward, and effective shaping of steel. Our shop is well-equipped with multiple forging hammers, extensive grinding and polishing setup, gas and coke forges, and an individual forging station for every student. Nine students can be fully accommodated in any class.

New classes are being developed on a continuous basis, and classes to be offered in near future include: power hammer work, forging a cleaver, forging a sushi knife, hammer-making, and axe-making. The goal is to offer a complete curriculum covering the many different skills of a blacksmith.

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CLASS: Forging a Cleaver

February 21 - February 22

Saturday and Sunday
9:30 am – 4:30 pm

In this class, we will forge an 8-inch blade cleaver out of a bar of high-carbon steel, stamp it with your initials, harden and temper it to have a tough back and a hard, durable edge, attach a hickory handle to it and hone it to razor sharpness. This cleaver will feature a progressive bevel, which allows it to handle both tough jobs like cutting through bones, and yet makes it possible to easily slice ripe tomatoes and chop and dice vegetables. It’s weight and size are perfect for almost any task in the kitchen. In fact, a good, properly designed and forged cleaver is a wonderful tool to have in your kitchen — I’m still using the one I’ve inherited from my grandmother! This class incorporates both hand forging and the use of a power hammer, the latter being an exciting and crucial skill for any modern blacksmith. It is also a necessary procedure in this class, as the cleaver we will be making is quite substantial.

The class fees are $580, which includes all materials and safety supplies. The knife, and anything else you might make, are yours to take home with you.

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Details

Venue