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.
Saturday and Sunday 9 am – 4 pm This class is designed to introduce a beginner to the fundamentals of smithing techniques: drawing down, upsetting, cutting, slitting, punching, twisting and bending. This class seeks to impart a solid understanding of the various ways hot steel can be shaped with just a few simple tools. The students are […]
Saturday and Sunday 9 am – 4 pm In this class we will forge a 4-inch blade, camping/utility knife from a single bar of high-carbon steel. This type of knife is very solid and versatile, and can be used while camping, for daily use, or in the kitchen. Skills learned include hand-forging a blade and […]
Saturday 9am – 4pm In this class, we will make a Kiridashi knife, which is an essential implement in any Japanese carpenters tool kit. This versatile knife is used for marking, planing, whittling and any other woodworking task where controlled, precise work is required. We will start with a flat bar of high carbon steel, […]
Saturday and Sunday 9 am – 4 pm In this fun class, you will forge a 6-inch, rocking knife out of a high-carbon steel bar, stamp it with your initials, clay-harden it to produce a Japanese-style differential heat treatment, temper it, and hand-hone it to a razor sharpness on a water stone. Rocking knives are […]
Saturday and Sunday 9:30 am – 4:30 pm The making of tools has always been one of the mainstays of a blacksmith’s set of skills. Not only is the smith expected to make most of their own tools — traditionally, a smith would make the tools for every other trade and craft, from a nail […]
Saturday and Sunday 9:30 am – 4:30 pm A knife is perhaps the most basic, elemental tool, and a good chef’s knife will make a big difference in the kitchen. Forged properly from a good carbon steel and ground and honed to a razor edge, the Japanese-style blade will give many years of reliable, versatile […]
Saturday-Sunday 9:30 am - 4:30 pm NATA A nata is a traditional multi-purpose hatchet; many regional and task-specific versions are still being made in Japan. We will make a version I find particularly useful; it utilizes a square blade and a slightly tilted handle for good balance and cutting angle. The blade will be forged […]