Intro to Blacksmithing

Intro to Knife Making

Tomahawk

Private Classes

Intermediate

Zombie

Campfire Cooking

Private Classes

Broken Hammer Forge offers private classes year round for individuals and small groups wishing to learn together. These classes can be customized to fit your interests and schedule, whether that means evenings, weekends, or weekdays.

Our private class rates are $65/hour for one student, and an additional $30/hour for each additional student. The per-hour pricing allows us a lot of flexibility in terms of the experience levels and types of projects we can accommodate, and allows us to customize your class to fit your background and interests. Pricing includes tools and standard materials. If your requested project requires special materials such as a specialized steel or handle material, this may incur an additional fee to cover added costs. Note, if your group includes 4-6 students (our maximum capacity), group rates may be available. Please reach out to inquire.

Private classes are a great choice for students with a particular blacksmithing or knife making project in mind that may not appear in one of our standard group classes. We can teach a wide variety of techniques and accommodate a wide variety of projects at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels, depending on the background of the student and the experience of the instructor.

Private classes are also a great choice for kids 12 and under who are too young for our standard group classes, or for anyone who feels they would benefit from individualized pacing and instruction. Please note that all minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian throughout the class. The parent may choose to observe only for no added charge, or to pay the additional student rate and participate.

Our most popular project among private class students to date has been forging a knife. Since the details of the knife you want to make can have a big impact on the time required, we’ve developed some guidelines to help you estimate the time required for a given knife making project in a private class setting.

Option 1: Intended for our younger students who are not quite ready for a full class. This knife covers the basics while saving time and strength with a simpler handle. Approximately 2-3 hours.


Option 2: Making a 4-7 inch single edged knife with a simple paracord wrap handle. Approximately 4-5 hours.


Option 3: Making a 4-7 inch single edged knife with a full tang handle complete with wooden scales (slabs of wood glued and pinned together) as seen on TV. Approximately 7-8 hours. Note: a variety of blade profiles (bowie, seax, tonto, etc.) can typically be accommodated within this time frame, but blades longer than 4-7 inches will likely require a longer multi-day class.


Option 4: The sky’s the limit. With some experience under your belt, we can do full blade with guards and pommels, swords, damascus, whatever you want to try. It’s just a matter of time, cost, and realistic expectations.


Any of our blade options can accommodate your choice of a rustic or polished finish. The rustic finish is a natural black oxide that forms as the blade is forged. This is similar to the black finish on a cast iron pan. This version saves time and hides hammer flaws.


The polished finish has a smooth and shiny look. It takes more time to achieve and a perfect end result is not guaranteed, given that mistrikes with the hammer (completely normal for beginners) can leave dents too deep to grind out, resulting in potential dark spots. Most students who opt for this want the polished look and don't mind a few flaws.


Whatever project you’re looking to try or skillset you’re looking to learn, please send us an email or give us a call to begin discussing options.