Two DAY COURSES AT IASTUDIOS
Damascus Knifemaking
After attending our damascus knife making course you will leave with exactly that. A sharp, beautiful and lasting Damascus knife with a fantastic pattern welded and etched blade. As well as taking home the knife you made by your hands you will also leave understanding the process you used and firsthand knowledge of the craftsmanship involved in knifemaking and blacksmithing as a whole.
The course will begin with the production of the Damascus steel, it is this process of layering and manipulating different materials that will give the knife the pattern. with the billet made and the pattern manipulated we will then show you how to hand forge, grind and heat treat your knife. Before you fit your handle the knife will get a relaxing bath in some acid, this is the magic step where the pattern of the Damascus is revealed, and the knife is transformed.
Introduction to Blacksmithing
Our 2-day intro to blacksmithing course is designed to offer you a foothold into the craft of the blacksmith. You will gain an understanding of the principles of forge-work to give you a great start on your journey as a blacksmith or just a great day out learning a new skill. This course has a wide brief of things you can make, having been offered a selection of items for you to choose from you will be tutored through the process with an eye for getting you to grips with the process of moving hot steel.
This course will be centred around introducing you to the blacksmith’s skill set, our set list of items has been curated to be achievable so you absolutely leave with a finished product by the end, as well as being achievable they will show you the base process of the blacksmith so you will be able to make the item again on your own.
AXE making
On our 2 day axe making course you will leave with a one handed general duties axe that with a little care will last a lifetime. As well as leaving with an axe you will have a basic understanding of the processes involved in making an axe and blacksmithing as a whole.
You will be provided with a piece of tool steel and we will guide you through the process of turning it into an axe, this will include punching and drifting a hole, forging the material and shaping it where it needs to go. Once forged you will then use grinding equipment to refine the axe and prepare it to take a cutting blade as well as heat treat the metal to make it tough and able to hold up to the abuse it might take later. On this course you will do some solo work with a hand hammer and make use of a hydraulic press or power hammer, this course also uses teamwork where you will be partnered up to work in pairs for smith and striker work with a sledge hammer. Once the axe head is complete you will then fit your own handle, carefully working down the wood so that the head is a perfect fit. Once the wood fits through the eye of axe head just right you will then wedge it in place. Et voila, one functional tool ready for use!
