Custom Courses

Custom courses are run on request at the Tharwa Valley Forge. They usually require minimum numbers and need to be arranged in advance.

Private one-on-one tuition is also available. If you like to learn something that is not listed here please contact us and we'll see how we can help.

Forge Making

This one day course will have you making your own gas fired forge and venturi burner. The forge will get you well truly and started on your future blacksmithing projects. The forge is portable, needs no electricity and runs of a standard 9kg BBQ gas bottle. Welding heat is reached in about 10 minutes and larger pieces can be forged by opening the back door. Perfect for knifemaking, tool making, damascus steel making and decorative blacksmithing. It can also be used for basic heat treating.

It has a maximum of four students only.

Blacksmithing

This is a special weekend course designed as a comprehensive introduction to Blacksmithing. It has a maximum of four students only. At the end of the weekend you will have a set of tools to use in future blacksmithing projects

Father and Son Course

A one day blacksmithing courses to be shared. This is a great opportunity for young people 10 - 18 years old and their parents to share a new experiences. The projects are designed so they can be completed by a range of abilities, so everyone can make something. Skills will be developed in hammering, drawing, shaping and twisting steel. Projects will be completed by working together and helping each other. This is not just an all boy program, so mothers, daughters can be involved as well. So can grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and family friends. It was a bit too hard to fit all the combinations in the title.

Cable Damascus

This one day course introduces the concept of forge welding cable to create patterns in the steel. This not only makes attractive blades, but also a very tough, flexible blade that keeps a great edge. The finished blade is then etched in acid to bring out the patterns of the different parts of the cable - often with dramatic results. This process is called called cable damascus.

Forging Blades

This one day workshop further develops skills in forging blades. The emphasis is on improving skills through practice. Each participant will have an opportunity to forge a number of blades of differing sizes and shapes. Typically each participant will make 6 - 10 blades during the course, depending on individual skill and speed. We will look at forging full and partial tangs, distal tapers, clip and dop points and recurved blades. We will also learn how to make forged handles.

Advanced Grinding

This one day intensive course is for people wanting to further develop their grinding skills. The course will be using the Radius Master 48" grinders as well as the DJ Grinder 72" belt grinder. It will cover shaping and profiling, edge geometry, blade grinds - hollow, convex, flat, chisel and scandi. We'll also look at finishing with belts.

Leather Sheathmaking

This course focus on making a wet- moulded leather sheath for your knife. The sheath is moulded to the exact shape of the knife and as it dries shrinks, providing a tight fit. Please bring the knives you want to make the sheaths for so they can made to fit. Two sheaths will be made in the evening.