The Campfire Forging Weekend offers a rare opportunity to craft your own cutting tools in the woodland using traditional, fire-based forging techniques. Working close to the flames, participants experience the deeply satisfying process of shaping steel by hand, guided by skilled instructors in an immersive woodland setting.
Over the course of the weekend, participants forge tools that are both functional and personal, made to their own design and proportions. Central to the course is the production of a Viking-style neck knife, designed to function not only as a cutting tool but also as a flint striker. Participants also explore the forging of a mocotaugan or crooked knife, a traditional tool essential for spoon and kuksa carving.
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The Campfire Forging Weekend offers a rare opportunity to craft your own cutting tools in the woodland using traditional, fire-based forging techniques. Working close to the flames, participants experience the deeply satisfying process of shaping steel by hand, guided by skilled instructors in an immersive woodland setting.
Over the course of the weekend, participants forge tools that are both functional and personal, made to their own design and proportions. Central to the course is the production of a Viking-style neck knife, designed to function not only as a cutting tool but also as a flint striker. Participants also explore the forging of a mocotaugan or crooked knife, a traditional tool essential for spoon and kuksa carving.
Campfire Forging Weekend
Campfire Forging Weekend
Campfire Forging Weekend
Campfire Forging Weekend
Campfire Forging Weekend
Campfire Forging Weekend
Friday– Arrival and Foundations
Participants meet at the designated point before shouldering their kits and walking into the woodland to establish an expedition-style camp. Once settled, instructors outline the structure of the weekend, introduce the camp layout, and allow time to acclimatise to the environment.
Attention then turns to the heart of the course: the campfire forge. Participants learn how to site a forge correctly, select and prepare fuel, and manage airflow to achieve forging temperatures using simple, traditional methods. Steel stock is issued and time is given to consider tool design, proportions, and intended use.
Essential health and safety principles are covered carefully and thoroughly, ensuring participants work confidently and responsibly throughout the weekend.
Saturday – Forging the Blade
The morning starts with the forges being brought back to life and the day’s forging begins in earnest. Instructors demonstrate each stage of the process before participants begin work.
Participants learn to read the steel, control heat, and shape material efficiently. Starting from straight stock, the Viking-style neck knife is drawn out, profiled, and refined. Careful attention is given to thickness, taper, and balance, ensuring the blade is both strong and responsive.
Once the form is established, bevels are refined and the blade is prepared for hardening and tempering. This critical stage transforms the forged shape into a reliable cutting tool, balancing edge retention with resilience.
By the end of the day, participants hold a completed knife forged entirely by their own hands—each one unique, reflecting both the material and the maker.
Sunday – Refinement and the Crooked Knife
Sunday allows time to refine and complete the neck knife where needed, before moving on to forging a crooked knife. While the principles remain familiar, the curved blade demands greater sensitivity and control, encouraging participants to apply what they have learned with increased precision.
Instructors provide guidance on blade shape, edge geometry, and handle considerations. Where appropriate, advice is given on completing or refining handles at home, allowing participants to continue the relationship with their tools beyond the course.
In Summary
By the end of the weekend, participants leave with two forged tools, a practical understanding of campfire forging, and a deeper appreciation of the relationship between fire, steel, and handcraft. More than the tools themselves, they take away confidence, insight, and a connection to a craft that rewards patience, judgement, and respect for materials.
