Forging Damascus knives (2 days)

Forging Damascus knives (2 days)

In Grebenhain (Vogelsberg), immerse yourself in the world of fire, steel, and sparks! In this course, you will make your own Damascus steel with approx. 160 layers by folding and fire welding, and then forge your own knife from it.

You will learn a lot of specialist knowledge and various working techniques for producing Damascus steel and knives. You will spend most of the first day in the forging area and the rest of the time in the knife-making workshop.

In a small group of up to 8 participants, you will carry out all the work yourself and at the end of the two days you will take home your own knife made from Damascus steel that you have forged yourself.

Day 1

We start the course at 9:00 a.m. in the knife forge at Grebenhainer Str. 3, 36355 Grebenhain.

After a short safety briefing, we will design your dream knife together. Whether it's a chef's knife, meat knife, snack knife for your lederhosen, santoku, hunting or outdoor knife... we will help you create the perfect knife design!

Then we will start making the Damascus steel. Various types of steel are welded together in the fire to form a solid piece, and the number of layers is doubled several times through folding and fire welding. Up to 160 layers can be produced before the Damascus steel is forged to the size of the knife.

Once you have finished forging the blade blank, the finer details of the knife shape are worked out with the flex and belt sander.

Then, while the Damascus blade blank is being soft annealed in the oven, we begin preparations for the knife handle.

Handle materials such as walnut, cherry, mahogany, etc. are already included in the course price. More exclusive handle materials are also available for an additional material charge. Tropical hardwood, various burl woods, precious woods, stabilized wood, and much more.

(Unfortunately, fossil materials such as mammoth molars cannot be used in this course. In addition to the labor-intensive damascus steel, processing these materials would not be feasible in two days. Please book the "Damascus Knife Intensive Course 3 Days" for this.

Day 2

We start again at 9:00 a.m., now with the focus on finishing the damascus knife.

We begin the day with blade grinding, using files and a belt sander. Belt sanders and tools are available for this step so that your blade looks as perfect as possible!

After hardening and tempering, the blade is finished. This is followed by etching. Here, we highlight the different layers of steel, and the Damascus pattern becomes visible on the blade.

The next step is to prepare, glue, and pin all handle materials to the Damascus blade. This type of connection means there is no gap between the blade and the handle, so no moisture can penetrate.

The handle is perfectly adapted to your hand and all scratches are removed with sandpaper and polished.

Finally, we sharpen your knife to razor sharpness and hope that you will enjoy your homemade Damascus knife for many years to come.

Included in the price

• 1 self-forged knife.
• Kitchen knife: max. blade length 18 cm / max. blade height 4.5 cm.
• Other knives: max. blade length 12 cm / max. blade height 4.0 cm.
• Blade steels for the production of your Damascus steel.
• Normal handle wood (various other materials available at extra cost).
• Consumables, use of workshop.
• 2x lunch.
• Instruction by our course instructors.
• Test pieces (if these have been produced).

Please bring

• Cotton work clothes (jeans, sweater, jacket).
• Sturdy leather shoes (boots if possible).
• Safety goggles, leather gloves, and other protective equipment can be purchased on site.

Important information about this course

• Starts promptly at 9 a.m. / ends around 6 p.m., possibly later.
• Minimum age 18 years.
• You should enjoy and have patience for manual work.
• Please bring: Fireproof cotton work clothes (e.g., jeans and sweater).
• Sturdy leather work shoes.
• Ear protection, safety goggles to protect against flying sparks, work gloves (However, due to safety regulations, these must comply with DIN EN 388, DIN EN 407, and DIN EN 12477 A!).
• Dust masks (FFP3) can be purchased on site during the course.
• Our products are often cheaper and better than those available at hardware stores.
• Hotel recommendation: >>> click here <<<.
• At the start of the course, a safety instruction form must be signed, which excludes any liability on the part of the organizer for property damage or personal injury during the course.

Terms and conditions for this course

• The full amount must be paid promptly after booking; only then will your place be firmly reserved.
• If we do not receive payment within 4 weeks of booking, the booking will be automatically canceled and you will be informed of this by email.

If you cancel a booked and paid event, we will charge the following fees (the booking date on the order confirmation applies):

• From 6 weeks before the start of the course - None.
• From 4 weeks before the start of the course - 15% of the course fee.
• From 3 weeks before the start of the course - 30% of the course fee.
• From 2 weeks before the start of the course - 50% of the course fee.
• From 1 week before the start of the course - 100% of the course fee.