Tomahawk Axe Forging Workshop

Forge your own tomahawk axe in this full-day workshop in London and create a tool you'll treasure for years to come – whether you use it as a small camp hatchet or try your hand at target throwing. You'll start with a 0.5kg high carbon steel ball-pein hammer head and transform it completely, learning real blacksmithing skills as you go.Heating the steel in the forge to just under 1000 degrees until it glows bright orange, you'll begin shaping the axe using a combination of hammer, anvil, and hydraulic press. Once forged and cooled, you'll refine the shape on belt grinders before moving through a robust heat treatment process – normalising, hardening, and tempering – to ensure a truly keen edge. Then you'll select a suitable handle, shape it to fit perfectly, and finish by sharpening to a sharp, functional blade. No prior experience is necessary; the class guides you through every step, from forge safety to the final test of your finished axe.Your Day

• Introduction to forging safely, use of gas forge and PPE
• Drifting the eye
• Forging to rough shape
• Profiling the axe head
• Heat treating (including normalising, hardening and tempering)
• Handle selection, shaping and fitting
• Blade sharpening and testing

You'll understand every stage of how raw steel becomes a functional tool – the physics of heating and cooling, the craft of shaping by hand, the precision of heat treatment. By the end of the day, you'll walk away with something genuinely special: a handforged axe that's built to work and tell the story of how you made it.Please note

• Each day will begin at 10:00, and run until approximately 17:00.
• Due to space and safety issues, spectators are not permitted on these courses.
• The age limit for attendance on any course involving the forging and making of knives or axes is 18+. There are no exceptions to this rule, and ID verification may be requested prior to course commencement in the event the participant looks under 21.

• At the end of the course you will go home with a fully finished and sharp tomahawk axe that you have made yourself, suitable for a lifetime of use.
• Tea / Coffee / Biscuits will be provided. There are many local shops/cafes nearby for lunch.

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