Blacksmithing

In this course, using a Damascus billet you have previously forged or can purchase in this course, students will forge a full tang style EDC knife. Students will heat treat and bevel their knives in preparation for fitting the handle. We will discuss and implement etching processes to reveal the beautiful pattern welded steel, then finish the handle making an eye catching and functional tool. I this course we will discuss in detail forging processes, grinding techniques, fit & finish and etching procedures.

Dates/Times

• Saturday, November 22, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Sunday, November 23, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Instructor: Cody Csontos

Member Tuition: $260.00
Non-Member Tuition: $300.00

Material Fee: $50.00 Included in fee shown on checkout page

Location: AFS, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY

Special Notes: Students who do not have their own Damascus billet may purchase one from the instructor for an additional charge of $80. Hard shoes and long pants are required for student's safety.

For this course students will get a chance to forge weld a trillium shaped trivet. This design is based on several early American examples. Students will learn basic forge welding along with traditional blacksmithing techniques. During the course there will be a discussion of early American blacksmithing and design.

Dates/Times

• Saturday, May 10, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Instructor: Lucas Novko

Member Tuition: $130.00
Non-Member Tuition: $150.00

Material Fee: $25.00 Included in fee shown

Location: AFS, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY

Special Notes: Hard shoes and long pants are required for student's safety.

This class is taught by renowned instructor and the very first winner of History Channel's Forged in Fire, Matthew Parkinson. The chef's knife is the most used knife in almost any home. These iconic knives help to create meals for family and loved ones. Well-made kitchen knives can last a lifetime and this class will give you the opportunity to create one of your very own. In this two-day class students will make their own chef's knife from high carbon steel. All aspects of bladesmithing will be covered, from forging the blade to shaping, then heat treating, grinding and polishing, making and fitting a wooden handle and finally, sharpening – with very special attention given to the design and geometry of this kind of knife. This class is intended as an introductory bladesmithing class, but some forging experience is helpful.

Dates/Times

• Saturday, August 2, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Sunday, August 3, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Instructor: Matthew Parkinson

Member Tuition: $270.00
Non-Member Tuition: $310.00

Material Fee: $50.00 Included in fee shown

Location: AFS, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY

Special Notes: Hard shoes and long pants are required for student's safety.

This class is taught by renowned instructor and the very first winner of History Channel's Forged in Fire, Matthew Parkinson. The chef's knife is the most used knife in almost any home. These iconic knives help to create meals for family and loved ones. Well-made kitchen knives can last a lifetime and this class will give you the opportunity to create one of your very own. In this two-day class students will make their own chef's knife from high carbon steel. All aspects of bladesmithing will be covered, from forging the blade to shaping, then heat treating, grinding and polishing, making and fitting a wooden handle and finally, sharpening – with very special attention given to the design and geometry of this kind of knife. This class is intended as an introductory bladesmithing class, but some forging experience is helpful.

Dates/Times

• Thursday, July 31, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Friday, August 1, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Instructor: Matthew Parkinson

Member Tuition: $270.00
Non-Member Tuition: $310.00

Material Fee: $50.00 Included in fee shown

Location: AFS, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY

Special Notes: Hard shoes and long pants are required for student's safety.

Strap Hinges are an iconic form of blacksmith-made hinge. This 2-day class will take participants through the process of forging a small set of strap hinges with wrapped eyes and decorative finials. We will also forge the hooks to mount them. Students will either be able to replicate historic examples or design their own unique styles of hinges.

Dates/Times

• Saturday, April 26, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Sunday, April 27, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Instructor: Derek Heidemann

Member Tuition: $260.00
Non-Member Tuition: $300.00

Material Fee: $50.00 Included in fee shown

Location: AFS, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY

Special Notes: Hard shoes and long pants are required for student's safety.

Doing something you love, like gardening, is even more rewarding when using tools you created yourself! In this class you will learn how to spread out metal to forge a garden trowel, and how to forge a weed puller. You'll also learn to attach handles and apply a finish to a forged item. Some basic blacksmithing experience is recommended.

Dates/Times

• Saturday, May 31, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Instructor: Steve Gurzler

Member Tuition: $130.00
Non-Member Tuition: $150.00

Material Fee: $25.00 Included in fee shown

Location: AFS, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY

Special Notes: Hard shoes and long pants are required for student's safety.

In this two-day workshop, learn to forge functional and decorative cooking utensils great for the barbecue or the kitchen! We will explore both two piece construction and one piece forgings. Each student will create multiple utensils while learning simple hand forging techniques, material isolation, sheet metal forming, and simple food safe finishes.

Dates/Times

• Saturday, June 28, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Sunday, June 29, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Instructor: Ian McCarthy

Member Tuition: $260.00
Non-Member Tuition: $300.00

Material Fee: $50.00 Included in fee shown

Location: AFS, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY

Special Notes: Hard shoes and long pants are required for student's safety.

In this two-day workshop you will learn how to forge high-carbon steel into a utility-style knife. Blades will then be ground, heat treated, sharpened, and a cord wrap applied.

Dates/Times

• Saturday, June 21, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Sunday, June 22, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Instructor: Mace Vitale

Member Tuition: $260.00
Non-Member Tuition: $300.00

Material Fee: $50.00 Included in fee shown

Location: AFS, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY

Special Notes: Hard shoes and long pants are required for student's safety.

For those with no previous carving experience, this course will cover design and layout to embellish your knives. Will discus choosing the proper tools used in the carving of bone, wood and steel. Both hand and affordable power tools will be used. Each student will carve a simple but attractive geometric design and develop that into more complex designs.

Dates/Times

• Saturday, August 9, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Sunday, August 10, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Instructor: Joe Szilaski

Member Tuition: $260.00
Non-Member Tuition: $300.00

Material Fee: $50.00 Included in fee shown

Location: AFS, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY

Special Notes: Hard shoes and long pants are required for student's safety.

The National Curriculum offers a step-by-step progression through three levels of fundamental blacksmithing skills. Certification signifies that a smith has demonstrated mastery of a specific set of skills, increasing in complexity with each level: Level I (beginner), Level II (intermediate), Level III (advanced). Level I is the first level of the curriculum and is designed as a guide through beginning blacksmithing techniques. Starting with safety, Level I then moves into core skills and techniques, including tapering, bending, forging and heat-treating hand tools, punching and drifting, basic blacksmithing math, forging to dimension, forge-welding, and creating tenons. It culminates in a final project, the Gate Latch, designed to test the student on these skills. Upon completion of Level I, students will have confidence in the most essential blacksmithing skills and be able to forge a wide variety of projects. The program is designed to provide a solid foundation within the craft. To earn certification, the student needs to successfully complete the projects and techniques as outlined in the checklist in the Level I Student Packet. This is found on the website abana.org The checklist allows students and instructors to keep track of progress. ABANA will accept the recommendation from an Affiliate's Education Program Chair or the judgment of a Certified Level I Instructor that qualifies a student as having passed Level I.

Dates/Times

• Friday, August 15, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Saturday, August 16, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Sunday, August 17, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Monday, August 18, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Instructor: Robert Menard

Member Tuition: $520.00
Non-Member Tuition: $620.00

Material Fee: $100.00 Included in fee shown

Location: AFS, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY

Special Notes: Hard shoes and long pants are required for student's safety.

Interested in blacksmithing but unsure how to start? Open Forge Night is the place for you! Every third Wednesday of the month during our blacksmithing season, come see demonstrations by expert blacksmith Steve Gurzler. Observing the demonstration is free and open to the public. If you want to try your hand at blacksmithing there is a $25 fee to cover the cost of materials. Safety precautions must be followed – including hard shoes with no open toes, long pants, goggles (supplied) and gloves (supplied).

Dates/Times

• Wednesday, April 16, 2025 – 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Instructor: Steve Gurzler

Member Tuition: $0.00
Non-Member Tuition: $0.00

Material Fee: $25.00 Included in fee shown

Location: AFS, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY

Special Notes: Participants who wish to try their hand in the forge are asked to pre-register and will be asked to provide a $25 materials fee. Observing the demonstration is free and open to the public. Hard shoes and long pants are required for student's safety.

Interested in blacksmithing but unsure how to start? Open Forge Night is the place for you! Every third Wednesday of the month during our blacksmithing season, come see demonstrations by expert blacksmith Steve Gurzler. Observing the demonstration is free and open to the public. If you want to try your hand at blacksmithing there is a $25 fee to cover the cost of materials. Safety precautions must be followed – including hard shoes with no open toes, long pants, goggles (supplied) and gloves (supplied).

Dates/Times

• Wednesday, August 20, 2025 – 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Instructor: Steve Gurzler

Member Tuition: $0.00
Non-Member Tuition: $0.00

Material Fee: $25.00 Included in fee shown

Location: AFS, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, NY

Special Notes: Participants who wish to try their hand in the forge are asked to pre-register and will be asked to provide a $25 materials fee. Observing the demonstration is free and open to the public. Hard shoes and long pants are required for student's safety.