Ever wondered what kind of person hand-makes their own kitchen knives? It might sound like something out of a legend, but after this workshop, that person will be you! This workshop teaches you all the skills needed to design and create a custom knife that any professional chef would be proud to own.
This workshop centers on the reductive/stock-removal knife making technique. We provide you with a bar of high-carbon tool steel and then teach you how to cut, grind, shape, and polish it, all at room temperature, into a custom knife that rivals most cutlery found in stores.
You can select from several classic knife designs: a French chef knife, a vegetable slicer, a mini cleaver, or an all-purpose "3 virtue" Santoku. If you prefer to leave the kitchen work to the professionals, you can craft a Bowie knife for your next outdoor adventure.
The best part? You can fully customize your knife's design, including sizing the handle so it fits your hand perfectly. If a dinner guest is not impressed by a meal prepared with a knife you crafted with your own hands, that person does not deserve a seat at your table.
In the first half of the workshop, you will shape your knife's profile and cutting edge and drill the holes for the pins that will secure your knife's handle, using a variety of hand and power tools. Once that is complete, you will heat your knife in our forge and then quench it in oil to harden the steel, so it can stand up to anything it encounters in the kitchen. If you have watched contestants on the "Forged in Fire" TV show quench their knives, that is exactly what you will be doing!
You will then give your knife a short rest in our tempering oven while you take a well-earned break and grab a bite from the pizza place around the corner (or something else from the many Park Slope eateries nearby).
We will reconvene about 45 minutes after the quench for the second half of the workshop. During this time, you will clean and polish your blade and install custom brass-pinned hardwood scales to form your knife's handle, which you will shape and refine until it fits your hand like a glove. Once that is done, you will apply a protective finish to your handle, sharpen the blade to a razor's edge, and celebrate the addition of "bladesmith" to your skill set!
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Skill Level: Beginner - no prior experience is required. This workshop is designed to introduce you to the core concepts of knife making: profiling, beveling, polishing, handle-making, and sharpening.
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Tools and Techniques: You will use various hand tools to shape your knife, including hacksaws, files, and sanding blocks. You will also use belt sanders and rotary tools.
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Length: One 8-hour session with a 45-minute meal break, give or take thirty minutes.
If you are looking for other versions of this class, please see here:
Click here if you prefer the Buddy Up version.
- You and a friend will design and make ONE knife together. At least one person must be 18+.
Click here if you prefer the Date Night version.
- You and your guest will design and make ONE knife together and receive a pizza and a bottle of wine to share during the workshop. At least one person must be 18+.
Another method for making knives is forging. Think: Red-hot metal, hammers, and anvils. If that interests you, check out our "Forge a Survival Knife" workshop.
