A and T Petersen Ltd reviews

Isabel Morgan reviewed: 2 day blacksmithing courses

"Had such a lovely and amazing weekend learning the craftsmanship of blacksmithing. I've been wanted to do it for awhile now and had the chance to, was the best thing i've done this year. Aaron was great he's friendly and an excellent teacher. I learned the basics and techniques of blacksmithing and made a range of wonderful pieces from hooks to the rams head poker and more was just amazing to see how metal can become such beautiful objects that are decorative or useful. I really recommend doing this course if you have wanted to give it a go its such a good experience or if you know someone that would love to do it give it to them as a gift. Great hospitality too can get lots of tea and coffee. Again just wanna say how amazing of a weekend it was should definitely try this course out."

Rob Barnes reviewed: 2 day blacksmithing courses

"A fabulous course, professionally run. The content was spot on starting with the most basic of skills and moving on. Aaron is a true master of his trade and a wonderful teacher. I gained so much from this and do plan on coming back. I can not recommend this enough. 5*."

Ian Young reviewed: Blacksmithing for beginners - one day taster

"Bought this one day blacksmithing beginners course for my dad for Christmas who at the tender age of 77 has discovered through YouTube a passion for metalwork. Of course that meant I had to go along as well. ? Aaron provided a day of instruction and advice that made a 7.5 hour day seem like it went in 10 minutes. Very practical and hands on from the beginning, we learnt so many new skills and very quickly were putting these rudimentary skills to use making lovely hand made items which we could take home and show off. We both thoroughly enjoyed the experience and after seeing the photos I took of the day I now have my son wanting to come next time. And there will be a next time. We have to come back to check if Aaron has increased the anvil count. We were up to 13 I believe. Thank you again Aaron and team for a day we will both remember for a long time."

Rachel reviewed: 2 day blacksmithing courses

"Excellent course from booking to the ending. Trudi makes you feel welcome and Aaron is a mine of useful information, patient and incredibly helpful. Having never used a hammer to hit anything other than my thumb I was amazed at what I managed to create with his help. I would recommend it to anyone and will probably try to go again purely because it was so enjoyable."

Sandy Andrews reviewed: Blacksmithing for beginners - one day taster

"What a fantastic day!! A very relaxed atmosphere and Aaron is so knowledgeable about so many things. Masses of hands-on 'doing' and it was surprising how little strength was needed to form the metal into something pretty. I can't believe I came home with such professional-looking and useful items - brilliant! Highly recommended. :-)"

Alison Edwards reviewed: Blacksmithing for beginners - one day taster

"Lovely day. I am not very practical which was partly why I wanted to try this course & it was a great introduction to the art of blacksmithing. Aaron was very patient & gave individual attention to each one of us. Would highly reccommend."

Andrew reviewed: 2 day blacksmithing courses

"Simply brilliant. Everything about the place, the people and the experience is fantastic. Do it."

A and T Petersen Ltd responded:

"Thank you so much for your review - you have given us PLATINUM status. We love meeting our course attendees and we love what we do.....thank you"

Nigel Pugh reviewed: 2 day blacksmithing courses

"As a beginner both one day and two day courses I attended were inspiring full of fun and enthusiastically taught by Aaron who has great knowledge and a passion for anything involving iron."

Marion Baker reviewed: 2 day blacksmithing courses

"An enjoyable weekend and my first attempt at blacksmithing! Aaron explained things clearly, demonstrating for the small group and then helping as required when we made the items ourselves. The small group size means that there is plenty of time for any questions and individual help. Aaron is an enthusiastic, patient and encouraging teacher and all of us left with items we could be proud of. I recommend the weekend course even if you have no experience at all and also that you try to stay an extra night or two so that you can appreciate the area as well."

Richard Williams reviewed: Blacksmithing for beginners - one day taster

"What an absolutely incredible day! Aaron is a superb blacksmith and equally good instructor. Blacksmithing is something I've always wanted to try and the day didn't disappoint. I look forward to booking again in the near future, I've been well and truly bitten by the forge bug!"

Grégoire reviewed: 2 day blacksmithing courses

"A wonderful experience from start to finish. My first email was greeted by kind Trudi who was very helpful in organising my week-end and discussing with Aaron the blacksmith how my special request could be done. I wanted to build my first hammer, and to my great surprise they offered me to do that in the course of a one-on-one session with Aaron Friday before the weekend course, AND still come on the first day of the course for the same price as the weekend's. I absolutely loved spending the day with Aaron, hammering away with the sledgehammer while having a laugh and a lovely chat with the good man. Aaron showed passion that's rarely seen these days, and genuine enthusiasm about helping me make that hammer. I learnt a great deal in the process ; either by just listening to him comment his own actions and explaining his instructions, or by questioning him on sometimes not-so-relevant matters over tea breaks. Saturday was more about learning the basics from scratch to smith in autonomy, which is good-different and it's harder than we think so I am glad I could do both days under Aaron's supervision. We would normally think a personal request is asking a favour, but Aaron is actually eager to work on something different and I am very glad to have helped him somewhat to make his own hammer at the same time because it's really been a blast. At the end I caught up with my girlfriend who told me she had spent an excellent time with Trudi who happens to own a shop in Carmarthen, so you could just pop in. But if you can't, just trust me, it's one of those things to have down on the bucket list. I walked away happy, with a magnificent hammer of very nice feel and gorgeous polished shape and gradients of colours, as well as a pair of tongs and a coat hanger, but above all with good memories and good faith in humanity. Thanks to both of you, T. and A. Take care !"

Caitlin reviewed: 2 day blacksmithing courses

"Had a fantastic time on the weekend blacksmithing course - everyone came away with pieces they could be proud of. Aaron was a knowledgeable and VERY patient teacher! We were able to cover a good range of techniques, but the course didn't feel too overwhelming to a complete beginner. I had great fun and would highly recommend to anyone looking to try out a new skill."

Paul Jones reviewed: 2 day blacksmithing courses

"Just spent the weekend learning to blacksmith with Aaron from Ferric Fusion. The course was bought for me as a birthday present and it was fantastic. Great fun learning to make a rams head fire poker, as well as many hooks and fire tongs. Aaron is a very knowledgable blacksmith and a great teacher of his trade. I would highly recommend this course to those looking to try something new. ? — in Saint Clears, Carmarthenshire, United Kingdom."

Martin Mahoney reviewed: Blacksmithing for beginners - one day taster

"What an absolutely fantastic day. Aaron is the consummate professional craftsman and educator and is an absolute delight to both watch and be guided by. If you are a maker of any kind or simply enjoy learning new skills, this course is a must for the to-do list. I will be taking what I've learned over the course of the day into my professional life as a prop maker and will certainly hope to return to Steele Avenue one day if only just to watch a master at work. Many, many thanks and kindest regards to all involved Martin M"

Helen reviewed: 2 day blacksmithing courses

"I brought this course for my sister on the condition that I had to go with her. I was not disappointed! It was the first time that I'd tried anything like this and although I don't think I will ever become an accomplished Blacksmith, I am really pleased with what I managed to achieve over the 2 days (with a lot of help from Aaron). What I was particularly impressed with was the way in which the course was structured as there were lots of demonstrations and things were explained at each step. Aaron was also more than happy to repeat things and because there were only 4 of us, there was plenty of time to provide guidance on a 1-2-1 basis. When I read the description of the course I had been a little concerned that I might end up with a number of things that I would have no use for - I live in a rented flat with no fireplace or garden. However, I came away with a short curtain rail (rather than a poker) and 2 candle sticks as well as the hooks made on the first day. Aaron was more than happy to accommodate my requests, offering suggestions that were within my skill level and used it as an opportunity to show the others a few different techniques. I've been proudly showing off my accomplishments to my friends as I can't quite believe that I made them. A fantastic experience which I would highly recommend. Aaron's skill as a Blacksmith and patience as a teacher mean that you learn a lot over the 2 days and importantly have several completed projects to take how at the end."

jacqueline reviewed: 2 day blacksmithing courses

"My sister treated me to this course for my birthday and it was brilliant. Aaron was a great teacher and is a very lovely man. I chuffed with how many bits I came home with. being fairly useless at anything arty, it's a real credit to Aaron's teaching and patience that I made stuff I'm really proud of! Very fun weekend. lots of graft but well worth it and very, very interesting. Great sense of achievement at the end of it. Really pleased and I highly recommend this course to others. Thanks Aaron!"

Neil Best reviewed: 2 day blacksmithing courses

"Aaron was a great teacher with great skill and lots of patience. He showed me all the basics of blacksmithing in just two days and really made me want to continue smithing. I would say to anyone who has an interest to take one of his courses and find how enjoyable Aaron's teaching skills can turn a cold hard piece of steel turn into something amazing with some heat and a good bang with a big hammer. I came out with three great pieces of work that I'm proudly putting up in my home. I'd recommend his courses to anyone with even the slightest interest."

Vyvyan Fuge reviewed: Blacksmithing for beginners - one day taster

"Attended the two day course in May 2017. Being a very practical, hands-on individual I knew I was going to enjoy the course but didn't realise just how much. The Blacksmith (Aaron) was a master of his craft, providing individual guidance, supervision and encouragement through all the various forging steps, helping you produce works of art that would surprise you. The forging environment is well equipped and the Peterson family are friendly and welcoming. If you want to find your creative side and fancy a go at forging, I can't recommend this course enough. The most enjoyable weekend of productivity I have had in a long time. Thanks Aaron and I'll be back again. Give your dad my regards. Vyvyan"

Jay Castle reviewed: 2 day blacksmithing courses

"Had an absolutely fantastic time on this course and would gladly recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in blacksmithing, or indeed in art or creating in general. Aaron is great guy and an excellent teacher who makes the subject come alive, and who creates a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere that promotes learning and fun. I will be telling anyone who will listen to go on this course and have a brilliant learning experience."

Martyn jayne reviewed: 2 day blacksmithing courses

"Awesome time!! Aaron is a great teacher and puts you well at ease. Everything we tried was talked through and shown to us right there and then we were supported well through the whole process to end up with some lovely pieces. Aaron is incredibly knowledgeable and engaging, I can't recommend him and the course enough!!"

Morgan reviewed: 2 day blacksmithing courses

"Great introduction to blacksmithing on the one day course. Learnt lots from an excellent instructor, happy to progress at a pace that suits. Highly recommended."

Nigel Collins reviewed: Blacksmithing for beginners - one day taster

"Course bought as a Christmas present - the last time I had worked metal in a forge was in the late sixties whilst at school, and had always enjoyed metal work. I looked forward to the course and was not disappointed. Aaron was a great teacher, relaxed and ready to share his love of working with metal. The day passed quickly and efficiently and I was able to produce some decent for me products. Great day highly recommended."

Geoff Dixon reviewed: 2 day blacksmithing courses

"I have always had a hankering for doing some blacksmithing ever since I did a small amount at school. You can tell how long ago that was, when schools still had forges and were allowed to use them. It was a wonderful surprise when my wife bought me, after a great deal of research, a two day course with Ferric Fusion. As the date for the course approached my initial enthusiasm started to wain a little. Doubts crept in, did I have the required skills? Was I to old to be doing this? Etc. Within the first hour of the course these doubts evaporated. Aaron could not have been more welcoming and soon put us all at ease. There was no long, boring theory lesson to endure before we were allowed near a piece of steel. Rather, it was almost straight in to create our first piece. Aaron’s instruction was both clear and well structured and when it was our turn to attempt the process that appeared so easy in his hands he kept an understanding and caring eye on us at all times. We never felt out of our depth but felt totally comfortable with the work we were doing and amazed at what we had created by the end of the two days. The course at Ferric Fusion was a tremendous experience which justified all the research my wife had done. If I could afford another course with Aaron I would book one today."

Nick Vince reviewed: 2 day blacksmithing courses

"Fantastic two day course, It far exceeded my expectations. Aaron is a very nice guy, a great teacher, and a very competent blacksmith. We covered a wide range of techniques, and made some really nice things to take home, which really impressed my wife. I thoroughly recommend this course. Nick Vince January 2017"

kyle reviewed: Blacksmithing for beginners - one day taster

"The one day blacksmith course was bought as a gift and I thoroughly enjoyed it, I have no experience in this and I managed to come away with some lovely metal work at the end of the day. Aaron Peterson gave very good demonstrations, there was no paperwork and we were straight onto the hands on tools which was great. I would highly recommend this course to anyone as Aaron is very patient and will help you work at your own pace."