Chalk Pit Forge reviews

23 Aug 18'

Graham snuggs reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"My wife bought me a 1 day one to one course at the forge and I was very excited to get started, the experience did not disappoint I had an unbelievable day. I have to admit I’d built the whole thing up in my mind (as I’ve wanted to do a forging course for years) it far exceeded my expectations and Alex was an enthusiastic and helpful tutor! We made a pair of forging tongs, a letter knife, bottle opener, coat hook and tried some forge welding I also got a “get it got an hit it” t’shirt!! Wish I could do another (hint, hint mrs Snuggs)"

5 Jun 18'

chay hedger reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"I attended a one day course with Alex as a present from my wife and had a fantastic time. the day was very relaxed in a great setting. I feel that i learnt such a lot and really appreciated the way Alex explained things and demonstrated on a sample and then let you have a go on your own piece. it was nice to achieve such a lot in a day and then take home what you'd made. I would highly recommend a day with Alex to anyone regardless of experience as he has so much to share. I aim to book another day to take things a step further."

9 May 18'

Derek Goddard reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"I had a one day course as a present from my wife. What a fantastic day. Alex is a great tutor. He asked me what I wanted to make and then we worked on the design. Alex showed me the basics and then demonstrated what I needed to do at each stage of my project. Always on hand with advice and help when I needed it. A full days blacksmithing, with tea, coffee, biscuits & lunch. I'm so proud of my bird feeder and hook. I highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to give it a go."

2 May 18'

Mark Sharp reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"This was bought as my Christmas present from my wife and what a brilliant one it was. I can highly recommend this and I'll definitely be going back. Thanks for your patience."

15 Apr 18'

Dave Bunn reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"Many thanks to Alex, This was a very interesting day with plenty to absorb and practice on. This was a Christmas present from the family and to be honest, it couldn't have been better. For my very first time, it left me wanting more and still trying to work out how to transform my garage into a Forge ;) I am sure this will not be my first and last time at the Forge. Thanks for your patience. A good teacher."

9 Apr 18'

Olie Cook reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"I was bought a day course by my girlfriend as a birthday present and I hugely enjoyed my day in the forge. Alex has a fantastic teaching style of showing you what to do and then letting you get on with it! Even though I turned up with a vague notion about making a candlestick, Alex showed me a variety of pictures and then we drew out a rough sketch and went from there. The day flew by but Alex very subtly kept me on track and I got to go home with a lovely piece of metalwork to show off and a big grin to go with it. I only wish I had somewhere I could go and bash hot metal more often."

8 Apr 18'

Carl reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"The one day course was booked as a birthday present as it’s something I’ve always wanted to try and have a taster of. Alex was welcoming and helpful with the designs and very informative. I had a great day and was tired by the end of it but had a huge smile because of what we had achieved. The day flew by! Highly recommended."

8 Apr 18'

Jeremy Swift reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"I just had another one-day course with Alex, having made a ram's head poker some years ago. This time I sent him my own design for a pan rack to hang in my kitchen and he agreed we could make it in a day. Alex suggested reducing the bar thickness which added a degree of delicacy that enhanced the resulting object. Alex has a great way of teaching: demonstrating a technique and then letting the pupil get on with it without being overly controlling. Just the right amount of advice is given. My design has two bars with symmetrical tapered scrolls at the ends so I had to make four identical scrolls. Needless to say, I made lots of mistakes and corrections. In the initial demo, Alex showed me how to make corrections as well as the basic bending techniques: once I started making I felt no pressure from him even as I bent, corrected, re-bent and re-corrected many, many times. As a result I was able to learn from my mistakes and by the fourth scroll felt I was starting to understand the metal. Great outcome. Nice, this time, to learn some two-man techniques (forming tenons, punching holes and joining the pieces) too. And, in the end, the pan rack's not bad either!"

4 Apr 18'

Jane reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"Brilliant day with Alex, Birthday present from my husband. So pleased with the final piece for the garden. Really want to make some more, just need a forge!"

2 Apr 18'

Matt reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"A fascinating course in a wonderful setting. The day flew by and I learned so much from Alex who is a very patient teacher. I’m really pleased with the rams head bottle opener I made."

19 Mar 18'

Malcolm Graham reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"I had a very enjoyable day with Alex, learned a lot and came away with a boot scraper to get all the mud off after our walks. Thoroughly recommended. A day to remember, thanks Alex! Malcolm Graham"

15 Mar 18'

Brian Hirst reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"I was bought a one day course as a present by my kids. I had a great time ... Now I just need to get my own forge ... Plus maybe a bit more tuition! Alex is a great teacher, very patient and attentive but equally happy to let me get on with it and learn stuff for myself. I would thoroughly recommend it, and certainly be happy to go again, maybe my arm won't ache quite so much next time! Cheers Alex"

7 Nov 17'

Christian reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"My one day blacksmith course was brought by my wife as a 40th birthday present and was something that I wanted to have a go at for some time. Alex shared his years of knowledge over a day with me and taught me some amazing blacksmithing skills. His instructions were very clear and informative and he guided me through each step to make a Skulls head fire poker. Although the item I made was challenging at times the results were amazing. Alex is a very friendly and patient teacher who I wouldn’t hesitate at working with again in the future. Many thanks Alex for an amazing day at Chalk Pit Forge."

25 Sep 17'

Peter Mason reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"Thanks for a brilliant day, Alex! Still looking admiringly at the table I built. Perfect balance of tuition between helping and letting me get on with it. Will be recommending the one day course to all my friends!"

20 Sep 17'

Ken Gosling reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"Spent a very enjoyable day being shown blacksmithing techniques by a knowledgeable and interesting teacher. Alex gave precise demonstrations of each technique required for the finished article and then let you copy these on to your own work giving advise and help when required. I was involved with the whole manufacture with Alex`s guidance from design to finished product and very pleased with the result which now has pride of place in my garden as a permanent reminder of a brilliant day spent in the forge. I highly recommend this course to anybody interested in decorative ironwork. Thanks Alex"

4 Sep 17'

Roger Sinnhuber reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"Had a great day at the forge with Alex. It was the first time that I done any blacksmithing, so I was a little apprehensive. I needn't have worried - Alex explained and demonstrated the techniques very well. I was pleasantly surprised at what could be achieved in a day with his help and guidance. I now have a pair of fire tongs that I'm really pleased with. His courses are very popular and I can see why!"

31 Aug 17'

Allen Lee reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"Really really good couple of days with Alex. Proper hands on course. No classroom stuff just a great style of teaching through years of experience. Alex puts you at ease with the tools and the processes from the word go. You look at options on the best way to make something and overcome any hiccups on the way. You get stuck in from the word go and every bit of it is interesting. You choose a design (I wanted to make a billhook which involved a lot of different processes and loads of hammering) and look at whether it is possible. Then you make it using Alex' expert tuition and muscles you've forgotten exist. It delivered exactly what I hoped. Great fun. Ive been recommending the course to all of my freinds. Still smiling two weeks later."

29 Aug 17'

Alastair reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"A really amazing experience. Alex is gets the balance just right; he teaches you a technique, and once you've got the idea he lets you carry on with it on your own until you're ready for the next bit. He was very patient and helped me make a piece I am extremely proud of. I recommend the course to any one who will listen!"

28 Aug 17'

David bunce reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"Had a fantastic day with Alex, his knowledge and teaching was first class. Really hard work but so much fun, would recommend it to anyone to have a go."

18 Jul 17'

Kevin Germany reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"What a 'smashing' way to spend a couple of days learning new skills. Alex is patient, creative and very good at tailoring your course to allow you to achieve the best product you can within your course time frame. If you are quicker than planned, them he encourages you to make other smaller items so you leave with a great experience. Whether it is a gift for others or a treat for yourself the course is great value."

12 Jul 17'

Peter Stage reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"This is a brilliant day out/course with a first rate tutor. You can do as much (or little) as you want in beautiful and interesting surroundings (all sorts of things to take in eg. Electronics museum , guided 20s bus tour etc if you have the time and inclination). I brought some of my own bits to play with in the forge and lost several pounds (weight) chopping holes in and hammering away at hot steel. A made to measure jacking saddle wes produced (by joint efforts) . Alex is a mine of useful information and can obviously handle both first timers and those who have a bit more ironwork experience. An ideal present and thoroughly enjoyable day out."

4 Jul 17'

Andy Moreman reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"I had a thoroughly enjoyable day at the Forge and was impressed by how many different techniques and concepts I was able to get a taste of in just one day. Alex is a skilled teacher who gets the balance of showing you the ropes and allowing you to get on and work for yourself just right. His experience and creativity were evident: having arrived without really knowing what was possible or what best to make in a day, Alex led me through a design and making process and I went home with a coat rack, which I am suitably proud of. A really positive experience and one I'd happily recommend to anyone."

19 Jun 17'

Mark Wilson reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"This was a birthday present from my wife and something I have always wanted to do. Suffice to say that I was not disappointed! I have nearly 30 years worth of mechanical skills and metal fabrication behind me and throughout the day I still learnt more things than I could imagine. The course is obviously very hands on, and be prepared to have to concentrate, have attention to detail and don't rush. You will be very pleased as to what you can achieve in a single day. Prepare to use muscles you didn't know about and to get cooked occasionally - all part of the fun! Well worthwhile and thoroughly recommended for anybody with a practical lean who wants to learn the basics of the art of forgework and blacksmithing. To do it properly takes years of training and practice, but for one day - can't be beaten! Many thanks."

14 May 17'

PhilipWilliams reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"What a great day I had with Alex! An excellent tutor who expertly guided me through the art of making a wrought iron shovel. I was very proud of the finished article! Thank you again Alex!"

11 May 17'

Sarah S reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"What a great day! Alex was fantastic and taught me so much in just one day. It was so rewarding to learn new skills and put them into practice and I now have a set of hinges for my bathroom door! I left with exhausted but with a real sense of achievement. Thank you Alex you are a wonderful and patient teacher! I would thoroughly recommend him."