Friargate Forge reviews

Michael Bennett reviewed: 2 day knife/axe making courses

"Absolutely brilliant course. Gary and Josep are very easy to work with and excellent teachers. Highly recommend anyone who is interested in giving bladesmithing a go tries this course."

Friargate Forge responded:

"Thanks, was a pleasure working with you Gary"

Mick Hand reviewed: 60 layer damascus knife/axe making course.

"Excellent 3 day course for my birthday, Gary and Joss really informative and helpful in all aspects of the forging process and the making of my knife and handle and the final assembly. There was a great atmosphere in the forge, lots of laughs, but all the health and safety requirements were explained before the course started and re-highlighted if they needed to be. Nothing was too much trouble for the guys who were on hand to help if you needed it and the 3 days just flew by ending with 2 beautiful Damascus knives made by me and my partner We will be back to make another knife/ axe and can thoroughly recommend Friargate Forge if you want to try the forging experience."

Adele & Mick reviewed: 60 layer damascus knife/axe making course.

"I bought this for my partners 60th birthday and when I spoke to Gary I decided to give it a go myself. What a great course. Huge thanks to Gary & Joss who made us feel so welcome and relaxed. Mick did 3 days and made his own Damascus billet. I bought my billet and just did 2 days. Well worth the extra for the patterned blades which look more like a piece of art. We had much fun and the guys were there to give us as much or as little help as was needed. Very knowledgable and informative. Can’t give enough praise. We have come away with 2 very beautiful knives and will definitely be back to do another course."

Friargate Forge responded:

"Thank you so much was a pleasure especially the cake ?!"

Matthew Pendlebury reviewed: 2 day knife/axe making courses

"What a great experience forging with both Gary and Joseph. Both lads masters of their craft who will help in any way necessary to create the perfect blade. Had a great time creating my damascus blade and it is exactly what I expected after watching Forged in fire. A lot of hard work and timely advice in how to go through the whole process from start to finish of forging and grinding a knife. Thanks lads"

Peter Smith reviewed: 2 day knife/axe making courses

"Just finished a thoroughly enjoyable 2 days of axe making at Friargate Forge with Gary, a man with a real mastery and love for his craft. The course struck just the right balance of hands on (sweat inducing!) experience with enough assistance and guidance to ensure that you leave with an axe to be proud of. Just got home and my hatchet made short work of splitting a partially seasoned cherry log. Would definitely recommend."

Friargate Forge responded:

"Thanks Peter was a pleasure having you at the forge and you did superb well done ?"

Elaine Garner reviewed: 2 day knife/axe making courses

"An absolutely fantastic experience, I can’t recommend Friargate Forge enough. Gary and Joss are so passionate about what they do. I have been a fan of Forged in Fire for years, I finally took the plunge and booked a knife making course instead of sitting watching other people doing it. I hoped to make a basic knife on the course. My knife is a thing of beauty and with Gary and Joss’s patient teaching and assistance I can say I actually made it! I enjoyed every minute of the course and am so proud of the result. I am planning my next visit and can’t wait."

Peter and John reviewed: Basic blacksmithing course

"What a great day! I booked this as a Christmas present for my Dad and I as a father / son day out. Gary was helpful with all booking details and great with advice on ideas for items to forge. We really enjoyed what came across as an authentic experience with Gary and Jos. These are 2 guys who have an obvious passion for sharing their expertise whilst letting you get really hands on in learning new skills. Dad and I both have amazing blacksmiths knives and the satisfaction of the work that went into making them. Whether you are a fan of the tv 'forged' shows or just fancy learning new skills, we would highly recommend Friargate Forge for a great experience."

Friargate Forge responded:

"Thank you, so happy you both enjoyed your time at the forge Thanks Gary"

Josh Campbell reviewed: 2 day knife/axe making courses

"Absolutely amazing 2 days, I managed to make an axe that I'm proud of and gained a huge amount of new skills in metalwork, as well as having a really good laugh doing it. Gary teaches in a way that is attentive without being overbearing and I've thoroughly enjoyed the course in every way."

Friargate Forge responded:

"Thanks Josh, was a pleasure having you at the forge Thanks again"

Ruth reviewed: 2 day knife/axe making courses

"Gary was amazing at arranging this fantastic experience for my partner's birthday . He was welcoming and extremely helpful and skilled and my partner had a fantastic time ? His knife is incredible and Gary was a great teacher. I would recommend this to everyone really great fun . Thanks Gary"

Friargate Forge responded:

"Thanks was an absolute pleasure"

Doreen reviewed: Basic blacksmithing course

"Can't praise Gary enough, the day was fantastic, felt at ease straight away and he's a great teacher. Got finished the two projects i wanted to make, cooking tripod and fire steel, still had time left over to make a toasting fork. I will certainly be back to do the knife making course in the future and hopefully more."

Mark Husband reviewed: 2 day knife/axe making courses

"I could not be more delighted with this course or with the knife I produced. Gary is fantastic to work with; happy to let you get on with it when you are confident in what you are doing, but always available to provide a deft touch or piece of timely advice when needed. I had a very defined idea of the knife I imagined as did the other two guys on the course. Three very different knives! All three of us were complete novices but with Gary's support we all ended up with exactly the knives we wanted. I am coming back to make a kitchen cleaver. I know what I want to make and know that I can do it at this forge. Could not be better!"

Ben reviewed: Basic blacksmithing course

"Gary was incredibly understanding with autism in the forge. After I told him, he told me that he also had Asperger's syndrome, so he's able to relate to people who struggle with loud noises/sensory issues, both of which are large things in a forgery. Before we started, he explained a ton of stuff on what to/not to do, which kept me from getting burned multiple times. He even let us take a small block of metal of the same material as the axe we built home, so we could show what the axe came from. On top of that, we finished with a couple hours to spare, so he let us make a marshmallow-toasting fork, free of charge. The person I went with burnt her hand, because she grabbed the wrong end of a bar, and he immediately got the burns kit and made sure it was fine. Overall, a great experience, and highly recommended."

Rhianne Boag reviewed: Basic blacksmithing course

"If you could score more than 'Excellent' Gary would definitely get it..... Fantabulous, outstanding, wonderful and so much more. After contacting Gary to see if I could use a craft course voucher I also asked if I could extend the day to include my partner Scott. Gary was quick to reply, helpful and very much a pleasure to talk to. We turned up on the day a little bit nervous with a couple of ideas. Gary helped say what would be achievable and we set off, working together under Gary's expert guidance. Over the course of the day we made a hanging basket holder and thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Gary was brilliant, never flustered when we made a few mistakes, even joining in a few times when more hands were required. All around the workshop are little projects he is working away on. You can see how passionate he is about the work from every detail. We had an absolute blast, and within an hour of being home with our project have told all our family and colleagues about our day. Its incredible to have come away with a beautiful piece of old school engineering and are already discussing what we could make next at the forge!!"

Dan & Ben reviewed: Basic blacksmithing course

"What can we say? Absolutely exceeded our expectations in every single way! Gary is one of the most awesome guys I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Passionate about his work, loads of stories to tell, a genuinely great guy, and obviously very talented. Ben came away with a gorgeous axe, even with zero forge experience (watching forged in fire definitely doesn't count!) we were gutted when the course came to an end, as we loved every minute. So cheers Gary, keep up the good work fella!! Hopefully we'll be back again soon now we've had a taste of it ?"

Yin reviewed: Basic blacksmithing course

"Fantastic fun days with Gary in the forge. Learnt so much and bought home 2 wonderful pieces. Already booked next course. Cannot recommend highly enough."

Anthony reviewed: Basic blacksmithing course

"My fiancé and I turned up for our extended course with a great deal of trepidation, as my fiancé is scared of fire and has never lifted a hammer in her life. After 2 days with Gary, she’s immune to fire and has joined the hammer club, ready for her next project! We had an amazing time with Gary who is one of the most honest, nicest and happiest people you could ever meet, as soon as you enter the forge he makes you feel at home. I made 2 stunning knives, so beautiful they’re on display. My fiancé contacted Gary beforehand with project ideas, Gary was so helpful and ingenious, he helped her make a bell stand and a gorgeous patterned tortoise. He is very talented and his work is just magical, and forging with him is so much fun. I would and have recommended this course to many people."