Hammerskills reviews

1 Sep 21'

Sue Barlow reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"I bought the experience day for 2 for my Dad’s 80th What an amazing day we had, Bob was so lovely and so helpful. We started off with the basics in the morning then made a couple of things to take home. I would highly recommend the blacksmith workshop. Thanks Bob we had a fantastic day!"

22 Aug 21'

michael hall reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"I shared this day with my brother in law Andy as it was his 50th birthday present from the family. It was a brilliant experience, Bob was a wealth of knowledge and there was plenty of cups of tea while we learnt! He had the patience of a saint while we worked and was very encouraging as we made our pieces. All in all it was a fantastic day with many thanks to Bob."

21 Aug 21'

Richard Gadsdon reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"This was the first day of my birthday present and something I have wanted to try out for ages. Bob was a fantastic teacher, always encouraging and helpful, but also let me do things for myself. Bob answered all my many questions in a straightforward way. I made several items, including a pair of smith's tongs, all of which I will treasure. I am already planning when I can go back and extend my knowledge. Can't recommend this enough."

14 Aug 21'

Nicky Hodgkiss-Cook reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"I bought this as a gift for my husband’s birthday (and because it’s for 2, cunningly for myself). We had the most amazing day. Bob is a brilliant teacher and great company (and makes a cracking brew). It’s really hands on all day - you’re straight into it within about 10 minutes. Skills in the morning to get to grips with some basic techniques before moving on to fashioning an actual item to take home in the afternoon (we are proud owners of a poker and a toasting fork). We really liked that the course is for 2 people maximum and that’s only if the attendees know each other. This means there’s lots of support and help throughout the day. It’s really relaxed and thoroughly enjoyable. A great experience to share with someone special."

7 Aug 21'

Anthony Broad reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"A great back to basics hands on course. Bob is a highly skilled Blacksmith and guided me patiently through all the stages. I was so pleased with the things i made. Don't expect any frills or modern touches, this is a grass roots, down to earth Blacksmithing workshop with a coke fired furnace. Exactly what i wanted."

2 Aug 21'

FRed reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"Bob was really friendly and a good teacher. He showed me how to do all the basics, and was really skilled himself. It was a great day and I want to book another session to improve my skills. Bob helped me make a toasting fork, with a curled handle, and a twist - and also he helped me add detail of a leaf. It was a really great thing to do. Thanks Bob!"

18 Jul 21'

Grahame Anderson reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"Had a great day with Bob learning basic hammer skills. Bob tailor's the course to suit individual needs and teaches in a thorough manner that has given me confidence to pursue further interests in blacksmithing. I can't recommend Bob and this course highly enough. Thank you ?"

4 Jul 21'

Tish reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"Couldn’t recommend the course more. Bought as a present for an iron sixth wedding anniversary experience and we had a great time. Bob was a great, patient and funny teacher who managed to keep a watchful eye without being too overbearing. The instructions to find it were spot on and chippy lunch was just what we needed. Plenty of brews throughout the day to keep us hydrated. We were both so pleased with what we came home with and are so thankful to Bob for this!"

3 Jun 21'

Adam Clarke reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"Cannot recommend this course more highly. Bob immediately makes you feel welcome at the forge and puts any nerves at ease. His teaching style is amazing, allowing you to make mistakes and then helping you fix them and learn from it, which I found lets you really understand the point of the lesson. I made two items to take home with me, a poker and a toasting fork which are so good that people are now accusing me of stealing Bob’s work and passing it off as my own. That is a great endorsement of his teaching. I would absolutely go back for a follow up course. Thanks Bob!"

3 May 21'

Robert reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"Robert had a fantastic day, he had never been in a forge before but considering this under Bobs excellent supervision he did a lot of hands on. Robert came away with a garden rake and trowel and a big grin on his face. Thanks very much Bob it was a pleasure to watch a true tradesman at work."

4 Apr 21'

Ian reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"I did the course with my son and had a great time. We have never done anything like this before but the instruction from Bob were excellent and covered the basics of hammering in the morning, which I now know you have to listen to the hammer sound to get the blows right! The afternoon was to make your own thing. I made a fork, though it ended up a little shorted than it should have been (I didn’t realise you could burn metal) and my son made a trivet of his own design, all with a little help from Bob. Thanks Bob."

16 Feb 21'

Andy reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"What a brilliant day, perfect for anyone with an interest or curiousity in smithing or forging. Excellent tutor and informative from start to end"

11 Dec 20'

Dan reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"My ma-in-law got me a blacksmithing voucher for my birthday so yesterday I went and spent the day with Bob. He is a great teacher and showed me how to use a hammer properly. He could see when I picked up a pushing hammer blow from out of nowhere, even though I hadn't done it all day! I made a herb cleaver and some coat hangers and went home tired but very happy. I recommend this course if you fancy being out of your comfort zone and want to learn interesting metalworking techniques :)"

13 Nov 20'

John Hanley reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"I have had one of the best days ever. I have used a hammer most of my life, but I have never realised how hard it was to use a hammer to manipulate hot metal in a way that I was shown. Bob, the tutor, was very informative and helpful and knowledgeable beyond belief. I have had a great day and would definitely recommend this course to anyone."

3 Nov 20'

Nigel reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"My son, Andrew and myself did this course together today and thoroughly enjoyed it. Bob is a first class craftsman and tutor. I would highly recommend this day for anyone who wants to have a go at the art of the blacksmith. Brought home a poker and toasting fork, matching pair. Well pleased."

23 Oct 20'

Mike Rush reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"Got a voucher some time ago from my daughters but only got to go to work with Bob last week because of you-know-what. It was a great day and watching Bob turn a hoop from a single heating was simply mind-boggling. He has a fantastic depth of knowledge & experience and you learn fast from his show-then-do instruction method. It's a full-on day and your mind will be spinning trying to apply all the great tips and hints that you learn during the session. All in all, a thoroughly fascinating and rewarding day. Highly recommended. Thanks, Bob!"

6 Sep 20'

Dave reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"I found this course after becoming an avid ‘Forged in Fire’ fan, and soon began grinding my own knives from flat stock. But all I really wanted to do was actually forge them. This course was brilliant. Bob is a fantastic teacher and has so much valuable knowledge to share of his craft. The information he gives to you will stick and enable you to pick things up much quicker. There is a lovely relaxed atmosphere there, but with safety also always being key. If you’re thinking about doing the course, just get it booked! You won’t regret it! Thanks for a top class day Bob, I’ll be back again!"

18 Aug 20'

Ashley Davies reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"My wife sent me on the full day course with Bob. Being the Forged in Fire fan that I am and knife collector I arrived with all the excitement you could imagine. This was the first time I had even seen a forge in person so a complete novice in all things blacksmithing. After a safety talk and taking a genuine interest in my background Bob went on to explain, demonstrate and then had me repeat some basic skills, which gradually moved on to slightly harder skills. The depth of knowledge of the craft fascinated me, Bob sure knows his stuff! After a chippy lunch and relaxed interesting conversation we moved onto the second part of the day. Bob asked me what I would like to make - somewhat unsurprisingly to Bob I wanted to make a knife. Bob let me design my own knife to make which I thought was a nice touch. We actually made two knives, the first a Viking knife which combined all the skills from the morning to come together to make an awesome finished piece. We then made my own design. I am very proud of the end results for both knifes that have pride of place in my collection. Bob is a great guy and effortlessly made me feel at ease. I will be going back again soon for sure now that I have the bug! Thanks for a great day Bob."

4 Jul 20'

martin chamberlain reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"Can’t recommend this course highly enough. Bob was fantastic and incredibly patient and made the day really enjoyable. I wasn’t entirely sure the course would be for me - I’m fairly sedentary and work in an office type environment. However I was wrong - it is truly something anyone can have a try at. Bob also went above and beyond in the afternoon session (where we make something specific) when I’d asked about making a gecko! Not something they’d ever done but with a bit of research, thought and trial and error we made a fantastic gecko! Thank you and I’m hoping someone will buy me another lesson for my birthday later in the year!"

7 Feb 20'

Fergus reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"Had a great day. Bob's an excellent teacher, a good brew maker (I had black coffee) and I will definitely be going back to improve my skills."

26 Jan 20'

John Williams reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"Wow! What a fantastic day I've just had with Bob. Such a great guy who by end of the day felt like an old friend. I went along for a day expecting to hit a bit of iron and ended up learning so much about the craft. I now know so many interesting facts about horses feet and horseshoes. Bob is such an interesting character and a master of his craft. He's great at pointing out what you need to do, but also knows when to leave you to it so you can find your own feet. He even makes a half decent brew! Thanks again Bob, I've had a brilliant day."

3 Nov 19'

Dave Hardy reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"I spent a great day with Bob and learned a lot. A wonderful friendly atmosphere and Bob has great practical skills which amazed me all day. I came away with some amazing things I'd made with Bob's help. I cannot recommend this day highly enough."

29 Oct 19'

Jaki Summerfield reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"My 17yr old son had the best time on the half day course. It was everything he hoped it would be, the instructor (Bob) was so friendly, he made the experience so enjoyable. My son came home with a piece of ironwork that looked so professional, something we'll have many years of use. He'll definitely be returning for further education."

28 Sep 19'

Kate Harrison reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"My boyfriend booked this course for us as a surprise for my birthday, and I can honestly say it's the best gift I've ever received! Bob was an excellent teacher, with incredible skill, endless patience and a clear passion for the craft. He guided us in building a basic foundation of skills and tool use, which stood us in good stead for the crafting in the afternoon. We made bottle openers and amazing Viking style knives, and I can't stop looking at them, I can't believe I made that! I've had an absolutely fantastic day, Bob creates a lovely atmosphere, with lots of tea and banter and made us feel comfortable straight away. I really can't recommend this course enough. Thank you Bob!"

8 Aug 19'

Steph reviewed: Blacksmithing - one to one - Hammer Skills

"Booked this course as a surprise for my fiance who loves gaming, fantasy and forged in fire! So obviously he loved it! Bob was amazing, very patient and obviously very skilled in his craft. We did the half day course and, as well as making tips and learning hammer skills, at the end he got to make his own viking knife! Very enjoyable experience and we will be back for another half day soon! Thanks Bob!! #legend"