Packaging Options
All orders are sent in plain packaging so as not to ruin the surprise.
Premium Gift Pack
Our Premium Gift Pack includes a stylish gift box, which holds your personalised gift voucher and your activity voucher guide booklet. The premium choice.
£3.50 (+ £3.95 shipping charge)
Standard Gift Pack
Our Standard Gift Pack comes with a smart envelope that includes your personalised gift voucher and your activity voucher guide booklet.
Included in the £3.95 shipping charge
E Voucher
Our E Voucher is an instant voucher delivered by email, with your personalised email message and a downloadable .pdf of your personalised gift voucher.
FREE
What's Included
- A two-day axe making course
- Craft your axe from the best quality materials
- High carbon steel is used to hold a good edge and a hickory shaft for the best shock absorption
- A professional blacksmith will take you through the processes of forging, grinding, heat-treating and hafting your hand forged axe
- No previous experience is required but having completed the introductory blacksmith day course first is an advantage
- PPE, tools, materials and fuel for the forges are included
- Lunch, snacks and drinks are included
- Groups of up to 6 people can be accommodated
General itinerary for both days
- 09:30 Meet in the forge for a health and safety talk
- 09:45 Light the fires and first demonstration
- 11:00 Break time with pork pie (or alternatives) and drinks
- 13:00 Well deserved lunch
- 15:30 On the go break with drinks
- 16:30 Forges off
What Can I Expect
Head to Derbyshire for a two-day axe-making course! Join skilled blacksmiths in the heart of the Peak District to learn how to make your very own hatchet axe using traditional tools and methods.
Axes are one of humanity’s oldest and most versatile tools. From being used in the Stone Age to butcher and skin game, to chopping logs for you to fuel your cosy wood burner today, the humble axe can do it all!
These two-day experiences will teach you how to make a hatchet. This is a smaller, more convenient axe that is easily carried, making it ideal for wood chopping, bushcraft and so on. And yes, these aren’t just decorative axes, they are very useful indeed.
You and your fellow axe makers will work with the blacksmith team at the purpose-built workshop in the gorgeous Derbyshire countryside. There are three double forges and a gas furnace too, as well as all the tools you need to craft your axe.
The passionate tutors will guide you through the whole process, from selecting the high-grade carbon steel, forging and grinding, to then heat treating and hafting (attaching the handle) to complete your axe.
Ideal for those with some experience (especially if you have already done the one-day taster experience at this Peak District farm), this is quite an intense couple of days at the anvil and forge, but is incredibly rewarding.
If you stay overnight to attend this axe making course, there are lots of accommodation options in stunning Peak District villages nearby such as Youlgreave and further afield at popular market towns like Bakewell.
When Is It Available
- Selected weekends throughout the year
- Courses start both days at 09:30 finishing around 17:00
- Dates are subject to availability
Location
- Bakewell, Derbyshire, in the heart of The Peak District
Suitable For
- Minimum age 14
- Under 18s must be accompanied by a responsible adult
Spectators
- Guests are welcome to come along and watch, please make this known when making your booking
Anything Else
- Jeans, T-Shirt and jumper are recommended (no fleeces)
- Suitable sturdy foot wear should be worn ie Steel toe-capped boots or walking boots
- Jewellery should not be worn and long hair must be tied back
