Fiddleback University - Knife Making Experience - One Day

One Day Knife Making Experience - One on One Instruction

Want to make a custom knife with your own hands? Join us for an exclusive, one-on-one knife-making experience at the Fiddleback Forge shop in Norcross, Georgia. This isn't a forging class; we focus on the final steps of creating a beautiful, functional blade by hand.  You'll work side-by-side with our professional knife maker, Andy Roy, to craft a high-quality knife, learning essential skills that will last a lifetime.

NOTE: This is NOT a forging class. We use hammers as little as possible!

What You Will Make in Class:

• 9" or smaller fixed blade knife. You can choose any Fiddleback model under 9" in overall length.
  
  • The handle type will be a full tang style.
    
  • Steel will be carbon steel.
    
  • Handle material will be your choice of micarta or wood, with micarta liners and G10 pinstripes (chosen from Fiddleback Forge's current stock).
    

Skills You Will Learn Include:

• Prepare and glue up handle materials, including scales and liners.
• Use pinning and epoxy to properly attach handle scales to the blade.
  
• Shape handle materials quickly, efficiently, evenly, and beautifully.
  
• Finalize the grinds of the knife (post-heat treatment grinds).
  
• Finalize the finish of the handle materials to achieve the desired look and/or feel.
  
• Final sharpening of your knife.
  
• A general understanding of knife design and function.
• Countless small details that will decrease your frustration as a knife maker and increase your efficiency on all the finishing steps.

...And of course, all the tools and materials needed for all the steps above!

What You Get From the Class:

• A knife that you made with your own hands, while working side by side with a professional knife maker.
• Awesome new skills in knife-making and finishing beautiful blades.
• You'll be the envy of all your normie friends who can't make a knife!
  
• A good time, and likely a good story to tell.
  
• First dibs on also purchasing the knife Andy Roy made by your side during the class session.
  

What is Provided With the Knife-Making Workshop:

• Steel: A carbon steel Fiddleback Forge knife blank that is already heat-treated, textured, and ready to put handles on and grind.
• Handle materials: Micarta handle scales, micarta liners, G10 liners, micarta pins.
• Expendable materials: Grinder belts, epoxy, sandpaper, and other one-time-use materials needed to complete the knife.
• Equipment access: Grinders, buffers, saws, drill presses, clamps, sanding discs, and other equipment.
• Access to basic safety gear: Masks, eye protection, and earplugs.

What Is NOT Provided With the Knife Class:

• Travel Expenses
  • Transportation
  • Lodging
  • Meals

What to Expect:

• Learning how to do the glue-up process of handle materials, handle shaping, finish grinds, and applying the maker's mark.
• You'll get plenty of one-to-one instruction; each class is limited to only one person!
• Dirty hands, clean fun. Prepare to get a little dirty! You'll create a lot of dust, which is fun. The shop is equipped nicely with a dust collection system and air filtration, and you'll wear a full mask. So, you'll be good to go.
  
• Prepare to start early, class begins at 8 AM. If you are a breakfast person, eat beforehand. Expect Atlanta traffic when driving in the area. Norcross is on the south end of Georgia's largest county, with almost 1 million people, and it sits between them and Atlanta.
  
• Andy will usually break for lunch around 12-ish, depending on where you are in the process. There are several great restaurants nearby. You can expect a good place to eat and a good laugh with Andy while there. After you've completed the process, you'll have time to work on any skill area that you found yourself weakest in, or that you need more help with.
  

What to Wear and Safety Gear:

• You will do a lot of grinding. The whole process uses quite a few different grinders and attachments. Don't wear loose-fitting or excessively baggy clothes.
  
• The shop is heated and cooled in the "dirty area," but is in an open warehouse for the "clean" parts. The warehouse isn't heated or cooled, so whatever the weather is that day outside, it influences the inside temperature.
  
• Wear shoes that will protect your feet and that you can stand on a hard floor comfortably for much of the day. While the shop is as clean and safe as a shop can be, you are working with shop equipment, hot steel, sparks, etc. Protect your feet. Pants are encouraged as well.
  
• You'll wear a full respirator when in the "dirty area" of the shop where grinders are. Also, expect to wear eye protection if the respirator you use does not have it built in.
  
• Ear protection is encouraged, but not required. Electronic ear protection designed for shooting is great because you can hear instructions while blocking louder noises. But earplugs are fine.

 

Why Choose Our Knife-Making Workshop

At Fiddleback Forge, we believe that the best way to learn is with a pro. Unlike other workshops, our one-on-one knife classes offer a truly personalized experience. You’ll be guided every step of the way by master craftsman Andy Roy, ensuring you not only walk away with a high-quality knife but also a deep understanding of the skills and techniques behind it. This focused approach saves you countless hours of frustration and gives you the confidence to continue your knife-making journey. Secure your spot and make a knife you’ll be proud to show off for years to come.

Start Your Knife-Making Journey

Ready to start your knife-making journey? Reserve your one-day knife-making workshop with Andy Roy today and build a knife you'll be proud to call your own!