Create a custom chef’s knife

What you’ll take home: A full sized chef’s knife with a Damascus steel cladded blade Go-mai (five layers) and a hidden tang wooden handle. The only course in UK that offers this type of blade construction .

Experience requirement - Some DIY experience is beneficial, as this is the most hands-on experience I run but not necessary.

Equipment needed - Natural legwear (jeans are perfect, no Nylon fabrics etc.) and strong leather shoes. I will be providing all the protective equipment.

Freshly brewed coffee ,  hot drinks and biscuits will be provided. For lunch you can bring your own or find tasty options around the workshop. 

Total of four students per class. ( from October 2026 the price of the course will be going up. If you hold an old gift card i have released dates with the old price to honour most gift cards. If you would like more information please don’t hesitate to contact me. 

This is my exclusive knife making course, and is ideal for those that want to craft something that is truly custom and unique. We’re working towards a knife that you’ll be able to use every day, be it in the home or professional kitchen. You are welcome to use my blade designs or bring your own.

By the end of the 16 hour experience, you’ll have created a beautifully crafted, razor sharp hidden tang 160-170mm knife that you can be truly proud of. The course isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s hard work, but you’ll appreciate every drop of sweat and you will be immensely proud, when you hold a tool that you personally handcrafted.

You’ll understand the key pieces of the process of making a knife, see each of the processes in action, and get experience creating your blade. You will be given a san-mai billet which has been prepped and forge-welded prior of the course, I use 26c3 British high carbon steel for the core.

Forging- At the end of this initial process, we will have finished the forging of your knife’s rough profile and blade thickness, Then we will use the belt grinders to shape the blade to your final design.

Heat-treating stage

Annealing cycle - In this important stage the steel softens, looses all stress created through forging, resize the grain structure and makes it more responsive to the hardening treatment we’ll go through.

Hardening cycle - we’ll heat the blade up to over 820, then quench it into hot oil. This is incredibly fun to do, and usually includes a little fire. The process makes the steel incredibly hard but very brittle.

Tempering - This process reduces the toughness of the steel, but increases its strength to be able to take and hold an edge for as long as you use your knife respectfully.

Grinding the bevels - this is a crucial part of the process, you will be using the belt grinders and knife grinding jigs to shape the bevels of your knives, essentially what makes a piece of steel being able to slice through most things.

Revealing the Damascus Pattern - this is probably my favourite part of the course, and I find it incredibly addictive. We will be dipping the knife into a mix of ferric chloride and water to bring out the randomised Damascus pattern. You can never know exactly what this will look like, and is unique to your knife.

Handle making and glueing - I’ll give you a chance to select through various woods I have on hand with some upgrades available . Once you’ve selected your preferred wood, we will prep the block during day 1 and in day 2 you’ll use the belt grinder to create a beautiful handle.

When complete, we’ll attach the wooden handle to the tang using an epoxy resin.

Sharpening and Stropping - I will be sharpening your blades and then you will learn how to strop on leather, to take the blade to a razor sharpness level. A leather strop is the best tool to replace the steel rod that you potentially have used to sharpen cheap knives.

****Please make every effort to chose a course date that you can commit to, my courses fill up quickly and making changes to group numbers is costly and time consuming. Once you have selected a date you can transfer the date of your course once only, moving the date of your course for a second time will incur a £85 fee. You have the right to a refund up to 14 days after your purchase, as I am a small business I cannot offer refunds outside of this period. You can alter the date of your course up to six weeks before the start date, after this date your booking will be confirmed and is non-transferable. If you fail to turn up for your course you forfeit your place and no refund will be given.

What you’ll take home: A metal handled bushcraft or paring knife (max blade length 100mm)

Course length - 1 day (8 hours)

Experience requirement - none

Equipment needed - Natural legwear (jeans are perfect, no Nylon fabrics etc.) and strong leather shoes. I will be providing all the protective equipment.

A delicious lunch for each attendee will be provided.

Maximum number of attendees - 6

Cost per person - £220 ( from October 2026 the price of the course will be going up. If you hold a gift card of 200£ i have released dates with the old price to honour most gift cards. If you would like more information please don’t hesitate to contact me.)

Time and Location- 9:30 (sharply) , at my workshop in Bristol (google map Nouko knives)

This course is perfect for those with little or no metal work experience to get hands on and produce a hand crafted paring or a bush-craft knife to take home. It’s a fun day, and at times strenuous course, which will leave you satisfied, if a little worn out.

By the end of this course You’ll understand the key pieces of the process of making a knife, see each of the processes in action, and get experience creating your blade.

We’ll start each session with a rectangular piece of high grade steel. We’ll then go through an explanation of each stage of creating a knife:

Handle and blade forging - you’ll be heating up the billet, and using the power hammer and traditional hammer and anvil method to create the right thickness, to transform the billet to a functional knife shape

Heat-treating stage

Annealing cycles - this softens the blade a little, and makes it more responsive to the hardening treatment we’ll go through. You’ll get to use the forge again for this.

Hardening cycle - we’ll heat the blade up to over 820c, then quench it into hot oil. This is incredibly fun to do, and usually includes a little fire. The process makes the steel incredibly hard but very brittle.

Tempering - this process reduces the toughness of the steel, but increases its strength to be able to take and hold an edge for as long as you use your knife respectfully.

Grinding the bevels - this is a crucial part of the process, and takes years to master. I will be carrying out this stage for the best possible final edge performance. I’ll be using the belt grinder to create the initial edge before sharpening. I’ll still give you an explanation and you’ll be able to watch.

Stropping - we use a piece of soft leather, the kind you might imagine is used at an old fashioned barber shop, to take the blade to a razor sharpness level. You will also be given a piece to take home so you can maintain that amazing sharpness.

As the day comes to an end, we’ll talk about how you can look after your knife through sharpening, cleaning and honing it.

*if you are a group of 5-7 people and would like to book a course out of the designated dates, please do get in contact.

*if you are part of a group and would like to pay for your place in the course please select from the drop down menu the “private booking single spot” option and include in the notes of your order the date your private course is booked for . 

*As with blacksmithing, bladesmithing is not an easy craft, we do take every precaution to avoid accidents but expect the odd blister or scratch. Because of this, the workshop is suitable for 18+ or 16+ with an adult.

* Please make every effort to chose a course date that you can commit to, my courses fill up quickly and making changes to group numbers is costly and time consuming. Once you have selected a date you can transfer the date of your course once only, moving the date of your course for a second time will incur a £65 fee. You have the right to a refund up to 14 days after your purchase, as I am a small business I cannot offer refunds outside of this period. You can alter the date of your course up to six weeks before the start date, after this date your booking will be confirmed and is non-transferable. If you fail to turn up for your course you forfeit your place and no refund will be given.

Purchasing this gift card will give you a voucher code that can be redeemed against the intro to bladesmithing course - allowing you to purchase the date you would like to attend. You will also receive the email with the links to download the info pack and printable Gift card to gift to your loved ones..

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What you’ll take home: A metal handled bushcraft or paring knife (max blade length 100mm)

Course length - 1 day (8 hours)

Experience requirement - none

Equipment needed - Natural legwear (jeans are perfect, no Nylon fabrics etc.) and strong leather shoes. I will be providing all the protective equipment.

A delicious lunch for each attendee will be provided.

Maximum number of attendees - 6

Cost per person - £220( from September 2026 the price of the course will be going up. If you hold a gift card of 200£ i have released dates with the old price to honour most gift cards. If you would like more information please don’t hesitate to contact me. 

Time and Location- 9:30 (sharply) , at my workshop in Bristol (google map Nouko knives)

This course is perfect for those with little or no metal work experience to get hands on and produce a hand crafted paring or a bush-craft knife to take home. It’s a fun day, and at times strenuous course, which will leave you satisfied, if a little worn out.

By the end of this course You’ll understand the key pieces of the process of making a knife, see each of the processes in action, and get experience creating your blade.

We’ll start each session with a rectangular piece of high grade steel. We’ll then go through an explanation of each stage of creating a knife:

Handle and blade forging - you’ll be heating up the billet, and using the power hammer and traditional hammer and anvil method to create the right thickness, to transform the billet to a functional knife shape

Heat-treating stage

Normalising cycles - this softens the blade a little, and makes it more responsive to the hardening treatment we’ll go through. You’ll get to use the forge again for this.

Hardening cycle - we’ll heat the blade up to over 820c, then quench it into hot oil. This is incredibly fun to do, and usually includes a little fire. The process makes the steel incredibly hard but very brittle.

Tempering - this process reduces the toughness of the steel, but increases its strength to be able to take and hold an edge for as long as you use your knife respectfully.

Grinding the bevels - this is a crucial part of the process, and takes years to master. I will be carrying out this stage for the best possible final edge performance. I’ll be using the belt grinder to create the initial edge before sharpening. I’ll still give you an explanation and you’ll be able to watch.

Stropping - we use a piece of soft leather, the kind you might imagine is used at an old fashioned barber shop, to take the blade to a razor sharpness level. You will also be given a piece to take home so you can maintain that amazing sharpness.

As the day comes to an end, we’ll talk about how you can look after your knife through sharpening, cleaning and honing it.

*if you are a group of 5-7 people and would like to book a course out of the designated dates, please do get in contact.

*As with blacksmithing, bladesmithing is not an easy craft, we do take every precaution to avoid accidents but expect the odd blister or scratch. Because of this, the workshop is suitable for 18+ or 16+ with an adult.

* Please make every effort to chose a course date that you can commit to, my courses fill up quickly and making changes to group numbers is costly and time consuming. Once you have selected a date you can transfer the date of your course once only, moving the date of your course for a second time will incur a £65 fee. You have the right to a refund up to 14 days after your purchase, as I am a small business I cannot offer refunds outside of this period. You can alter the date of your course up to six weeks before the start date, after this date your booking will be confirmed and is non-transferable. If you fail to turn up for your course you forfeit your place and no refund will be given.

This is not a heavy duty butchery cleaver, this is a do it all fine knife with the ability to impress even the most demanding of you.

The blade is hand forged from stainless clad with super blue core steel. This unique combination ensures a beautiful compound distal taper,and razor-sharp performance. The super blue core steel provides exceptional edge retention, allowing you to effortlessly slice, dice, and chop with precision.

To complement the blade, The handle features a stainless bolster, the blend of micarta and G10 spacers enhances both the aesthetic appeal and the ergonomic design of the handle, ensuring a secure and balanced grip.

But what truly sets this Chinese Cleaver apart is the removable handle . The blade is mechanically fixed to the handle, allowing you to switch handles to suit your preferences. Whether you desire a different material, style, or color, this cleaver offers the flexibility to customize and personalise your culinary tool.

Dimensions

Blade Length:215mm

Blade Hight: 94mm on the hill

Blade thickness above the hill 3mm, tapered to 1.2mm on the top.

-Steel: Stainless clad with super blue steel core (high carbon, high tungsten) at 65HRC, a true upgrade that will give years of beautiful cutting performance.

***This listing is for the knife in the photos, you get what you see. Please allow for a couple of days for me to pack and post your new knife.

The Gyuto is a Japanese style chef's knife with a curve towards the tip of the blade that smoothly rocks back and forth and has an extended tip for quick chopping . "Gyuto” literally means “beef sword” but the versatility of the design allows it to be used to cut meat, fish, and vegetables with excellent adaptability to any cutting task in the kitchen.

The wrought iron of the cladding is from an old cart wheel. I cut, prepped and forge welded the billet that made this knife. The wrought iron has been plated with copper while the knife was in the etchant, the finish is very durable and it will withstand normal use but it will ware off if the knife gets a lot of abuse.

A little bit about the all new Apex Ultra Steel, it’s a high carbon, tungsten and vanadium steel. heat treated at 67HRC which very high hardness. The addition of vanadium increases the wear resistance of the cutting edge by quite a bit in comparison with the super blue Japanese steel. It delivers one of the best edge retentions in the market of steels.

• Blade,235mm length ,60mm hight on the hill , Wrought Iron cladding with Apex ultra  for the core at 67HRC.

• Handle: Copper bolster and Spalted Platanus

***This listing is for the knife in the photos, you get what you see. Please allow for a couple of days for me to pack and post your new knife.

****By proceeding with any knife purchase you declare that you are over the age of eighteen.

******I post knives with Parcelforce Express 24 or 48 with the required by low Age Verification upon delivery, So ensure you are in the house and have ID if you are lucky enough to look under age. That ensures you will receive your knife safe and sound.

A classic Japanese deba, reimagined through contemporary forging. This 190mm right-handed single bevel is made for fish prep — from confident head cuts to clean filleting — but handles poultry and protein work just as well.

The cladding is an in-house lamination of seven layers: three of wrought iron, two of mild steel, and one of 1080 carbon steel. This laminated billet is then forge-welded again around an ApexUltra core, sleeved in nickel for added carbon stability. Though single bevel by geometry, the core is exposed on both sides — the result of careful forging that respects tradition while making the most of material performance.

ApexUltra is a high-performance carbon steel known for its extreme edge retention, fine grain, and responsive sharpening. With high carbon and tungsten content, it holds an incredibly fine edge under serious use. Forged clean and heat-treated in house, it’s a core material built for serious cutting.

• Length: 190mm cutting edge

• Height at heel: 57mm – excellent knuckle clearance

• Spine at heel: 6mm – gives the knife its power and forward weight

• Spine 1" from tip: 2.7mm – clean taper for a sharp, agile tip

• Behind the edge: 0.3mm – thin enough to cut clean, without wedging

This knife is built with purpose: it has the heft and strength to go through heads and bones, but is thin where it counts. Forward-weighted, like a traditional deba, it delivers precision and force in equal measure.

The handle features the Nouko stainless bolster paired with a straight octagonal handle in stabilised rosewood — one of the last pieces in the workshop, selected for its rich grain and density. A clean, balanced finish to a knife that’s forged to work and built to last.

***This listing is for the knife in the photos, you get what you see. Please allow for a couple of days for me to pack and post your new knife.

****By proceeding with any knife purchase you declare that you are over the age of eighteen.

******I post knives with Parcelforce Express 24 or 48 with the required by low Age Verification upon delivery, So ensure you are in the house and have ID if you are lucky enough to look under age. That ensures you will receive your knife safe and sound.

Designed with a very thin blade the nakiri is used for effortless and precise cutting of vegetables. The tip is kept close to 90 degrees so delicate cuts can be achieved, the slight curve at the last 30mm allows the knife to still roll over the cutting board when needed and the strait edge blade offers excellent downward chopping.

-Blade length 185mm, blade hight 65mm+

-Steel: Stainless clad with super blue steel core (high carbon, high tungsten) at 65HRC, a true upgrade that will give years of beautiful cutting performance.

-handle: Copper bolster and Ironwood

**** All knives are made to order and lead time is currently at 8-10 weeks minimum.

Every part of my knives are engineered from scratch. This gives me the ability to pay real attention to detail and make each knife truly unique. However proper craftsmanship takes time, thanks for your patience.

The Pairing is the smallest of my range but a must-have general-purpose knife for every kitchen. The blade is designed and handforged to achieve the perfect cut for slicing, chopping and peeling, fruits, vegetables and proteins.

-blade 110mm,

-Steel: Stainless clad with super blue steel core (high carbon, high tungsten) at 65HRC, a true upgrade that will give years of beautiful cutting performance.

-handle: Copper bolster and english dark walnut

***This listing is for the stainless cladding + super blue Japanese core steel. Selecting Light or Dark timber for the handle you give me a guideline on what you prefer. If you would like to do the selection of the timber and block yourself please select the option “Bespoke”, some special timbers are available please enquire when you select “Bespoke” .

**** All knives are made to order and lead time is currently at 8-10 weeks minimum.

Every part of my knives are engineered from scratch. This gives me the ability to pay real attention to detail and make each knife truly unique. However proper craftsmanship takes time, thanks for your patience.

****By proceeding with any knife purchase you declare that you are over the age of eighteen.

******I post knives with Parcelforce Express 24 or 48 with the required by low Age Verification upon delivery, So ensure you are in the house and have ID if you are lucky enough to look under age. That ensures you will receive your knife safe and sound.

The Santoku (three virtues) design is one of the most adaptable knives in a kitchen, it is great for a variety of jobs on the cutting board and is most often the first knife for a collection.

-Blade length 175mm, blade hight 65mm+, Distal taper on the spine from 3mm to 0.65mm

-Steel: Stainless clad with super blue steel core (high carbon, high tungsten) at 65HRC, a true upgrade that will give years of beautiful cutting performance.

-handle: Solid copper bolster and Desert Ironwood.

*** All knives are made to order and lead time is currently at 8-10 weeks minimum.

Every part of my knives are engineered from scratch. This gives me the ability to pay real attention to detail and make each knife truly unique. However proper craftsmanship takes time, thanks for your patience.

****By proceeding with any knife purchase you declare that you are over the age of eighteen.

******I post knives with Parcelforce Express 24 or 48 with the required by low Age Verification upon delivery, So ensure you are in the house and have ID if you are lucky enough to look under age. That ensures you will receive your knife safe and sound.

The Gyuto is a Japanese style chef's knife with a curve towards the tip of the blade that smoothly rocks back and forth and has an extended tip for quick chopping . "Gyuto” literally means “beef sword” but the versatility of the design allows it to be used to cut meat, fish, and vegetables with excellent adaptability to any cutting task in the kitchen.

The wrought iron of the cladding is from an old cart wheel. I cut, prepped and forge welded the billet that made this knife. The wrought iron has been plated with copper while the knife was in the etchant, the finish is very durable and it will withstand normal use but it will ware off if the knife gets a lot of abuse.

A little bit about the all new Apex Ultra Steel, it’s a high carbon, tungsten and vanadium steel. heat treated at 67HRC which very high hardness. The addition of vanadium increases the wear resistance of the cutting edge by quite a bit in comparison with the super blue Japanese steel. It delivers one of the best edge retentions in the market of steels.

• Blade length 240mm, Wrought Iron cladding with Apex ultra  for the core at 67HRC.

• Handle: Copper bolster and Ironwood

***This listing is for a knife similar to the one in the photos

****By proceeding with any knife purchase you declare that you are over the age of eighteen.

******I post knives with Parcelforce Express 24 or 48 with the required by low Age Verification upon delivery, So ensure you are in the house and have ID if you are lucky enough to look under age. That ensures you will receive your knife safe and sound.

The Boning knife features a full tang forged blade(150mm cutting edge) and an ergonomically sculpted wooden handle. The geometry of the bevels and the super blue Japanese high carbon steel for the core ensures a durable cutting edge, whilst the stainless cladding helps with looking after it.
.
-Steel: Stainless clad with super blue steel core (high carbon, high tungsten) at 65HRC, a true upgrade that will give years of beautiful cutting performance.

-Handle: Elm, sourced from within Bristol, Stabilised in-house, option of blue, orange or black G10 spacers. Copper pins.

*** All knives are made to order and lead time is currently at 8-10 weeks minimum.

Every part of my knives are engineered from scratch. This gives me the ability to pay real attention to detail and make each knife truly unique. However proper craftsmanship takes time, thanks for your patience.

****By proceeding with any knife purchase you declare that you are over the age of eighteen.

******I post knives with Parcelforce Express 24 or 48 with the required by low Age Verification upon delivery, So ensure you are in the house and have ID if you are lucky enough to look under age. That ensures you will receive your knife safe and sound.

The Gyuto is a Japanese style chef's knife with a curved blade that smoothly rocks back and forth and has an extended tip for quick chopping . "Gyuto” literally means “beef sword” but the versatility of the design allows it to be used to cut meat, fish, and vegetables with excellent adaptability to any cutting task in the kitchen.

• Blade size 240mm, 60mm at the hill,

• Steel: Stainless clad with super blue steel core (high carbon, high tungsten) at 65HRC, a true upgrade that will give years of beautiful cutting performance.

***This listing is for the stainless cladding + super blue Japanese core steel. Selecting Light or Dark timber for the handle you give me a guideline on what you prefer. If you would like to do the selection of the timber block for your handle yourself please select the option “Bespoke”, some special timbers are available please enquire when you select “Bespoke” .

**** All knives are made to order and lead time is currently at 8-10 weeks minimum.

Every part of my knives are engineered from scratch. This gives me the ability to pay real attention to detail and make each knife truly unique. However proper craftsmanship takes time, thanks for your patience.

****By proceeding with any knife purchase you declare that you are over the age of eighteen.

******I post knives with Parcelforce Express 24 or 48 with the required by low Age Verification upon delivery, So ensure you are in the house and have ID if you are lucky enough to look under age. That ensures you will receive your knife safe and sound.