Sunday March 19, 2023, 9am – 5pm
Sunday March 26, 2023, 9am – 3pm
Instructor: Dossain Valencia
This socket knife was inspired by tribal knives around the world that use the socket construction in utilitarian blades. From billhooks to machetes and spears, this style of joining the metal working end to the wood shaft or handle makes for a very strong and secure fit.
Students can expect to finish one knife and will be introduced to different variations on the additions to the socket i.e.: wood shafts, cord or rattan wrapping. We’ll be teaching these variations in future blade clinics.
This class is suitable for the student who has bladesmithing experience and would like to strengthen their hand-forging skill set. In this class, we’ll cover blade design with an emphasis on forging to dimension along with grinding and sharpening. We’ll also teach the basics of heat treatment at the forge and how to achieve a rudimentary annealing, normalization, quench, and temper to produce a usable working blade.
With these skills, you’ll be able to heat treat your blades and tools in your home forge, if you’re lucky enough to have one! And once you’ve mastered the socket handle, you’ll be able to use it in countless other applications from garden tools to sculpture or furniture.
Prerequisites: Discovery Letter Opener plus at least one additional blade class. Stamina and moderate strength will be required.
Please note: All classes are released for member-only early registration for one week before they're available for general registration. If you're unable to add this class to your cart, you can wait for general release or join our membership program at any time!