Join Charlie Ellis for an incredible 5 day class involving the ins and outs of integral knives, from forging to finishing. This course is for students that already have a pretty good handle on forging and are looking to step it up and start making knives with integral bolsters, or for those that have been making integrals and are looking to refine and improve their process. Whether that’s how to better move the material or step up into curved fit ups with mechanically fastened tangs and handles with heirloom fits, this course will send you home with a beautifully forged-to-finish integral knife of your creation and the skills to do it again and again at home.
Monday, Aug 14: On Day 1 we’ll kick this course off with some safety talk and get everyone familiar with their cohorts and the space you’ll be working in. After the introductory niceties are taken care of, Charlie will jump head first into construction and forging techniques, followed by forging the blades themselves.
Tuesday, Aug 15: Day 2 will involve a grinding overview and demo, followed by drilling and tapping tangs and heat treat.
Wednesday, Aug 16: Day 3 is all handles! We’ll be fitting and shaping handles to a close finish.
Thursday, Aug 17: Day 4 will involve final blade grinding and prepping the blade and handle for final fit and finish.
Friday, Aug 18: The final day will be the conclusion to the course and will involve final fit and finish for the full piece (hand sanding, oiling, sharpening, etc.). After blades are finished, Charlie will address any processes that may need reviewed or elaborated. When Charlie is finished up, there will be some classroom cleaning, photos, and open forging if time permits.
CLASS DIFFICULTY: ADVANCED
STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE PRIOR FORGING/BLACKSMITHING EXPERIENCE
FOR THE FULL BENEFIT OF CHARLIE AND THE REST OF THE STUDENTS, ALL APPLICANTS OF THE COURSE WILL BE EXPECTED TO KEEP UP WITH THE PACING OF CHARLIE’S TEACHING AND THE CLASS OUTLINE. WE WANT EVERYONE TO HAVE AN ENJOYABLE TIME AND WALK AWAY WITH A FINISHED PROJECT AND FULL KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROCESS. 
Charlie Ellis
Charlie Ellis has been forging since 2005, and been steeped in knowledge from the American Bladesmith Society through Haywood Community College where he attended for several years. From there worked architectural blacksmithing for 5 years gaining experience in machining, fabrication and jig and tooling development for the jobs at hand. Has been making knives obsessively since 2008 and has done so full time since 2019. Has learned from David Burnette, Jason Knight, and Adam and Haley DesRosiers.
Check out Charlie’s website at Charleslionheart.com and follow his socials with the buttons below!
Creating the Integral Knife with Charlie Ellis
$2,500.00
The cost of the class will include tuition, material fees, as well as breakfast and lunch each day. Purchase of this in-person course will also grant you access to the live recording of the class when it is published on our Online Education page so that you have lifetime access to the process, information, and memories. Housing and transportation options are not available at this time and are the responsibility of the student. Local housing can be found at visitandersonmadisoncounty.com
CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY
We understand that sometimes circumstances change and you may need to cancel your attendance to one of our scheduled classes. However, please note that refunds are subject to the following policy:
If you cancel your attendance more than 30 days before the start of the class, you will receive a full refund of your registration fee.
If you cancel your attendance within 30 days of the start of the class, you will not be eligible for a refund.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but please understand that our classes have limited availability and we need to ensure that all registered attendees are committed to attending.
Class registration is non-transferable under any circumstances. The student in attendance must match the ID information of our class registration records.
If you have any questions, concerns, or need to make a cancellation, please do not hesitate to contact us at school@coaliron.com
The Coal School of Iron is not financially responsible for any other accommodations any student makes for themselves should a cancellation occur. This includes room and board, travel arrangements, travel insurance, etc.