Soulful Iron Blacksmithing & Knife Making Experience Days Reviews 14

I thoroughly enjoyed my day at Soulful Iron - the tuition was great and so it was so pleasing to come home with a beautiful object I'd made myself! Prior to the day I'd been a little nervous, having never done anything like this before. However, Mike is a fantastic teacher - he explained everything really well and gave exactly the right amount of assistance when needed.

What a day! It was a great experience that I would definitely like to do again. Mike was great, very knowledgeable and helpful. A really great day and worth every penny

My partner and I booked the Blacksmith Experience Day run by Mike, and if you are looking for a proper hands-on blacksmith experience, this is exactly the kind of day you hope for. I genuinely cannot rate this experience highly enough - it was bloody awesome from start to finish.

There were five of us in total - the two of us plus three people we had not met before. By the end of the day we were chatting like old friends, which says a lot about the atmosphere he creates. It was the perfect group size and made the whole day feel really personal, relaxed and genuinely fun.

And the experience itself? Incredible. I never imagined that battering molten hot iron with a hammer could be so satisfying (and tiring). There is something incredibly satisfying about working the metal, watching it take shape and realising that you are actually making something with your own hands.

Over the course of the day we each made a hook and a poker to take home. Not bad considering that at the start I was basically bashing the living daylights out of the iron and hoping for the best, with very little idea what I was doing. By the time we finished, I had two proper pieces of work and some actual skills.

What really stood out about the day was Mike himself and the way he worked with each person individually. He struck the perfect balance between guiding and teaching without ever taking over. He works with you so you genuinely are the one creating something from start to finish. One of the people on our course had a very specific item she wanted to make, and Mike happily worked with her to make it happen. That kind of flexibility and generosity is rare.

His passion for blacksmithing is infectious. No question was too silly, and he clearly cares deeply about sharing the craft and making sure everyone leaves with their own unique pieces, new skills, and a huge sense of achievement. He was brilliant at tailoring his guidance to different skill levels so no one felt rushed or left behind. Those who picked things up quickly could keep progressing, while those of us who were a bit slower (like me) never felt embarrassed or rushed - Mike would just pop over with a quick bit of advice and suddenly the metal started doing what it was supposed to. The day even ran well beyond the advertised finish time, but he never rushed anyone and made sure everyone got the experience they came for.

The whole thing was authentic, hands-on and genuinely special. For me, the highlight (aside from working alongside my other half) was simply spending the day learning from someone who clearly loves what they do and wants others to experience it too.

You leave tired, a bit smoky, slightly filthy, and ridiculously proud of what you have made.

We are already planning to come back for the knife-making course.

And honestly - I am telling absolutely everyone I know about this place because it really was that good. If you are even slightly curious about blacksmithing, or just fancy doing something completely different for a day, book it.

I really enjoyed my day at Mike's forge and learnt a lot about making knives and the skills that go into creating them that developed over hundreds if not thousands of years until machines largely took over.
Mike passion for forging, for teaching and for quality shone through all
day ensuring that we all came away with something that we could be proud of.

The day at the forge for knife making was an unforgettable experience. For me it was rich in earthy, hands on experience.
Mike put on a pleasant day, he was exceptionally patient with everyone, ensuring that each participant felt comfortable and confident in their work. Despite the tight schedule, Mike was committed to helping us finish our knives. His dedication meant we had time to refine our creations.

Overall, the workshop was brilliantly structured and executed. I loved every moment of it, from the crafting process to the sense of achievement I felt at the end.

It is a bit scarey seeing red-hot metal for the first time, but Mike's friendly and professional manner quickly put us all at ease and by the end of the day everyone was handling it with confidence and took away some nice pieces of their own work. All in all a great day out that I can thoroughly recommend.

A truly authentic experience day - it felt like stepping back in time, away from all the distractions of everyday life. Mike is a natural teacher/mentor - it really felt like he wanted me to reach my full potential which I’m so grateful for. Mike’s genuine passion for blacksmithing shines through, you can’t help but feel inspired. Highly recommend Mike’s courses, hope to attend more in the near future!

It was a very cold day and the workshop is in a large barn so Mike got us working around the gas forge asap after the safety briefing - we soon warmed up. It was a one day course but we each came away with several hand crafted items like a hefty poker with a double twist and coat hooks. An interesting technique we learned was 'smith and strike' where two people work as a team and take it in turns to hit the workpiece thereby making the item quicker. I highly recommend the course.

I really loved the experience! The team is awesome, I totally recommend it to everyone!

Fantastic experience on the knife making course. We were all beginners to blacksmithing, but after a long and intensive day, we all came away with our very own hand forged knives! It was a fantastic and fascinating experience, learning the ways of working 1000 degree playdough, and given me the ideas and interest to get into blacksmithing more, and start bending my own metal at home. Thanks Mike!

My son and I had a wonderful blacksmithing experience day at Soulful Iron. Mike was a knowledgeable and friendly guide and we got lots of support and encouragement! We ended up with two beautiful finished items each and a new found understanding and passion for hot metals!

Mike was friendly and very skilled, making it an enjoyable day! It was fun to understand these ancient techniques whilst also making some pretty cool things to take home!

Mike has a great set up in Slad a bit out of the way but well worth it
He is very skilled at all things in the forge and has been at it for a long time
Great in depth experience and passes skills on very well
Mike is very patient and encourages people to go at there own pace he is always on hand to help out and guide students to end up with lovely artisan iron work
Will
Be going again on the new year
Great place, great guy and a wonderful place to have this experience

The experience day that I was part of just flew by.
Mike's patience with us was second to none and his teaching was really Good.
In the day we managed to make a hook with a twist in it and a poker with alternate twists, and an eye for a handle. I gladly accepted mike's challenge to make a more intricate poker, and with his guidance I successfully achieved this. And my final note is that I cannot recommend this day highly enough and I am looking forward to when i can come on another one