Tryon Arts and Crafts School will host a two-day knife-making workshop on Saturday, April 7 and Sunday, April 8 (Easter weekend), with bladesmith Chuck Brooks. In this workshop, students will forge a knife blade, start a wood handle and create at least one fully- functional tool. They will learn to forge, heat treat, temper and grind knife blades that can be attached to a bone, antler or wood handle. The goal of this class is to bring students to a basic understanding of knife design and workmanship in the forge.
Chuck Brooks made his first usable knife in 1981 from a power hacksaw blade, when he wanted to learn to make a functional knife with some design appeal. At the time, there were no instructors in blade making to be found. In 1998, 17 years later, he took his first blade class from Karl Schroen in California. In 1999, Chuck attended an introduction to bladesmithing class at the American Bladesmith Society School located in Old Washington, Ark. He then added the handles and guards class. Brooks has taken several mastersmith workshops for specialized training, learning to make Damascus steel, leather sheaths and fancy file work on the spine of the blade.
Brooks sells his knives at several shows around the country. This workshop falls on Easter weekend because this was the only time Tryon Arts and Crafts School could host it before next fall because of his heavy schedule.
The workshop will run from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Students need to bring lunch, beverages, snacks, protective eyewear, leather gloves and earplugs (if desired) and should wear leather shoes and old clothes.
Advance registration is required. For more information about the instructor or workshop, including tuition and supply costs, contact Tryon Arts & Crafts at 828-859-8323 or  tryonartsandcrafts@windstream.net.  More details and examples of projects are available on the Tryon Arts and Crafts website, www.TryonArtsandCrafts.org.
Tryon Arts and Crafts is a non-profit crafts school located at 373 Harmon Field Road in Tryon.
– article submitted by Julia McIntyre