About Canju Lab
My Story
Canju Lab is what I call the space that I tinker in, when Im not working. Either its woodturning rice bowls, making miso paste or crafting knives - this is the creative outlet that is so important in our lives.
Recently, a few friends asked if they might be able to come and learn how to make knives - and the idea for doing experiences was sown.
Knife making course details
Make your own Japanese petty knife in one day - about the experience
About the Experience
This is a full-day, hands-on knife making workshop where you walk in with nothing and walk out with a handmade Japanese petty knife that you built yourself, from raw steel to finished blade.
The petty knife is one of the most versatile blades in Japanese kitchen culture — perfect for precision work like slicing, peeling, and detailed cuts. It’s the knife chefs actually reach for most.
You’ll learn knifemaking techniques — from heat treatment and tempering through to grinding, handle fitting, and final polish. Every step is guided, but every cut is yours.
And the best part? You test your knife before you leave. We throw steaks on the grill and you put your blade to work — because a knife isn’t finished until it’s cut something.
Who Is This For?
This workshop is designed for complete beginners. No smithing experience, no special skills, no fitness requirements. If you can hold a hammer, you can make a knife.
- Individuals looking for a unique, memorable experience
- Couples or friends wanting a hands-on day out
- Corporate teams looking for a creative team-building activity
- Food lovers and home cooks who want to understand their tools
- Anyone who wants to make something real with their hands
Your Day — Step by Step
TIME
WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING
Morning
Welcome, safety briefing, and introduction to Japanese bladesmithing traditions
Choose your materials — select your pre-cut steel blank and handle wood from a curated selection
Design your knife — sketch your blade profile, discuss geometry and personal preferences
Late Morning
Heat treatment — bring your blade up to critical temperature in the forge
Tempering — carefully control the hardness and flexibility of your steel
Midday
Break for lunch (provided)
Afternoon
Shape your wooden handle — hand-shape and sand your chosen timber to fit your grip
Grind the blade — establish your knife geometry and set the bevels on the grinding belt
Fit up — attach your handle to the blade with a snug, permanent fit
Late Afternoon
Finishing and polishing — refine your blade and handle to a smooth, professional finish
The test — fire up the grill, cook steaks, and put your new knife through its paces
End of Day
Take your knife home, wrapped and ready to use in your own kitchen
What’s Included
- All materials — steel blank, handle wood, pins, and finishing supplies
- Full use of professional smithing tools and equipment
- Expert guidance throughout every step of the process
- Safety equipment provided
- Lunch and refreshments
- Steak cook-up at the end to test your blade
- Your finished knife to take home
What to Bring
- Closed-toe shoes (required for workshop safety)
- Comfortable clothes you don’t mind getting dusty
- A sense of adventure
We provide aprons, gloves, eye protection, and everything else you need.
How to Book
Spaces are limited to keep the experience personal and hands-on. To register your interest or book a spot, check the booking section below.
No experience needed. Just turn up ready to make something real.
2 day kitchen knife forging course
Forge Your Own kitchen knife over two days
About the Experience
This is the full experience. Over two days, you’ll take a raw steel billet and forge it into a complete a kitchen knife of your design entirely by hand — no pre-cut blanks, no shortcuts. You design it, you forge it, you finish it.
Day one is all about fire and steel. Work the anvil, and draw out your blade from a solid billet. You’ll shape the profile, set the tang, and take your blade through heat treatment and tempering — the critical steps that give a blade its hardness and resilience.
Day two is where your knife comes to life. You’ll grind the geometry and bevels, shape and fit a custom wooden handle using the burn in method, then take your blade through progressive sharpening stages to a razor edge. The course finishes the same way it should — steaks on the grill, cut with the knife you just made.
Who Is This For?
This course is for anyone who wants the real forging experience — not just assembly, but actually shaping steel at the anvil. No prior experience is required. We guide you through every step.
- People who want to go deeper than a one-day workshop
- Anyone fascinated by traditional bladesmithing and forging
- Makers, craftspeople, and hands-on learners
- Gift experiences — birthdays, anniversaries, or bucket-list moments
- Small groups and corporate teams looking for something truly memorable
Day 1 — Forging & Heat Treatment
The day of fire. You’ll transform a raw steel billet into a blade.
WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING
Morning
Welcome, safety briefing, and introduction to the forge
Introduction to Japanese bladesmithing — history, philosophy, and technique
Design your knife — sketch your blade profile, discuss geometry, steel selection, and intended use
Fire up the forge and begin heating your steel billet
Late Morning
Forging — draw out the blade from the billet on the anvil, shaping the profile and tang
Refine the blade shape — straightening, evening out thickness, setting the taper
Midday
Break for lunch (provided)
Afternoon
Continue forging and refining your blade profile
Normalising cycles — relieve stress in the steel from forging
Heat treatment — bring the blade to critical temperature and quench
Late Afternoon
Tempering — carefully dial in the hardness and toughness of your blade
Day 1 wrap-up — review your blade, discuss plans for Day 2
Day 2 — Grinding, Handle Fitting & Finishing
The day of precision. You’ll turn your forged blade into a finished knife.
TIME
WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING
Morning
Recap and setup — review your heat-treated blade and plan the grind
Grinding — establish your knife geometry on the belt grinder, set primary bevels
Refine the bevels — work through progressive grits for a clean, even edge
Late Morning
Handle shaping — select your wood, rough-shape the handle to your design
Detailed fit-up — drill, shape the tang slot, and dry-fit the handle to the blade
Midday
Break for lunch (provided)
Afternoon
Glue-up and pinning — permanently attach the handle with epoxy and pins for a rock-solid fit
Handle finishing — sand through grits, shape the contours to your grip, apply oil or finish
Final blade finishing and polish
Late Afternoon
Sharpening — work through whetstones to bring your blade to a razor edge
Edge testing and final adjustments
End of Day
The test — fire up the grill, cook steaks, and cut with the knife you forged from raw steel
Take your knife home, wrapped and ready for your kitchen
What’s Included
- Selection of handle woods to choose from
- All consumables — epoxy, pins, abrasives, finishing oils
- Full use of forge, anvil, belt grinders, and professional tooling across both days
- Guidance and one-on-one support throughout
- Safety equipment provided
- Lunch and refreshments on both days
- Steak cook-up on Day 2 to test your blade
- Your finished, hand-forged knife to take home
What to Bring
- Closed-toe shoes — required for forge and workshop safety
- Comfortable clothes you don’t mind getting dirty (forging is hot, dusty work)
- Long sleeves recommended for Day 1 (forge work)
- A sense of adventure
There will be a selection of billets to work with, from San Mai, to Damascus. Pricing will be explained on the day as some steels are more expensive than others.
We provide aprons, gloves, eye protection, ear protection, and everything else you need.
Practical Details
Duration
Two full days (approximately 7–8 hours each day)
Group Size
2 people max
Skill Level
The ability to wield a hammer and use machinery
Age
16+ (under 18s must be accompanied by an adult)
What You Make
A Japanese petty knife (approx. 120–150mm blade), forged from a steel billet
What You Take Home
Your finished knife — forged, ground, handled, and sharpened by you
BOOK BELOW: