Arian's Forge reviews

Bridget reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"What a brilliant day we had! Arian was patient and explained the process well. From starting off thinking will we manage to make something to coming home with finished projects was way beyond our expectations. The pace was perfect and I for one, think I will try to do some blacksmithing at home - it now feels very achievable!"

Arian's Forge responded:

"Hi Bridget, thank you for your review. It was a great pleasure to meet you and your friends. Such a fun and creative day I thought. And I'm particularly delighted you feel inspired and confident to have a go at home: that's the spirit. If I can be of any help as you set up and try things I'd be more than happy to support with advice or anything else. Thanks again and best wishes, Arian"

Sean Bainbridge reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"Excellent course, really good value for money I thought, and Arian was a great teacher, I'd like to go back and do another one! Many thanks, Sean "

Arian's Forge responded:

"Thank you Sean, really pleased you enjoyed the course. Always welcome back! Many thanks, Arian"

Paul reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"This was a brilliant day. Arian firstly showed us the basics of blacksmithing and we then practised the techniques to produce a sample piece. There were four of us on the workshop and we each had an anvil. There were two forges and so there was no queueing for anvil/forge. Having made our sample pieces we then decided on our main project of the day. What was great about this day was we were able to decide on the object. I chose to make a pair of tongs and the other three people chose quite different products. Arian was very supportive in us choosing what we wanted to make and gave valuable advice throughout. The split between talk and learning through doing was just right. The refreshments provided through the day were very welcome. I appreciated that the workshop didn't finish on the dot at 4.30 but we were able to continue to complete our projects. To summarise - thank you Arian for a really enjoyable day when you taught us a number of techniques and for your patience when things didn't quite go to plan."

Arian's Forge responded:

"Kind thanks Paul for this thoughtful review. I'm really glad that you managed to complete your chosen project, and I hope the fire tongs will serve you for years to come. Yes, as you say, I enjoy supporting the participants to come up with their own ideas and designs, based on an introductory set of skills and techniques. Thank you again, and you're welcome back any time ! "

Sara reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"Brilliant day, highly recommended. We had no prior experience in a forge but Arian taught us all the basics. Husband made a poker, and i made a candle holder, as well as a fancy hook each. "

Arian's Forge responded:

"Thank you very much for this review Sara. It was great to meet you and Mike, wishing you many candle lit dinners! Arian"

Simon Robinson reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"I attended Arian’s blacksmith’s experience day on 12/4/25 as present bought for me. The venue was easy to find and located in a fantastic country setting making a thoroughly enjoyable day. Arian was very friendly, experienced with hands on skills. This together with his ‘just right’ tutoring for each student’s ability meant it was a great days’ experience of traditional blacksmithing, learning the basics of forge work which make up most blacksmithing jobs. These basics were well explained and I learnt more than I had expected. I made two very usable items which I’m very pleased with and I’ve been inspired to dig out the old forge/hearth I inherited from my grandfather and try some more. When one of my pieces went a bit wrong his patience, skills and experience allowed him to pull it back from going in the bin. Thanks Arian! He cooks a deliciously tasty vegetable soup for lunch on the forge too! Excellent day!"

Steve Vickars reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"A great day, learned a lot of skills, including squaring, tapering, bending and twisting as well as the ideal temperature and colour to work the steel. Arian was a great tutor, patiently explaining, demonstrating and helping when needed. Plenty of coffee, biscuits, cake and tasty soup provided."

Sam Body reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"This was a birthday/Christmas present. I'm an A-level design student and really wanted to experience blacksmithing. I had a fantastic day. Arian was a great teacher - welcoming, friendly, patient and funny. There was a great atmosphere all day and I was really pleased with the items I made. Would love to do it again! Thank you, Arian 😊"

Mike Parsons reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"An excellent day. I chose this experience because I wanted some freedom in what to make and this was perfect. Arian was a great teacher, taking us through a very satisfying project in the morning which taught us how to manage the furnace and make key features. He had some great ideas for afternoon projects but was happy for us to try something completely different. Lunch was delicious, I'd love to do another day."

Daniel Geoghegan reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"Had a fantastic day learning a new craft. Arian is a natural teacher with a wealth of knowledge that he is able to share easily. After a warm welcome and running through the fundamentals of maintaining the forge, Arian got us to practice some important techniques by making simple hooks. We were then given free rein to design and make our own items. I would highly recommend Arian's Forge to anyone interested in learning blacksmithing."

Arian's Forge responded:

"Thank you very much for this feedback Daniel, glad you enjoyed the day and learnt some aspects of this amazing craft. Thank you for your energy and commitment on the day. Regards, Arian "

Lynda reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"Fantastic day with Arian who is a great teacher and host. Skills learnt and confidence boosted and looking forward to putting them into practice. Plus lovely soup😄 highly recommend!"

Seth reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"I enjoyed this thoroughly. Despite having no previous experience with blacksmithing I managed to produce stands for the two carvings I had made on a previous Craft Course."

Arian's Forge responded:

"Thank you for your feedback Seth, really impressed that you managed to complete 2 stands for your sculptures. You brought great enthusiasm and commitment and it showed! Arian"

Tiggy reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"My son had such a good time. Came away relaxed and proud of his achievements. Thank you so much. "

Arian's Forge responded:

"Thanks Tiggy, really good to meet your son, who despite being the youngest in the group held his own and kept at it so well. Delighted he enjoyed his experience. Arian"

Caroline Howes reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"My partner and I had an amazing time so much so that he wants to sign up to the weekend knife making course. Would 100% recommend. What a great and unusual experience."

Arian's Forge responded:

"Hi Caroline, so glad you enjoyed the course, and thank you for this feedback. It was great to meet you both, and it'd be lovely to see Mat at the knifemaking course, (a Christmas present perhaps??!!). Warm regards to you both, Arian"

Ken Laurie reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"A great day learning the basics of blacksmithing under Arian's patient and hugely enthusiastic guidance. Thoroughly recommended for anyone with even a passing interest in having a go! You'll surprised at what you can produce."

Arian's Forge responded:

"Thank you Ken,I really enjoyed our day and all the great projects. I hope you'll get lots of use for your toasting fork, and thank you for your efforts and focus. Glad that the way I run the course worked well for you, that's the aim! Warm regards Arian"

Andrew Whewell reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"What a brilliant day. Great tutoring and brilliant insight into what can be done with a bit more experience. Came away with a couple of great looking and useful projects. Will enjoy poking my fire using something I will always remember creating myself."

Arian's Forge responded:

"Thank you Andrew for your feedback: great to meet you, and the others on the day. I always try to balance the learning of the blacksmithing process as well as walking of with useful items for yourselves. Thank you for your hard work and focus, and enjoy your fire poker and the hook for years ahead! Regards, Arian"

Chay reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"Great knowledge and really went the extra mile to help us understand the process and history too"

Arian's Forge responded:

"Thank you Chay, great to meet you, and so glad you could make couple of useful tools for your own forge. Let me know if I can be of any help as you continue setting up and exploring this craft. Best wishes Arian"

Lewis reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"I had such a fantastic time on this course. I had never used metal as a material to work with before and had always dreamed of doing it. Arian was such a wonderful teacher , talking me through every step and explaining the reasoning behind why we were using certain techniques. Being out in the countryside was a breath of fresh air and I really enjoyed the free soup! If you're thinking about doing it, you should 😊"

Mike H reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"The enthusiasm, passion, skill and knowledge were clearly expressed throughout the day. I would highly recommend this course to anyone looking for a worthwhile experience day."

Arian's Forge responded:

"Thank you for this feedback, Mike. It was great to meet you, your projects came out very tidy I thought, well done! Many thanks again, Arian"

Julie Hicks reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"Bought as a present for my brother who thoroughly enjoyed the whole day . He said that Arian was a great person with a lot of knowledge not only in the skills of a blacksmith but also the history of the whole process. Small groups worked perfectly to allow full interaction. Will definitely be back "

Arian's Forge responded:

"Thank you so much for this, I really appreciate your feedback and I’m happy that your brother enjoyed his gift and found it a worthwhile experience. Best wishes, Arian"

Chris Bourton reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"I had a great day, a lot of fun and I learned a lot. Arian is a lovely guy, a great tutor and obviuosly very passionate about his craft. I would recommend this experience day to anybody who is interested in metalwork or just in trying something new."

Arian's Forge responded:

"Thank you Chris, I’m glad it was an enjoyable day and a valuable experience for you. Thank you for your feedback, much appreciated. Warm regards, Arian"

Jon Palmer reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"Simply a brilliant day. We learnt much, enjoyed ourselves and created some nice pieces. Arian was knowledgeable, welcoming and very helpful. The setting and forge itself, as it should be. We highly recommend. Thank you. "

Arian's Forge responded:

"Thank you for your review. It was a pleasure to meet you and your son. I’m happy that you both enjoyed the experience and were pleased with the lovely items you produced. Wishing you all the best. Arian"

Dom reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"Absolutely brilliant! Arian provided excellent instruction and I came away with a real sense of achievement having made a couple of pieces. Will definitely be back!"

Arian's Forge responded:

"Thank you very much for your review, I’m happy that you found the experience enjoyable and were pleased with your achievement. Wishing you many happy candlelit moments! Hope to see you again. Best wishes, Arian. "

Ash Bond reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"Bought for me as a present and was expecting a mildly interesting day, but actually it was very interesting and really enjoyable. There's something uniquely satisfying, turning a lump of metal into something useful and/or beautiful via the medium of fire! Arian was a fantastic instructor, full of knowledge, patience and passion. Whether you're into metalworking or not, I'd thoroughly recommend a day smithing, I'm sure you'll enjoy it a lot more than you'd expect. "

Arian's Forge responded:

"Thank you Ash, it was a really enjoyable and constructive day. Lovely to meet you and I’m pleased that you found it a worthwhile experience. Best wishes, Arian "

Lucy reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"Truly one of the most exciting, fun, educational and inspiring courses I've ever done. Arian is an outstanding teacher, he gives you exactly the right mix of information, expert support and freedom to try and experiment and create. I was absolutely exhausted after the course but could not stop grinning. I've got the bug and really looking forward to signing up to learn more. Thank you for such a super, super experience. "

Arian's Forge responded:

"Hi Lucy, I’m glad that you enjoyed the day. Thank you for your hard work on your hook and knife, you have certainly got the aptitude for blacksmithing and I’m glad you’ve got the bug! Hope the blister heals quickly. You’re always welcome back if you want to have another bash. Best wishes, Arian. "

Graham Newman reviewed: Blacksmithing experience day

"Many thanks Arian for a very fulfilling and memorable day. It is always a pleasure watching and listening to a Master of their craft, and the skill and enjoyable ease of communicating such a wealth of invaluable knowledge and expeience in a friendly, laid back way, made the day one of my more memorable experiences in my now long life! Thank you for your help and guidance in making a fire poker and hook which is proudly gracing our open fireplace and is proof you're never too old to learn! Grateful thanks to chef for the wonderful soup. "

Arian's Forge responded:

"Thank you Graham, it was really good to meet you and your son and I’m delighted that you enjoyed the day. I’m sure your hook and poker will serve you well for years, well made indeed! I look forward to seeing you both at my knife making course soon. Best wishes, Arian. "