The Bushcraft Toolmaker Course – Learn to Craft Iconic North Woods Cutting Tools

Course Overview

Join our immersive toolmaker weekend course designed to give you the skills, confidence, and knowledge to work with metal and the campfire to produce durable and effective cutting tools. Delivered from a beautiful woodland setting.

Your course runs from late morning Friday through to midafternoon Sunday.

As with all a.woodsman courses, this offering provides foundational training that is accessible, practical, and deeply rewarding regardless of previous experience there is something to learn. Over three days, you will be guided step-by-step through the process of working with metal using hand tools and the campfire.

What You’ll Learn

• Discover the history and use of the Mocotaugan (crooked knife)
• Compare Indigenous and European woodcarving tools
• Choose and prepare natural materials for tool making
• Forge blades using a campfire forge and simple bellows
• Learn basic metalworking: annealing, shaping, tempering, and sharpening
• Craft a custom handle from forked branches
• Bind handles with cordage, wire, or natural roots
• Use natural adhesives like pine resin or birch tar
• Make a bushcraft chisel from repurposed metal
• Forge a durable awl for bark or hide work
• Create a traditional buckskin blade wrap for safe storage
• Build practical tools using minimal kit and no electricity
• Deepen your understanding of traditional bushcraft and toolmaking

An Immersive Woodland Learning Experience

The course takes place in an outdoor woodland classroom from a basecamp setting—an inspiring location surrounded by the very materials you’ll be working with.

You are encouraged to camp out in the forest for the full bushcraft experience. While the course is self-catered, you will have time to prepare breakfasts and evening meals over a campfire, and simple lunches can be prepared during the crafting sessions. Prefer a softer stay? Local accommodation options are always available if you need recommendations, please let us know.

Course Details

• Duration: 3 Days
• Location: Woodland venues in association with Howl Bushcraft (England) and Wild Walk Bushcraft (Northern Ireland)

Why Take This Course?

People attend a.woodsman courses for many reasons:

• To explore heritage craft, wilderness self-reliance and bushcraft skills
• To hand craft functional gear for every day or specialist use
• To gain or re gain a sense of connection with nature through ancestral handcrafts
• To learn hand tool skills and woodworking fundamentals
• To spend quality time outdoors with like-minded makers

Whether you are here to immerse yourself in the rich cultural history of the North Woods or simply wish to spend time in nature, you will leave this weekend with new embodied skills, and a renewed sense of connection with yourself and your woodland environment.

What Makes This Course Both Accessible and Empowering?

• No prior experience of bushcraft or tool use is needed
• All specialist tools and materials are provided
• A supportive group learning environment is encouraged throughout
• Experienced instruction & personal guidance throughout the process
• Emphasis on skills and techniques that work, you will not find anecdotal teaching here
• Opportunity to wild camp and cook over open fire
• Take home a set of hand crafted cutting tools with the skills and knowledge to make many more

Ready to Start Your Toolmaker Journey?

Spaces are limited to 12 participants to ensure high quality and safe instruction throughout your experience.
Reserve your place today and learn how to craft, finish, and use your own traditional cutting tools.

If you would like a bespoke delivery of this course for a group size of 5 – 12 participants please get in touch to arrange dates and locations available.