This is additional information from the Heavin Forge School website that Heather Harvey sent to me:

AMERICAN BLADESMITH SOCIETY APPROVED TWO-WEEK, INTRODUCTION TO BLADESMITHING COURSE

Pupils per course 6 (minimum of 4)

Duration: 2-weeks, 7:30 am to 5 pm

Accommodation room for 6 in our bunkhouse at R100 per person per night, self-catering, or other guest houses in the area.

Cost: R9 000 per person. (approximately $850 USD)

Deposit: R1 500

Booking through [email protected]

For anyone, beginner or advanced, who is serious about their Bladesmithing. Particularly important for ABS Apprentice Smiths wishing to submit their knives for ABS Journeyman Smith evaluation, as attending the course, cuts one year off their three year apprenticeship.

Recognised by the American Bladesmith Society, this course is presented by the only two ABS Master Bladesmiths on the African continent, husband and wife team, Kevin and Heather Harvey. This is an intensive two week, eighty hour, hands on course which covers all aspects of forging, grinding, heat treating and sharpening blades. One blade will be used to do the (unofficial) ABS Journeyman performance (cut and bend) test at the end of the course. This test is also required if submitting forged blades for evaluation to gain entry into the Knifemakers Guild of Southern Africa.

Kevin and Heather have taught this Introduction to Bladesmithing course a number of times at the Moran School of Bladesmithing in Old Washington, Arkansas, U.S.A. They endeavour to impart their knowledge and love of the forged blade to their students. Numerous different forged blade shapes are taught to educate the students as to the many varied ways of forging, heat treating and grinding. Both coal and gas forges are used.

Lectures are given each day on subjects covering how to select your steel, designing knives, safety in the workshop, the use of coal and gas forges, blade geometry, heat treatment, grinding, hand finishing, fullers, filing, forging unusual shaped knives/weapons, forging other metals, the business side of knifemaking, the ABS testing and much more.

Evenings will be spent watching ABS forging DVDs. Each student is entitled to take home his finished blades to complete at home. This course does not cover handles and sheaths. A certificate will be issued at the end of the course. On the weekend in the middle of the course, a shop tour to a local bladesmith will be arranged. Kevin and Heather have a vast library of knifemaking/Bladesmithing/blacksmithing books and videos which can be read/viewed while on course.

Comprehensive notes are provided as well as a denim apron, safety glasses, leather gloves, simple face mask, tin of Harveys Conservation Wax and all consumables. Tea, coffee, cool drinks and biscuits are provided.

Heavin Forge offers shared, basic, self-catering accommodation in their bunkhouse. Six people can be accommodated. All bedding, towels, cutlery, crockery etc. is provided. The bunkhouse has a fully equipped kitchen, three bedrooms, a bathroom with shower and toilet and a separate toilet. Braai (barbeque) facilities as well as a wood burning pizza oven are available for use. There are heaters in each room as well as electric blankets on all beds for our cold winter nights. Safe parking within the garden is provided.

A shuttle bus runs five times a day between O.R Tambo airport in Johannesburg and Belfast (a two hour trip). We can collect you from the bus stop and organise to do your grocery shopping if you come by bus. If you are here by car and stay the weekend, we can help organise a few fun activities in the area such as whisky tasting, a visit to our micro-brewery in Dullstroom Anvil Ale, fly-fishing, horse riding, clay-pigeon shooting, archery, hiking or game viewing. If you are coming from overseas, we strongly suggest that you include a holiday to the Kruger National Park, just three hours away from us as well as sightseeing in the area or a visit to the Kingdom of Swaziland, just two hours away from us. If you wish to plan a safari please contact our nephew, Ian Shoebotham through his company Dry Season Safaris,www.dryseasonsafaris.com.

Heavin Forge plan to present two to three ABS Introduction to Bladesmithing, two-week courses a year in between their other scheduled courses, three day Basic Bladesmithing and five day Full House courses. Please contact us if you have any questions, [email protected].

Kevin and Heather Harvey

ABS Master Smiths

Kevin and I are looking forward to having our first students in December. We have space for 6 people and 4 have already booked. We hope that some overseas bladesmiths can visit us to do the course and combine it with a holiday.

|quoted:

This is additional information from the Heavin Forge School website that Heather Harvey sent to me:

AMERICAN BLADESMITH SOCIETY APPROVED TWO-WEEK, INTRODUCTION TO BLADESMITHING COURSE

Pupils per course 6 (minimum of 4)

Duration: 2-weeks, 7:30 am to 5 pm

Accommodation room for 6 in our bunkhouse at R100 per person per night, self-catering, or other guest houses in the area.

Cost: R9 000 per person. (approximately $850 USD)

Deposit: R1 500

Booking through [email protected]

For anyone, beginner or advanced, who is serious about their Bladesmithing. Particularly important for ABS Apprentice Smiths wishing to submit their knives for ABS Journeyman Smith evaluation, as attending the course, cuts one year off their three year apprenticeship.

Recognised by the American Bladesmith Society, this course is presented by the only two ABS Master Bladesmiths on the African continent, husband and wife team, Kevin and Heather Harvey. This is an intensive two week, eighty hour, hands on course which covers all aspects of forging, grinding, heat treating and sharpening blades. One blade will be used to do the (unofficial) ABS Journeyman performance (cut and bend) test at the end of the course. This test is also required if submitting forged blades for evaluation to gain entry into the Knifemakers Guild of Southern Africa.

Kevin and Heather have taught this Introduction to Bladesmithing course a number of times at the Moran School of Bladesmithing in Old Washington, Arkansas, U.S.A. They endeavour to impart their knowledge and love of the forged blade to their students. Numerous different forged blade shapes are taught to educate the students as to the many varied ways of forging, heat treating and grinding. Both coal and gas forges are used.

Lectures are given each day on subjects covering how to select your steel, designing knives, safety in the workshop, the use of coal and gas forges, blade geometry, heat treatment, grinding, hand finishing, fullers, filing, forging unusual shaped knives/weapons, forging other metals, the business side of knifemaking, the ABS testing and much more.

Evenings will be spent watching ABS forging DVDs. Each student is entitled to take home his finished blades to complete at home. This course does not cover handles and sheaths. A certificate will be issued at the end of the course. On the weekend in the middle of the course, a shop tour to a local bladesmith will be arranged. Kevin and Heather have a vast library of knifemaking/Bladesmithing/blacksmithing books and videos which can be read/viewed while on course.

Comprehensive notes are provided as well as a denim apron, safety glasses, leather gloves, simple face mask, tin of Harveys Conservation Wax and all consumables. Tea, coffee, cool drinks and biscuits are provided.

Heavin Forge offers shared, basic, self-catering accommodation in their bunkhouse. Six people can be accommodated. All bedding, towels, cutlery, crockery etc. is provided. The bunkhouse has a fully equipped kitchen, three bedrooms, a bathroom with shower and toilet and a separate toilet. Braai (barbeque) facilities as well as a wood burning pizza oven are available for use. There are heaters in each room as well as electric blankets on all beds for our cold winter nights. Safe parking within the garden is provided.

A shuttle bus runs five times a day between O.R Tambo airport in Johannesburg and Belfast (a two hour trip). We can collect you from the bus stop and organise to do your grocery shopping if you come by bus. If you are here by car and stay the weekend, we can help organise a few fun activities in the area such as whisky tasting, a visit to our micro-brewery in Dullstroom Anvil Ale, fly-fishing, horse riding, clay-pigeon shooting, archery, hiking or game viewing. If you are coming from overseas, we strongly suggest that you include a holiday to the Kruger National Park, just three hours away from us as well as sightseeing in the area or a visit to the Kingdom of Swaziland, just two hours away from us. If you wish to plan a safari please contact our nephew, Ian Shoebotham through his company Dry Season Safaris,www.dryseasonsafaris.com.

Heavin Forge plan to present two to three ABS Introduction to Bladesmithing, two-week courses a year in between their other scheduled courses, three day Basic Bladesmithing and five day Full House courses. Please contact us if you have any questions, [email protected].

Kevin and Heather Harvey

ABS Master Smiths

I'm gonna be there with bells on this December. Looking forward to it.

Master Smiths Heather and Kevin Harvey have sent me the schedule for their 2015 Introduction to Bladesmithing Classes at the Heavin Forge School of Bladesmithing in Belfast, South Africa.

9 to 20 March 2015 - Introduction to Bladesmithing

19 to 30 October 2015 - Introduction to Bladesmithing

Contact:

Heavin Forge Knifemaking Studio and School

Heavin (Heather and Kevin Harvey) American Bladesmith Society Master Bladesmiths

and members of the Knifemakers’ Guild of Southern Africa

Phone: 013 253 0914

Vox: 087 808 4413

Fax: 086 524 2209

www.heavinforge.co.za

[email protected]

The March 2015 Introduction to Bladesmithing class was just completed at the Heavin Forge School in Belfast, South Africa. Master Smiths Kevin and Heather sent a link to photos from the class below.

Heather Harvey used Dropbox to share some files with you!

Click here to view ABS Course March 2015. (Over one hundred photos)

I want to congratulate Master Smiths Kevin and Heather Harvey who were the recipients of the 2015 William Wales Scagel award by the American Bladesmith Society at the Annual ABS Awards ceremony at the Atlanta Blade Show. The Scagel Award is "Awarded to a Bladesmith for longtime service to promote the forged blade".

Master Smiths Kevin and Heather Harvey of Belfast, South Africa have made significant contributions to the ABS Mission of Education over the years. Kevin and Heather administer an ABS approved bladesmithing school at Heavin Forge in Belfast, South Africa, were involved in the creation of the Southern African Bladesmith Association (SABA), have been instructors at the Moran School of Bladesmithing at Texarkana College, filmed several educational videos for the ABS YouTube Channel, and this year Kevin Harvey made the 2015 International Master Smith Knife of the Year for the ABS Knife Auction in Atlanta.

Congratulations Kevin and Heather!

ABS Class Schedule for 2016

Intro to Bladesmithing, 7 – 18 March 2016

Last week Master Smiths Heather and Kevin Harvey had students complete the two week ABS Introduction to Bladesmithing Class at their Heavin Forge Knifemaking School in Belfast, South Africa. They had a true international class with students from South Africa, India, and Belgium.

To view more photos from the class click this link: Dropbox photos

ABS Class Schedule for 2016

Intro to Bladesmithing, 7 – 18 March 2016

Intro to Bladesmithing, 17 – 28 October 2016.

One of the students that just completed the October 2015 Introduction to Bladesmithing Class sent the below email to the ABS:

Dear Madam/Sir,

Greetings, My name is Isaac and I recently had the opportunity to attend the ABS Intro to Bladesmithing course at Heavin Forge, South Africa. There is not a lot schools that offers Bladesmithing and especially for international students it can be a challenge to find one. I am really grateful that I was able to attend this course at Heavin Forge. The course was very well constructed and delivered. The Instructors were full of passion and was very helpful and patient with our learning. I had a wonderful time and gained much knowledge. I really appreciate the ABS efforts in making this course available. I am looking forward to be a part of the ABS family and my sincere regards and thanks to all of you for your willingness to share this amazing knowledge with us. I wish you the very best.

Sincerely,

Isaac Austin,

Continuing Education Specialist / Nursing Education

P: 9791133714

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

Master Smith Heather Harvey just shared a Drop Box link to the photos of their recent March 2016 ABS Introduction to Bladesmithing class in Belfast, South Africa. To view the photos click: https://www.dropbox.com/l/sh/YL3OEvjKAG9hc0ilqlMshr

Master Smiths Kevin and Heather Harvey have announced their ABS class schedule for 2017 at their school in Belfast, South Africa.

ABS Class Schedule for 2017

Intro to Bladesmithing - March 13 - 24, 2017

Intro to Bladesmithing - October 16 - 27, 2017

For information on class schedules, tuition, and accommodations please contact Kevin and Heather Harvey at email - [email protected]

I was priveleged to be able to do the ABS Introduction to Knifemaking course with Kevin and Heather Harvey at Heavin Forge from 17-28 October. I can say without a shadow of a doubt this was the best experience of my knifemaking "career" so far. Kevin and Heather are truly deserving of the title Mastersmith. No questions ever went unanswered - most, usually complete with an impromptu demonstration. I would highly recommend the course and Kevin and Heather as instructors.

We had a really great bunch of guys and pretty diverse with two who were local (within 120 miles), two of us from Cape Town (around 1300 miles away), one chap from Brisbane in Australia and a chap from Beijing in China. Since getting home i'm working on getting the forge portion of my workshop sorted and looking foward to getting some more work under the belt, I'm hoping to be able to submit my knives for JS accreditation at Blade Show in June 2018.

Recent Introduction to Bladesmithing class conducted at Heavin Forge Knife Making School in Belfast, South Africa.

2018 Introduction to Bladesmithing - class schedule

8-19 January 2018

5-16 March 2018

15-26 October 2018