Entry No. 76 — the Dallas file — filed under: hands-on
Jeff Davidson Custom Knives
The forge of Jeff Davidson, an ABS Journeyman Smith who has been making knives since childhood and now teaches at his own shop. His hands-on forging classes provide all tools and materials and assume zero experience, walking you through the real process of forging blades from raw steel. It's a hot, physical, full-day immersion in heat, hammer, and grinder rather than a quick souvenir craft.
The story
Jeff Davidson isn't running a sanitized craft salon where you glue prefabricated wood scales onto imported metal blanks. An American Bladesmith Society Journeyman Smith who has been forging metal since childhood, Davidson works out of his shop in Rendon, a quiet rural pocket just south of Fort Worth. There, he hand-forges purpose-built blades from high-performance steel and turns raw materials into tools designed for actual work.
The real secret for outsiders is that Davidson lets you into the shop to swing the hammer yourself. His intensive classes take raw steel bar stock and hand the process over to you under his direct supervision. You don't need a background in metalwork or your own gear—he supplies the steel, tools, safety equipment, and instruction. But you will earn every inch of the blade you leave with.
What it's like
Expect a hot, loud, dirty day that will leave your forearms heavy and your hands covered in scale. You'll spend hours standing over an open forge, moving between incandescent metal at the anvil and heavy-duty belt grinders to shape the blade edge and heat-treat the steel. Skip synthetic fabrics that melt under sparks; show up in tough cotton work pants, a heavy shirt, and sturdy leather boots. You walk away at the end of an intensive full-day session with a finished, functional custom knife made by your own hands.
The move: Spend a full day at the forge heating and hammering raw steel into a blade under a master smith's guidance and walk away with a knife you forged yourself.
📍 Before you go Classes are by-appointment and run long, intensive days; contact the shop to arrange a date and confirm the current class format and price.
- 📍 Rendon / Fort Worth
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: Rendon, TX (Fort Worth area)
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- SiNaCa Studios School of Glass — Trade hot iron and hammer strikes for liquid glass blowing at this Near Southside non-profit studio inside an old converted filling station.
- Top O' Hill Terrace — Pair a day of raw anvil work in Rendon with a tour of Arlington's secret 1930s underground casino hidden behind an innocent tea room front.
- Taipo / Taipo Behind the Door — Wash off the shop dust and head to Arlington for Nepalese momos, then slip through the hidden back door into their low-lit cocktail room.
- Coyote Drive-In — Rest your aching forearms after hours at the belt grinder by kicking back in Fort Worth for a drive-in double feature against the city skyline.
Good to know
Do I need any previous metalworking or blacksmithing experience?
No. The introductory forging classes assume zero experience and walk you through every step, from basic anvil safety and hammer control to grinding geometry and heat treatment.
What tools or equipment do I need to bring?
All tools, steel, abrasives, and safety gear are provided in the shop. You only need to wear flame-resistant, non-synthetic clothing like cotton or denim and close-toed leather boots.
How do I schedule a forging class?
Classes run by appointment on select dates. You reserve your spot directly through the shop's online site or by reaching out to confirm the current schedule and class formats.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · fortworthreport.org · Instagram · dmagazine.com
last checked: 2026-06-23