The Pilgrim Soul Forge

I spent three days with Grant taking an introduction to blacksmithing class. So much fun. Learned a ton. He gets you hitting red hot metal with a hammer on an anvil right off the bat. A great hands-​on experience. Grant has an easy going friendly teaching style filled with humor and history lessons. He has a real appreciation for the tradition of blacksmithing and it shows. I would definitely recommend this class.

This place was awesome! My friends got «Forging with Friends» for me for my wedding/​birthday, and six of us (3 men and 3 women; married couples), spent the afternoon forging with Grant Marcoux. Had a blast! Made letter openers and a knife from a rod of metal to a finished, polished, product. Very cool, and really enjoyed Grant’s extensive knowledge and sharing/​caring personality. I’m a fantasy novelist, and it was especially neat to see real, authentic forging techniques, and to get a feel for how hard and time-​consuming forging (and filing!) is. Would TOTALLY recommend this to anyone who wants to have a great experience and learning adventure with friends!!!

This was one of the greatest hands-​on learning experiences of my life. I’ve always admired the craft of bladesmithing, but I had no idea of the work/​details/​sweat that go into fabricating a knife until I completed Grant Marcoux’s 3-​day course. Grant is an awesome professor and blacksmith — he is brilliant, patient, and a gifted artisan. If you want to try something very different (…I recommend taking the class with a close buddy), don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn blacksmithing/​bladesmithing from Grant!

Grant is one of those rare finds, a craftsman who has classical training, a sense of design, and a desire to impart his knowledge to others. His knife sharpening work is fast and precise (no power tools!). I look forward to giving him more business in the future, and taking one of his classes when my schedule permits.
Forget the tinker at the farmer’s market. Bring your knives here!

I took bladesmithing with Grant over the course of three days. He taught me a lot about material and I left with a great looking knife.

Grant sharpened my knives fast and was very accommodating about drop-​off times. Good communication throughout the experience, both through email and text. $ 10 for big knives, $ 5 for small ones.

I always wanted to learn about blacksmithing as a kid and somewhere along the line i became an accountant. Recently I decided to give it a try and found Grant at the Pilgrim Soul Forge. I took the 1^st level Blacksmithing and I was blown away. Grant has you jump right into forging after a quick overview. We cut our metal piece (billet) and threw it in the forge and got to work.
Over the 3 day (5 hour per day) course we forged an elegant letter opener, rustic wall hooks, a sturdy chisel, and some nuts and bolts. I was amazed at what I accomplished over such a short period of time and got my creative juices pumping for more.
Grant was an amazing teacher. He was patient and very informative. He gave me some of the history of blacksmithing, taught technique, gave tips. Not only was he wise in the arts of blacksmithing, but he had a good insight on life itself and gave me confidence as I move towards a more creative life that I crave.
If you’re interested in metal work or doing something physical and creative, I would highly suggest taking a class with Grant. I would also suggest spacing your classes out at least a day because hammering will take a toll on your arm if you’re not ready for it.

Background about me — work in a office, and had no prior experience smithing or leather working experience.
Over the last 3 months I have taken four classes with Grant (Blacksmith/​Bladesmith), specially Blacksmithing I, Bladesmithing I, Bladesmithing II, and sheath making. All of the classes are project oriented and you end up with finished items at the end of each class. Moreover, the finished items are high quality and are actually things you will be use (and be proud to show off) in the future.
The class sizes are very small (Grant at most has two students in the class). In fact, in three of the four classes I was the only student.
Blacksmithing I: This was my first class with Grant. I forged a letter opener, forged some heavy duty hooks to hang items on a wall, forged a punch out of tool steel, and forged some platforms (Dogwood blossoms). I thought this was a really fun class. It is pretty amazing to take a rusty piece of metal — that essentially looks like crap, and turn it into something useful. It is a fair amount of time in front of forge, but you really learn basic smithing skills, and time just flies by. Also, Grant is a great instructor. He let me handle the work, and would intercede to correct things I did wrong — and show me/​explain what I was doing wrong. If you are interested in the Bladesmithing classes, I suggest taking this class first if you have no Smithing experience. Great class. Highly recommend. A++++
Bladesmithing I: This was a my second class. In this class I forged a 4 inch, hidden tang, knife out of small rod of tool steel. I created the bolster out of piece of brass, and shaped the handle out of a block of maple. It was truly satisfying to create a functional tool out of raw materials. During the class you essentially learn how to make a hidden tang knife, from start to finish. You will cover things like blade geometry, forging, tempering, annealing, different types of quenching, woods selection for handles, etc. Make no mistake, these are long days — however, at the end of the class you will walk away with a finished knife that is likely nicer than any knife you own. In addition to forging in, you will operate a belt grinder, wheel grinder, drill press, and band saw. Moreover, you will learn about adhesives, wood finishing, and wood staining. The class also teaches you how to maintain and sharpen knifes. Another first rate class. A++++
Bladesmithing II: This was my third class. In this class I forged a 7 inch, full tang, kitchen knife with a Kingswood handle. I forged the blade out of a more difficult steel to forge than that was used in Bladesmithing I, specifically A2 (air hardening). In this class a full tang knife is constructed, so you learn how to shape scales to form the handle. I love this knife. The kitchen knife is great and I use it all the time. If you enjoyed Bladesmithing I, you will definitely enjoy this class. Also, if you are not interested in a kitchen knife, Grant will work with you on your design (e.g., there was a guy who was going to make a fighting knife). A++++
Sheath Making: This was my last class with Grant. In this class you create a sheath for a knife you have made. Grant covers the different types of sheath designs and the pros/​cons of each. Again you start with raw materials and end up with a really nice finished product. We covered things like sheath design, tanning methodologies, material selection, dye selection, leather working, leather tooling, sewing, wet molding, etc. This class require less physical exertion than the other classes and takes less time. For someone like me, who had no leather working experience I would definitely recommend this class. A++++
Overall, working with Grant has been not only fun, but I actually learned some great skills. Grant is an excellent instructor, and freely offers to share his knowledge. Moreover, Grant is a really pleasant and interesting guy. In addition to being able to create beautiful metalwork (e.g., gates, fences, urn stands, etc.), and some really fine knives, it is interesting talking to him about building black power rifles from scratch, traditional methods of leather working, etc.
Lastly, while I was there I did see Grant work on various projects for different clients. Doing not only custom metal work creations, but also sharpening knives, repairing metalwork, etc.
In any event, I highly recommend taking any class with Grant, and if you have some metal work that needs to be done give him a call.

Grant Marcoux is one amazing blacksmith artist. He made a beautiful wrought iron railing for our balcony and stairs. His workmanship is outstanding. The railing is a work of art admired by everyone who comes to our home. Grant charged a fair price, and he was always punctual and professional.
Here is the kicker: Grant came to install the railing in time for my 90 year old Dad’s visit before it was powder– coated. He then came back to my home, retrieved the railing, powder– coated it, and returned to reinstall it at no additional cost. What an incredibly kind person!
I will use Grant for future projects in a heartbeat!

Grant Marcoux, the owner of The Pilgrim Soul Forge, is an artist and blacksmith who makes a range of metal items, including knives, home accessories, furniture and stair railings. He also teaches blacksmithing and metalworking classes, and sharpens and repairs garden tools.
It was on this latter subject (maintaining metal garden tools) that I heard him give a presentation to the Fremont Garden Club. I found him to be an excellent speaker, and he was generous with his time and advice afterwards. I’d certainly seek him out when I need the services of a blacksmith/​metalworker.