There are plenty of ways to spend a day in Oregon.
You can hike to a waterfall. Wander through wine country. Hunt for agates on the coast. Spend an afternoon poking around one of those wonderfully strange little roadside places we seem to have tucked into every corner of the state.
Or you can stand in front of a blazing forge in Salem, grab a hammer, and turn a piece of hot steel into an actual knife.
Yeah. We like this option.
NK Forge and Metalworks is one of those Oregon experiences that reminds us how much fun it is to do something completely outside your normal routine. This isn't a museum where you stand behind a rope and watch somebody else demonstrate an old craft.
You get to work.
And for people who have never touched a forge in their lives, that's kind of the point.
Yes, Beginners Can Actually Do This
The beginner class here is called Blacksmithing 101, and despite how intimidating glowing steel and giant hammers might look, it is designed for people who are new to the craft.
The class is roughly 10 percent theory and 90 percent hands-on work. Translation: you aren't spending the entire day sitting in a chair listening to somebody explain metallurgy.
You're hitting hot metal.
A lot.
The class introduces the tools, terminology, techniques and processes used in traditional blacksmithing, with instructor Josh Navarrete guiding students through the work.
Depending on the class and available time, students may complete smaller forged projects or something like a paracord-wrapped knife or railroad-spike-style knife, and that's pretty awesome.
And there's something immensely satisfying about this kind of experience.
You start with steel that doesn't look like much.
Then comes the heat.
The metal changes color. The hammer starts falling. Slowly, almost stubbornly, the material begins becoming something recognizable.
Eventually you're standing there holding something you made with your own hands.
That hits differently than buying another souvenir.
Meet Josh Navarrete, The Guy Teaching You How Not To Ruin Your Knife
This is also not some random hobbyist who decided to buy an anvil last year.
Josh Navarrete has spent more than 15 years working in bladesmithing and blacksmithing and has experience in leatherworking and woodturning as well.
He's also a Forged in Fire champion.
Navarrete competed on Season 6, Episode 19 of the History Channel competition, where the featured weapon was the Ram-Dao. He later returned for Forged in Fire: Beat the Judges.
That becomes considerably cooler when you're the person standing at the anvil.
You're learning from somebody who has spent years understanding how steel moves, how blade geometry works, what happens during heat treatment, and why one seemingly tiny mistake can completely change the final product.
My purpose extends beyond mere creation. It is my calling to serve those who have served us; veterans and former first responders. Through my work, I strive to honor their sacrifice by providing them with a therapeutic outlet for emotional healing and creative discovery.
Teaching is where my true passion lies. Guiding others on their creative journey brings me immense fulfillment. Witnessing the spark of inspiration ignite in someone's eyes is a reward unlike any other. --Josh Navarette
But what stands out about the classes isn't celebrity.
It's accessibility.
NK Forge specifically offers instruction for beginners, families, couples, groups and team-building experiences, and testimonials published by the shop repeatedly mention the amount of individual instruction students receive.
That's important because blacksmithing has a learning curve.
Nobody walks into their first class looking like a Viking weaponsmith.
This Is Much More Physical Than Watching Forged In Fire From Your Couch
Here's something worth knowing before you sign up.
Blacksmithing is work.
Real work.
NK Forge actually recommends hydrating well before class and bringing plenty of water because you're probably going to sweat.
That makes sense once you think about what you're doing.
You're standing around extremely hot steel, repeatedly swinging a hammer and concentrating on where that hammer lands while trying to manipulate metal before it cools.
It's physical, noisy, focused and refreshingly disconnected from the kind of activity most of us spend our days doing.
There aren't many opportunities anymore to spend hours making something tangible from nearly raw materials.
That's part of what makes this so much fun.
For a few hours, your phone doesn't matter very much.
Email doesn't matter.
Whatever nonsense was happening on social media that morning definitely doesn't matter.
There is a piece of glowing steel in front of you and you need to hit it in the right place.
Simple.
Want To Go Beyond The Beginner Class?
This is where things can get dangerous for your free time because Blacksmithing 101 is basically the gateway drug.
NK Forge offers several deeper classes for people who catch the bug.
One of the coolest is the two-day full tang knife class.
Students spend the first day forging the blade itself. The second day moves into installing and shaping the handle, with additional attention paid to design and ergonomics.
There is also a two-day tomahawk class.
Yes, a tomahawk.
Students work through the design and forging process with the goal of leaving with a functional tool they created themselves.
Then things get serious.
The three-day Damascus class takes students into layered steel, billet making, blade construction, handle installation and finishing. NK Forge recommends completing Blacksmithing 101 before jumping into that class, which seems like extremely sensible advice if your previous metalworking experience consists of assembling an IKEA bookshelf.
One Of The Coolest Salem Experiences We've Come Across
Salem sometimes gets treated as a place people drive through on Interstate 5.
That's a mistake.
Oregon's capital sits in the middle of a part of the state that rewards people willing to slow down and explore it.
Gardens, museums, wineries, historic places, great food and increasingly interesting hands-on experiences are scattered throughout this part of the Willamette Valley.
NK Forge fits beautifully into that bigger picture.
Our growing Willamette Valley Guide connects Salem with the surrounding towns and experiences that make this region worth more than a quick stop, while our Oregon Cities and Towns Guide is designed to help you choose a base and build an actual trip around it.
This is exactly the kind of place those guides are meant to uncover.
Not another generic attraction.
Something you'll actually remember doing.
If you're spending a weekend around Salem, you could easily build an entire day around the class, grab dinner afterward, and turn it into one of those Oregon trips where the activity becomes the story everybody keeps talking about later.
This Would Make An Incredible Gift
We also have to point this out because finding good gifts for certain people can be nearly impossible.
You know the person.
They don't need another shirt.
They don't want another coffee mug.
They buy whatever gadget they want before anybody has a chance to give it to them.
You lament at every holiday and birthday that they just have everything already.
Give that person a day at a forge.
NK Forge sells gift certificates for Blacksmithing 101 as well as its two-day classes.
Birthdays, Father's Day, (and Mother's day, because I know a ton of moms out there who would be thrilled by this) anniversaries or just a completely unexpected weekend adventure all work here.
And unlike a lot of experience gifts, you don't leave empty-handed.
You made the thing you're taking home.
Before You Show Up Wearing Shorts, Read This
There are a few practical details you definitely want to know.
NK Forge provides the necessary safety equipment and materials for its classes, but what you wear matters.
Do not wear shorts.
Students are instructed to wear jeans or sturdy work pants along with closed-toe leather shoes, hiking shoes or work boots. Long sleeves are also recommended for Blacksmithing 101.
Bring plenty of water.
Expect to break for lunch during longer classes.
Observers generally aren't allowed because space inside the shop is limited, so this isn't really an activity where one person signs up while everybody else tags along and watches.
Current registration information lists NK Forge and Metalworks at 2705 22nd Street SE in Salem, Oregon.
Because schedules, availability and pricing can change, check NK Forge's current class calendar directly before making the drive.
Is The Oregon Blacksmithing Class Worth It?
If you're looking for something passive, probably not.
This isn't sitting on a tour bus.
You're going to work.
Your arm may be tired. You'll probably get hot. Your first attempt at shaping steel almost certainly won't look like something Josh would enter on Forged in Fire.
That's precisely why we like it.
Oregon is full of places where you can look at something beautiful.
This is a place where you get to make something.
You walk into a working Salem forge as a beginner, learn one of humanity's oldest crafts from an accomplished bladesmith, swing a hammer at glowing steel, and leave knowing considerably more about blacksmithing than you did that morning.
And potentially carrying a knife you forged yourself.
That's a pretty fantastic way to spend a day in Oregon.
NK Forge and Metalworks: All The Details
Where: 2705 22nd St SE, Salem, Oregon
Beginner class: Blacksmithing 101
Current listed price: $175
Advanced options: Full tang knives, tomahawks, San Mai/Go Mai and Damascus classes
What to wear: Jeans or sturdy work pants and closed-toe leather shoes or boots. No shorts.
Good for: Beginners, couples, families, gifts, groups and anyone who has ever watched a blacksmith work and thought, “I want to try that.”
Before you go: Check NK Forge and Metalworks directly for current class dates, availability, requirements and pricing.
