In 2019, one year into his retirement, 66-year-old Julian Lee decided to start making knives. The former teacher and special educational needs expert built a forge in the back garden of his Winchester home, collected steel files, heated them to 800C and began hammering, grinding and refining until he had formed a blade. “Blacksmithing knives is a beautiful combination of producing art and something with a practical use,” he says. “It feels amazing to do something with your hands, and once you start making these objects, you don’t want to stop.”
Lee’s fascination with crafting began as a child growing up in Brighton. Scavenging bits of wood to carve into makeshift toys or experimenting with clay, he found himself excelling in woodwork and metalwork classes. Yet the pressures of finding a vocation soon took over and as he progressed into a teaching career, he put his hobby aside.
Approaching 65, after 40 years spent working for London boroughs on specialist educational provision, Lee decided it was time for a change. “Life isn’t about doing the same thing for ever and as I neared my retirement, I wanted to learn something new,” he says. “I had never forgotten my childhood love of making things and working with metal was always the most alluring because it was so challenging.”
Lee began reading up on everything from the science of metal forging to choosing the types of steel to craft from and the different finishes that could be achieved. He then set about building a lean-to structure in his back garden that could house his newly acquired coke and gas forges, as well as a mighty anvil for hammering. “It took months of preparation, from buying hammers and tongs to learning the basics of the process,” he says. “The anvil was the heaviest thing I’ve ever handled – it took three of my friends to get it into the garden and then we had to weigh it down further with anchor chains salvaged from a boatyard in Southampton.”
When it came to the practicalities of actually making a piece, Lee soon realised it was tricky work. “Once I started hammering these heated pieces of steel, it took me at least three tries before I could even get a primitive shape,” he says. “You have to be prepared to make a lot of mistakes and to possibly break your work, but there is joy in carrying on and striving to get better.”
As Lee continued practising, he began to improve and hone his technique. He sources his steel from secondhand products or Sheffield steel mills before heating it on his forge to reach a specific colour that dictates the correct temperature for hammering. Once he has a rough shape, the edge is shaped on a belt grinder before being placed back into the forge and heated again. A quick plunge into cold oil allows it to harden. He then files by hand to refine the cutting edge before applying polish and a handle.
“It took me close to a year to start churning out decent knives, since you can spend a lifetime just improving that process of hammering out an edge,” he says. “At the moment it takes me around four days to make a piece from start to finish.”
Now 71 and with five years of blacksmithing experience under his belt, Lee is as passionate about his craft as ever. Typically making one to two knives a month and selling them largely to friends and family, he has begun experimenting with iron ore finishes and scorched cedar wood handles, inspired by his research into the work of Japanese master-craftsmen.
“When you’re in the process of making something, it’s very peaceful and there is an enormous sense of relief when you finish,” he says. “It keeps you on your toes and I’m always looking for ways to improve.”
There are also physical risks. Lee often burns himself when picking up blades that haven’t quite cooled, while his shoulders and elbows bear the brunt of the hammering. Yet he plans to continue as long as he is physically able. “I’ve come full circle, back to my teaching career, because I’ve recently taken on a 19-year-old apprentice who lives a few doors down,” he says. “She’s fascinated by the craft and it’s inspired me to keep on learning. No matter your age, curiosity never stops!”
