What to Expect: Bottle Opener Blacksmithing Class at Rocky Hill Forge, Copenhagen.
Most of us spend our days looking at various screens for both work and pleasure. Many people who come to take a class at the forge here in Copenhagen tell me about wanting to do something tangible. That's why we created our bottle opener class.
A bottle opener is a very simple project that serves as the perfect introduction to many fundamental skills in blacksmithing, and also lets people engage in a low-stress class with a tangible result that's different from the paint-your-own-ceramics classes that most people have come to expect for a Saturday crafting activity.
We start with a bar of mild steel, a simple alloy of iron and carbon. The first step is to light the forge. It will quickly reach up to 1,650°C (3,000 degrees °F), and then we can start the process.
We heat the steel until it's glowing orange, and then move to the anvil. The first step in making a bottle opener is to remove the far corners of the bar to begin the round shape the front of the opener will have. After a series of glancing blows on both sides of the stock, we return to the fire and get the steel back up to temperature.
In this industry, "strike while the iron is hot" is literal. The metal goes from forging temperature 650°C (~1,200 degrees Fahrenheit) to "cold" around 315°C (~ 600°F) in seconds, so it's important to work quickly and with conviction.
Next, we need a hole for the bottle cap to seat in. Instead of doing that with a drill, blacksmiths use what's called a hot punch and drift, two tools that have been used for centuries, originally created to avoid the expense of drill bits.
After hammering the punch through the steel, we use a drift (a piece of metal shaped like the hole the bottle opener should have) to open that small hole into something that can actually grip a bottle cap.
From there we set shoulders below the hole so that our bottle opener isn't just a piece of bar stock with a hole in it. Adding curves, tapers, and textures is a great way to change the profile of the opener so that it fits comfortably in the hand, and it means that each bottle opener is unique, truly a piece of work that's your own.
A bit of filing then takes off any sharp edges and lets us refine the profile until it's just right.
Next, we need to add the small tab that actually pulls the bottle cap off. We do this by placing a round punch (similar in shape to the back of a ball-peen hammer) on the hot steel and striking downward. This creates a small divot and stretches the metal into the tab.
After a quick check to make sure the hole is the right size to pull bottle caps off easily, we move on to stamping. Adding initials into the steel serves as a wonderful maker's mark, a permanent record of who made the opener.
From there, we simply apply a layer of beeswax mixed with a little oil to prevent rust, and then open the first bottle.
The class takes about an hour and a half and is perfect for anyone looking for a mellow way to step into a forge for the first time. It also serves as a fantastic starting point for those who want to explore blacksmithing further, as all the skills from the bottle opener translate directly to projects like knives, hooks, and most other steel work.