Barrytown Knifemaking

Steven and Robyn Hansen run one class a day from their property at Barrytown, on the coast road between Punakaiki and Greymouth, and it has quietly become one of the highest-rated things to do on the West Coast. You arrive in the morning, heat and hammer a steel bar into a blade, grind and temper it, then shape a handle from native timber and finish the whole knife. Everyone leaves with a working knife they made themselves. The other half is the atmosphere - Steven's running commentary, bad jokes, a shared lunch, and a small group of no more than a dozen or so, which is why it books out weeks ahead in summer. It is a full day, physical, hot and noisy, and it costs what a day of one-on-one instruction costs. Getting the finished knife home by air means checked baggage, not carry-on.

What you actually see

• The forging - heating and hammering a steel bar into a blade.
• The handle - shaped from native timber, fitted and finished.
• The finished knife - yours, working, made in a day.
• The class itself - small groups, shared lunch, constant commentary.

When to go

Any season - it is indoor work. One class a day, so booking well ahead is essential, especially December to March. Arrive in the morning and expect to finish late afternoon.

Honest expectations

A full day of hot, physical work, not a demonstration. Priced accordingly. The knife must go in checked baggage when flying. Places are limited and fill weeks out.

Nearby

Punakaiki and the Pancake Rocks are north; Greymouth is south.