Exclusively Five Star Reviews (200)

  • "I forged a knife today and it was awesome. We rented a small home in Falls City OR and it turns out Gordon Hanson (@vonhelmick), the father of the wonderful family who live here, also runs a small hand-forged knife business and teaches classes. I made a small gyutou out of Japanese takefu white steel with a 22 layer suminagashi outer layer. It took all day including forging, quenching, tempering, grinding, etching, and polishing and boy is my arm in pain from all the hammering. This is a really cool experience for anyone into knives, and Gordon is a fantastic and patient teacher."

    — Kenji Lopez-Alt, November 2021

    (Author, New York Times columnist)

  • "The tiny farmhouse was cozy and comfortable! I brought my parents and my 15 year old son as well as my two poms. My mom hung out in the house while my father, my son and myself participated in the knife forging class! Absolutely the best experience!"

    — Cynnessa, January 2025

    (Travel Nurse)

  • "We booked the forge a knife experience as a little birthday activity and it was incredibly convenient to be able to stay in the lovely tiny cabin right next door. Dusty Rose and Gordon are super nice and incredibly welcoming. The tiny cabin was perfect—kitchen had all the amenities we needed and the bed is super comfy. The knife making was a super awesome birthday experience. Be prepared for it to be pretty physically demanding and expect side arms and blisters the next day. Super happy with how the knives turned out!"

    — Liza, August 2024

  • "Forging knives with Gordon was an incredibly positive experience! Both he and Dusty Rose were excellent and thoughtful hosts and made us feel welcome immediately. Gordon was an excellent instructor, an expert craftsman, and a patient teacher. The class was such a worthwhile endeavor and we walked away with so much learned about knife making and an appreciation for the wonderful people who make tools that we use daily. My friends and I made 3 different knives (an everyday kitchen, a cleaver, and a Nakiri) and Gordon walked us through the entire process from selection to forging to grinding to finishing. He did a great job of balancing our learning while helping us avoid mistakes. Cannot recommend this experience enough!"

    — Nancy, July 2024

  • "My husband and I booked a stay at his tiny house and each made a knife and it was SUCH A COOL EXPERIENCE. It was a lot of work but super rewarding. My husband made a beautiful little knife for his friend and I made a chef's knife for myself because I love to cook. It was incredible to get to design and shape a knife to be exactly perfect for me and my hand. Gordon was super fun to spend the day with. He's also very patient and a naturally wonderful teacher. He is a true knife master! I'll also say his wife was lovely and warm, and made sure our stay was comfortable. The farm was super cute and full of friendly animals. We'd recommend this to anyone and might even go back and do it again ourselves someday!"

    — Keena Bean, March 2024

  • "Look no further, you've found the place for your loved one's gift. For my birthday I was surprised with a day to forge my own knife and I could not be happier with the experience. It was incredible from beginning to end! Gordon and his wife Dusty are amazing, friendly, and welcoming people. My brother and I have zero forging experience and Gordon was an excellent teacher. Truly a master of his craft. His love for the art shines through his work, and his patience and knowledge enabled us to go home with beautiful handmade custom knives. The shop was clean and organized, all the tools and equipment were provided, and the stories and laughs made the day fly by. I cannot recommend Vonhelmick Knife Co. enough and will definitely be coming back for more!"

    — Nick, September 2023

  • "What a fantastic experience! Gordon was very informative and friendly. We were taught and guided as we did the work but had the assistance when needed. He’s going to show you how it’s done and let you do it yourself, not do everything for you…unless that’s what you want. Conversations throughout the day were enjoyable and the time passed quite quickly as you do stay pretty busy most of the day. The shop temperature fluctuates so be prepared to be warm and cool. Make sure to wear comfortable closed toe shoes because you’ll be standing on a shop floor most of the day. We did bring snacks and drinks but there is a convenience store nearby that you can utilize during the lunch break. I don’t have anything negative to say, it was a fantastic experience and I’m thrilled to have forged my own knife! If you enjoy learning new skills and making things with your own hands you will have a day well spent here."

    — Amanda, January 2025

  • "This experience was a highlight in life for my son and I. I booked the experience for a father-son outing. My son said it was one of the coolest things he’s done and he had never dreamt of making a knife like his. Gordon was very good at teaching and assisting. He had a lot of stories that kept the slower times interesting. Dusty Rose was very accommodating in letting me use their facility for a brief Zoom call i had to attend. Overall, i would give this experience my highest rating. I definitely will be bringing my other sons to this experience and referring others!"

    — David, December 2024

  • "My wife booked us a two night stay in the tiny house and the nine hour class for our anniversary, best present ever. Gordon is a master blade smith and if possible an even better teacher. It was a great experience from beginning to end. Dusty Rose and Gordon are awesome people. It’s very rare for me to say that about someone after spending one day with them. Our stay in the tiny house was great it was nice waking up next door to the shop. I’ll definitely be back, the sooner the better."

    — Ron, October 2023