AUBURN — Learning about how to forge a knife blade will be the subject of the second annual Bladesmithing Symposium and Knife Show at the New England School of Metalwork, to be held Friday through Sunday, July 23 to 25. Demonstrations will be conducted by master bladesmiths certified by event organizer American Bladesmith Society. Sessions are open to all for a registration fee of $55.

Registrants will have the opportunity to try their hand at forging a knife blade guided by an ABS master bladesmith. A cutting demonstration will be held on Friday. A knife show and auction will also be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 24, at no charge and open to the public.

“The purpose of the symposium is to show all who are interested that there are bladesmithing skills to learn here that can sustain a viable lifetime career,” said Dereck Glaser, metalsmithing program director at the New England School of Metalwork. “This is an opportunity to see and learn practical and professional skills from some the best master bladesmiths in New England and around the country, all right here at our facility in Auburn.”

Demonstrations for registrants at the three-day symposium will include skills in Damascus steel, handles and guards, precision blade grinding, heat treating, blade finishing, ABS certification, marketing and hands-on forging.

The New England School of Metalwork is only the third school in the country to be certified by the American Bladesmith Society to offer professional training in bladesmithing skills.

Preregistration for the event can be entered online at the ABS website, www.americanbladesmith.com or anyone may register for the program at the New England School of Metalwork, 7 Albiston Way, from 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday, July 22 or beginning at 8 a.m. Friday, July 23.

Questions may also be directed to the New England School of Metalwork at 888-753-7502 or the website at www.newenglandschoolofmetalwork.com.