A new start after 60: I retired from teaching – and became a blacksmith

By: Ammar Kalia

22 July 2024 at 02:00

Julian Lee was ready for a fresh challenge after a lifetime in specialist education. So he built a forge, installed an anvil and set to work creating some very special knives

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.

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