For years, I have wanted to craft my very own sword. I’ve always pictured it as being very beautiful, almost elvish in design. The dream was to eventually have my own blacksmith forge – though I know it’s not something realistic for me anytime soon. So I sat aside that dream to focus on other things.
But this year I had the opportunity to forge something of my own at the Dragon Forge Experience while I was attending the Texas Renaissance Festival. I didn’t have to settle for crafting fake digital swords at the blacksmith’s forge in Skyrim. I could practice in real life!
What is the Dragon Forge Experience?
The Dragon Forge Experience is a new attraction this year at the Texas Renaissance Festival that allows visitors the opportunity to forge from the mouths of fire breathing dragons! And let me tell you, the dragons were just as cool in real life as they sound in this blog post.
Anyone who wants to participate in the forging experience can choose from a variety of items that include: a horseshoe knife, a railroad spike knife, a railroad spike dagger, a magic wand, a hairpin, or a rune pendant. You can find out the prices on their website. My friend and I did have to leave a $30 deposit each when booking online that was applied to the price of the items we selected.
If you want to book one of the 45 minute spots in advance, you can do that via their website. But you can also stop by the booth day of your visit to find a time slot to join. However, as this upcoming Saturday has filled up pretty quickly, it might be best to book in advance – especially since there are only two weekends left for the Texas Renaissance Festival (November 18-19 and November 24-26).
So what can you expect with the forging experience?
My friend and I showed up 15 minutes early to select our item, get the metal for the piece we would be working on, and pay the full total for the experience. We were sent waivers electronically in advance and filled those out before arriving at the festival. I chose the railroad spike dagger because it looked the coolest – and it was the closest I was going to get to forging a sword.
Once our scheduled time arrived, we headed to our designated forges, where we were each part of a group of four people. In the forge, we had a master blacksmith who handled the metal while we worked on hammering and forging the piece.
For the daggers, we started off with adding a rune on the end. I selected the rune for divine energy, which I felt like was needed after this past year. We also got to twist the top of the dagger, for a nice design on the hilt. Then came the part we were all there for – each of the people in the group took turns shaping the metal for their items. Honestly, it was a lot of work and my arms were sore after each of my turns (and I know I didn’t use enough strength!). But it was a lot of fun getting to hammer away at the metal and start to see the blade take shape.
Toward the end of the experience, the blacksmith helped with some of the hammering, as well as ensured the item met the proper standards: it was aligned, it was flat enough, etc. After everything was good to go, I was given the blade with some tongs to stick in water to cool down enough to hold.
Tip: It is hot given that you’re near the dragon forges and the Texas sun is beating down on you. Even in the cooler temps that we have right now, it’s important to stay hydrated during this activity. Make sure to bring some water with you.
What happens after you’ve finished forging the piece?
After you finish with your forging experience, you’ll hand over your selected item to the blacksmith you’ve been working with. The Dragon Forge team will then work on grinding and sharping the item for you (if you have a knife or dagger). Once they’ve finished preparing the piece for you, they’ll send you a text that it’s ready. This should take about 30-60 minutes depending on what you got and how busy they are at the time.
Once I picked up my dagger, they provided care instructions so that I can ensure my item stays in the best shape. This includes tips for cleaning it (hand wash only) and how to provide a moisture barrier so that it retains its sharpness longer.
Overall, this was such a fun and thrilling experience – and made my dream of forging something come true! I definitely recommend it for anyone who is interested in forging or for anyone who just wants to have a fun experience while at the renaissance festival.
If you’re not in Texas, they are also in other states at the Arizona Renaissance Festival and the North Carolina Renaissance Festival. If you missed them this year, then it’s definitely something to check next year to see if they come back.
Check out my TikTok video below to see my forging experience in action!
Living as the Main Character 
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