Terms of service

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Last updated: September 2026

These Terms and Conditions apply to purchases made through the Thorn Wood Forge website, including tools, accessories, made-to-order products and places on our courses.

Please read them carefully before placing an order or booking a course.

ABOUT US

This website is operated by Thorn Wood Forge Ltd.

Thorn Wood Forge Ltd
Hinton St George
Somerset
TA17 8TL
United Kingdom

Email: admin@thornwoodforge.com
Telephone: 0788 921 2631
Company number: 15702908
VAT number: GB465756843

In these Terms, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Thorn Wood Forge Ltd. “You” and “your” refer to the person placing an order or making a course booking.

OUR PRODUCTS

Thorn Wood products are made and finished by hand. Small differences in forge texture, dimensions, timber grain, leather, colour and finish are natural features of handcrafted products and do not usually constitute faults.

Product photographs and descriptions are provided to represent each item as accurately as reasonably possible. Colours and surface finishes may appear differently depending on the screen used to view them.

Please check product dimensions, intended use and other specifications before ordering.

PLACING AN ORDER

When you place an order, you are offering to purchase the products or services in your basket subject to these Terms.

Receiving an automated order confirmation does not necessarily mean that we have accepted the order. A contract is formed when we confirm that we have accepted the order, begin producing a made-to-order item, confirm a course booking or dispatch the goods, as applicable.

We may decline or cancel an order where:

• A product is unavailable
• A price or description contains an obvious error
• Payment cannot be authorised
• Required age or identity checks cannot be completed
• We cannot lawfully deliver the product to the address supplied
• We reasonably suspect fraud, misuse or unlawful activity
• A course date is unavailable or cannot proceed

If we cancel an order after taking payment, we will refund the relevant amount using the original payment method.

PRICES AND PAYMENT

Prices are shown in pounds sterling and include VAT where applicable.

Delivery charges and any other applicable costs will be shown before checkout is completed.

We take reasonable care to ensure prices are accurate. If we discover an obvious pricing error, we may contact you before accepting the order. You may then confirm the order at the correct price or cancel it for a full refund.

Payment must be made using one of the methods available at checkout.

You confirm that you are authorised to use the payment method supplied.

AVAILABILITY AND LEAD TIMES

Some products are held in stock. Others are made in small batches or made to order.

Current availability and estimated production times will be shown on the relevant product page where possible.

Lead times are estimates rather than guaranteed delivery dates. Handcrafted production can occasionally be affected by material availability, workshop capacity and circumstances outside our reasonable control.

If a significant delay occurs, we will contact you and explain the available options.

AGE-RESTRICTED PRODUCTS

Axes, knives and certain other bladed products may only be purchased by customers aged 18 or over.

By ordering an age-restricted product, you confirm that:

• You are at least 18 years old
• The information supplied during checkout is accurate
• You are legally entitled to purchase and receive the product
• The product is being purchased for a lawful purpose

We may use an age and identity-verification service before accepting or dispatching the order. You may be asked to provide suitable photographic identification and additional information required to confirm that you are the document holder.

If age or identity cannot be verified, we may decline or cancel the order.

Age-restricted products will be dispatched using an appropriate delivery service. The courier may require valid photographic identification before handing over the parcel.

Age-restricted parcels cannot normally be:

• Left unattended or in a safe place
• Left on a doorstep
• Delivered to a neighbour
• Delivered to a parcel locker
• Handed to a person who cannot provide the required identification

We are not responsible for delays caused by failed age-verification or delivery checks.

Additional delivery or return charges may apply if a recipient is unavailable or cannot complete the required checks.

DELIVERY

We deliver only to the destinations available at checkout.

Delivery charges are calculated according to the products ordered, the delivery service and the destination.

Please provide a complete and accurate delivery address. We are not responsible for delays or additional costs caused by incorrect or incomplete information supplied by the customer.

Where tracking is available, it will be sent after dispatch.

Orders containing products with different lead times will normally be dispatched together when the complete order is ready. Contact us before ordering if you would like available products sent separately. Additional delivery charges may apply.

Risk in the goods passes to you when they are delivered to you or to another person identified by you to receive them.

INTERNATIONAL ORDERS

Axes, knives and other bladed tools are subject to different restrictions in different countries and regions.

You are responsible for checking whether a product may lawfully be imported, possessed and used at its destination.

We may decline or cancel an order if we cannot deliver it safely or lawfully.

International orders may be subject to customs duties, taxes and local handling charges. Unless stated otherwise at checkout, these charges are the recipient’s responsibility.

CANCELLING AND RETURNING GOODS

For most eligible goods purchased online, you may tell us that you wish to cancel within 14 days of receiving the order.

After notifying us, you must return the goods within a further 14 days.

Products should be returned unused, undamaged, securely packaged and with all supplied components and accessories.

You may inspect a product as you would in a shop. We may make a reasonable deduction from the refund where a product has been used, damaged or handled beyond what is necessary to establish its nature and characteristics.

Unless the product is faulty, damaged, incorrectly supplied or not as described, you are responsible for arranging and paying for its safe return.

Contact us before returning an axe, knife or other bladed product. We will provide appropriate return instructions.

Full information is provided in our Shipping & Returns Policy.

MADE-TO-ORDER AND PERSONALISED PRODUCTS

The statutory right to cancel does not normally apply to goods made to your individual specifications or clearly personalised for you.

We will explain when a product falls into this category before accepting the order.

A standard product is not automatically excluded from cancellation rights simply because it was manufactured after the order was placed.

If you wish to change or cancel a made-to-order product, contact us immediately. We cannot guarantee that changes can be accepted once design, material preparation or production has begun.

FAULTY OR DAMAGED GOODS

Products supplied by Thorn Wood Forge must be as described, of satisfactory quality and fit for their intended purpose.

Your statutory rights are not affected by these Terms, our returns policy or our warranty.

If a product arrives damaged, faulty, incomplete or incorrect, contact us as soon as possible with:

• Your name
• Order number
• A description of the issue
• Photographs of the product and packaging

Do not use a tool that you believe may be damaged or unsafe.

Depending on the circumstances and your legal rights, we may arrange a repair, replacement, price reduction or refund.

WARRANTY

Qualifying Thorn Wood Forge-made tools are covered by our Limited Lifetime Craftsmanship Warranty.

The warranty covers qualifying faults in materials and workmanship. It does not cover normal wear, poor maintenance, accidental damage, inappropriate use, unauthorised alterations or damage caused by improper sharpening or storage.

The full warranty terms are available on our Warranty page.

Nothing in the warranty or these Terms limits your statutory rights.

SAFE AND LAWFUL USE

Axes, knives and forged tools are inherently sharp and potentially dangerous.

You are responsible for:

• Reading and following any safety and care information supplied
• Inspecting the product before use
• Using the product only for its intended lawful purpose
• Wearing appropriate protective equipment
• Keeping tools secure and away from children and unauthorised users
• Maintaining and storing the product appropriately
• Complying with applicable laws governing possession, transport and use

Do not use a product that appears damaged, loose or unsafe.

We are not responsible for injury, loss or damage caused by unlawful use, misuse, neglect, unauthorised alteration or use contrary to supplied instructions.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability where it would be unlawful to do so.

COURSE BOOKINGS

Course places are subject to availability and are booked for a specific advertised date.

You must select the correct course and date before completing your booking.

Course descriptions explain the expected timings, projects, experience level and what is included. Minor adjustments may occasionally be required because of workshop conditions, material availability, participant progress or safety considerations.

Unless stated otherwise:

• No previous blacksmithing experience is required
• All necessary tools and materials are provided
• Course places are limited
• Participants must follow all workshop and safety instructions
• Participants must wear the clothing and footwear specified in their joining information

COURSE ELIGIBILITY

The minimum age for attending a course is 16.

Participants under 18 must meet any supervision and consent requirements explained before booking.

You must tell us before attending about any medical condition, disability, allergy, dietary requirement or other circumstance that may reasonably affect safe participation.

We will make reasonable efforts to accommodate individual requirements, but some activities may need to be adapted where necessary for safety.

We reserve the right to prevent or stop participation where we reasonably believe that a participant:

• Is under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Is behaving dangerously, abusively or disruptively
• Refuses to follow reasonable safety instructions
• Is wearing unsuitable clothing or footwear
• Poses a significant risk to themselves or another person

No refund will normally be provided where participation is refused or ended because of the participant’s conduct or failure to follow safety instructions.

COURSE PAYMENTS

One-day courses are normally paid in full when booked.

Selected two-day courses are secured by paying the deposit shown on the course page. The remaining balance will be invoiced separately.

The remaining balance must be paid no later than eight weeks before the course begins.

Where a booking is made after the balance-payment deadline, the full amount may be payable immediately.

If the balance is not paid by the stated deadline, we may treat the booking as cancelled and offer the place to another customer.

COURSE CANCELLATIONS BY YOU

Courses are leisure services supplied on a specific date or during a specific period. The usual statutory 14-day cooling-off right may therefore not apply to a confirmed course booking.

Course deposits reserve limited workshop capacity and are normally non-refundable, except where required by law or where we cancel the course.

If you need to cancel or change a booking, contact us as soon as possible.

Subject to availability, we may allow a booking to be transferred once to another advertised date where at least 12 weeks’ notice is provided.

Bookings cannot be transferred indefinitely and any replacement date must normally take place within 3 months of the original booking.

If you cancel after the balance-payment deadline, payments already made will normally be retained to cover the reserved place and costs incurred. If we are able to resell the place, we may offer a partial refund or transfer after deducting the original deposit and any reasonable administration or unrecoverable costs.

You may request to transfer the booking to another eligible participant. Any substitution must be approved by us before the course begins.

These provisions do not affect any rights you may have where we have breached the contract or where the law requires a refund.

COURSE CANCELLATIONS BY US

We may cancel or reschedule a course because of illness, unsafe conditions, insufficient bookings, equipment failure, severe weather or another circumstance outside our reasonable control.

If we cancel a course, you may choose:

• A transfer to another available date, or
• A refund of course payments made to us for the affected booking

We are not responsible for independently booked travel, accommodation, childcare, loss of earnings or other consequential costs. We recommend using flexible or refundable arrangements where travel or accommodation is required.

If a course is interrupted after it begins, we will consider the circumstances and offer an appropriate remedy, which may include completing the course on another date.

COURSE SAFETY AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK

Blacksmithing involves heat, fire, tools, machinery, sharp edges and physically demanding practical activity.

We take reasonable precautions and provide instruction, supervision and appropriate safety equipment. Participants must also take reasonable responsibility for their own conduct and follow all instructions.

Minor marks, burns, cuts and other injuries are possible during practical workshop activity. Participation is voluntary and subject to compliance with our safety procedures.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation or any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

TOOLS MADE DURING COURSES

Course-made tools are created substantially by the participant under supervision.

Because they are participant-made, they are not covered by the standard product warranty in the same way as tools manufactured and sold directly by Thorn Wood Forge.

If a problem develops, contact us. We will assess the circumstances and recommend an appropriate solution where reasonably possible.

WEBSITE AVAILABILITY

We aim to keep the website accurate and available, but we cannot guarantee uninterrupted access.

We may update, suspend or withdraw website content, products, prices or services without notice where reasonably necessary.

Nothing on the website constitutes technical, legal or professional advice about the possession or use of axes, knives or other tools.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

The website and its content, including text, photographs, product designs, graphics, logos and branding, belong to Thorn Wood Forge or are used with permission.

You may not reproduce, distribute, modify or commercially exploit this content without prior written permission.

PERSONAL INFORMATION

We process personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Additional personal information may be required to complete age and identity verification. Verification information will be processed only for appropriate legal, fraud-prevention and order-fulfilment purposes.

OUR LIABILITY

We do not exclude or limit liability for:

• Death or personal injury caused by our negligence
• Fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation
• Breach of your statutory rights
• Any other liability that cannot legally be excluded

If you are purchasing as a consumer, we are responsible for losses that are a foreseeable result of our breach of contract or failure to use reasonable care and skill.

We are not responsible for losses that were not reasonably foreseeable, losses caused by your own actions or failures, or business losses arising from a consumer purchase.

If you purchase products wholly or mainly for business purposes, our liability will be limited to the amount paid for the relevant product or service, except where liability cannot legally be limited.

EVENTS OUTSIDE OUR CONTROL

We are not responsible for delay or failure caused by events outside our reasonable control.

These may include severe weather, fire, flood, power failure, transport disruption, material shortages, equipment failure, industrial action, public-health restrictions or interruption to third-party services.

We will contact affected customers as soon as reasonably possible and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption.

CHANGES TO THESE TERMS

We may update these Terms to reflect changes to our services, operating practices or legal obligations.

The Terms applying to an order or course booking will normally be those published when the order or booking was made.

SEVERABILITY

If any part of these Terms is found to be unlawful or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in effect.

No person other than you and Thorn Wood Forge has the right to enforce these Terms, except where the law provides otherwise.

GOVERNING LAW

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales.

If you are a consumer living elsewhere in the United Kingdom, you retain any mandatory rights available under the law where you live and may bring proceedings in the courts of that part of the United Kingdom.

CONTACT AND COMPLAINTS

If you have a question or complaint, contact:

Thorn Wood Forge Ltd
Hinton St George
Somerset
TA17 8TL
United Kingdom

Email: admin@thornwoodforge.com
Telephone: 0788 921 2631

We will try to acknowledge and resolve complaints within a reasonable time.