Compagnon Du Devoir

Here at Chris Topp & Co, we are generally viewed as experts in this area and regularly receive requests from blacksmiths to spend time at our works to learn traditional techniques. We are in the eighth year of one year secondments of metalworkers from the French Craftsman’s Guild ‘Compagnon Du Devoir’. The placements from the Compagnon are all experienced & highly skilled metalworkers before their placement with us, undertaking a seven year apprenticeship & they are generally either in their last year of training or have finished their apprenticeship & come here to learn traditional forge work skills which have been largely lost in France.

Joel – September 2006 to July 2007

Guilliame - September 2007 to July 2008

Simon – September 2008  to July 2009

Cedric – September 2007 to July 2008

David – February 2009 to July 2009

Clement – September 2008 to July 2009

Charles – February 2010 to July 2010

Pierrick - September 2010 to July 2011

2011 - Balustrade

Our 2011 students took part in the Compagnon Du Devoir’s annual metal working competition in Annecy, eastern France; this year’s theme was balustrades.

We are in the ninth year of one year secondments of metalworkers from the French Craftsman’s Guild ‘Compagnon Du Devoir’. The placements from the Compagnon are all experienced & highly skilled metalworkers before their placement with us, undertaking a seven year apprenticeship & they are generally either in their last year of training or have finished their apprenticeship & come here to learn traditional forge work skills which have been largely lost in France.

Compagnon Du Devoir - Pierrick's Masterpeice

Journeyman Pierrick has completed four years of training and to celebrate this achievement he has made this lectern – his masterpiece.  The lectern took many hours of his evenings and weekends to make, 150 hours were put into forming the idea, design work and drawings and 200 hours to make, all this time was in additional to Pierrick’s normally working week!

The lectern is made in mild and stainless steel; laser cut and has a hematite finish. It is fully collapsible for easy moving and storage.  
 
Pierrick, once he leaves us in July will return to France to complete three more years of his training, assisting with the training of other Compagnon du Devoir students. 

2010 - Handrails

Our 2010 students took part in the Compagnon Du Devoir’s annual metal working competition in Strasbourg; this year’s theme was handrails and supporting wall brackets.

We are in the eighth year of one year secondments of metalworkers from the French Craftsman’s Guild ‘Compagnon Du Devoir’. The placements from the Compagnon are all experienced & highly skilled metalworkers before their placement with us, undertaking a seven year apprenticeship & they are generally either in their last year of training or have finished their apprenticeship & come here to learn traditional forge work skills which have been largely lost in France.

Forge Fire Welding

One our expert blacksmiths – French man Baptiste Deleau - held a workshop at our Tholthorpe site for the metal work Compagnon Students. The one-day course was taught in French as was an introduction to Forge Fire Welding. March 2011.