Entry No. 20 — the Atlanta file — filed under: blacksmithing
Goat n Hammer
A working forge tucked inside the Goat Farm Arts Center's industrial sprawl on Foster Street, where resident smiths since 2013 have quietly built a following for bladesmithing and knife-grinding instruction — and run 'Hammer Therapy' nights that are exactly what they sound like.
The story
Deep inside Building B8 at the Goat Farm Arts Center on Foster Street, there are no silk screens or espresso machines—just red-glowing gas forges, heavy iron anvils, and the deafening clatter of high-carbon steel being beaten into shape. Goat n Hammer was established in 2013 by Mark Hopper, a British-trained blacksmith who previously taught toolmaking in East Africa, and Jessica Collins, a sculptor with a background in ceramics. You aren't watching a staged artisan demo here; both founders are legitimate *Forged in Fire* champions who operate a working metal shop and teach anyone willing to pick up a sledge.
The shop runs on a straightforward principle: physical creation beats digital noise. Rather than buying a factory blade, you take a solid steel railroad spike, heat it past fifteen hundred degrees, and hammer it out until it becomes a functional, razor-sharp knife. Between structured workshops and their open 'Hammer Therapy' sessions—where you can rent an anvil simply to beat raw iron until your frustrations vent out—this forge remains one of the few places in Atlanta where you can routinely trade a screen for five hundred pounds of anvil.
What it's like
Navigate past the overgrown brick ruins of Foster Street into Building B8 and you will hear the forge before you see it. The workshop is hot, loud, and smells like warm metal and grinder dust—if you go during an Atlanta summer, expect to sweat heavily, so bring water and stick strictly to natural-fiber clothes and close-toed leather boots. Instructors walk you step-by-step through heat management, hammer technique, and edge grinding, stepping in only when you hit a wall. You'll leave with black soot under your fingernails, thoroughly exhausted arms, and a heavy, custom steel blade in your hands.
The move: Book the one-day private class ($400, covers up to two people) and forge a railroad-spike knife side by side — heating, hammering, grinding, and sharpening a real spike into a working blade you carry out that afternoon.
- 📍 Home Park / Goat Farm Arts Center, Atlanta
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 1200 Foster Street NW, B8, Atlanta, GA 30318
Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- The Goat Farm Arts Center — Since Goat n Hammer sits inside this 12-acre industrial complex, you can explore the 19th-century cotton-gin ruins and artist studio spaces right outside the forge doors.
- Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking — Trade heavy hammers and glowing metal for delicate fibers less than a mile away at Georgia Tech's dedicated paper museum.
- After Eight — Rest your exhausted forearms half a mile down the road inside this dim, unmarked cocktail bar tucked behind Eight Sushi Lounge.
Good to know
What should I wear to a class at Goat n Hammer?
Wear natural fibers like cotton or denim, long pants, and closed-toe leather shoes or boots. Avoid synthetic materials like polyester or nylon, as sparks can melt them.
Do I need any previous metalworking experience?
No. Beginner workshops like the one-day railroad spike knife class assume zero prior experience and cover basic hammer technique, heating, grinding, and sharpening.
How does the two-person private class work?
The one-day private class costs a flat $400 base rate for up to two people, where you work side-by-side at the forge and each finish a working blade by the afternoon.
What is Hammer Therapy?
It is an open forge session where visitors can rent anvil and grinder time to practice smithing skills or beat steel to blow off steam.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · ajc.com · pbs.org · Reddit
last checked: 2026-07-19