Entry No. 39 — the Kansas City file — filed under: blacksmithing
Hammerspace Community Workshop and Makerspace
This massive 17,000-square-foot 'gym for makers' is a playground of heavy machinery, offering quirky, single-day workshops in traditional blacksmithing and knifemaking.
The story
If you've ever felt the sudden, undeniable urge to forge a high-carbon steel sword that doubles as a barbecue skewer—bottle-opener pommel included—this is your hideout. Tucked into an industrial stretch of Blue Valley at 5200 East 45th Street, Hammerspace is 17,000 square feet of noise, sawdust, and flying sparks. Operating essentially as a gym membership for heavy machinery, it trades ellipticals for anvils, power saws, 3D printers, and welding rigs.
While local regulars pay monthly to work on long-term fabrication projects, the real draw for an outsider is their roster of single-day workshops. They skip gentle beginner crafts in favor of heavy metalworking: you can spend a weekend forging custom-hilted daggers, crafting a Kiridashi knife, or combining welding and wood-turning to build a medieval mace or torch. It is an unpretentious, delightfully specific sandbox for anyone looking to wield industrial tools without asking for permission.
What it's like
Expect a cavernous, working warehouse smelling of machine oil, warm wood, and ozone. There are no glossy showrooms here—just wall-to-wall tool racks, heavy machinery, and people focused over glowing forges or 3D printers. If you are signed up for a class like 'Blade in a Day', leave synthetic clothes at home; sparks will melt polyester in a heartbeat, so wear 100% cotton, pull on closed-toe leather boots, and make sure to reserve your spot online before showing up.
The move: Book the 'Blade in a Day' or 'Forged Barbeque Swords' class to forge high-carbon steel into a custom camp knife or a sword-shaped roasting skewer complete with a bottle-opener pommel.
- 📍 Blue Valley
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 5200 E. 45th St., Kansas City, MO 64130
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Belger Glass Annex — Trade the cold steel and clanging anvils of Blue Valley for the glowing, molten glass and fiery blowpipes at Belger Glass Annex.
- Harvest Moon Botanica — Wash off the forge grime and reset your senses with bulk herbs and custom tea blends in nearby Manheim Park.
- The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures — Shift perspectives completely by going from heavy 17,000-square-foot power tools to thousands of micro-scale fine miniatures.
Good to know
Do I need a monthly membership to attend a workshop?
No. While Hammerspace operates primarily as a monthly membership shop for local makers, individual single-day and weekend classes are open to the public with advance booking.
What kind of objects can you actually make in their classes?
Class topics rotate, but workshops have included high-carbon steel camp knives, forged barbecue swords, custom-hilted daggers, Kiridashi knives, welded maces, and 3D printing tutorials.
What should I wear to a blacksmithing or metalworking class?
Dress in natural fibers like 100% cotton jeans and shirts, and wear sturdy, closed-toe leather footwear. Avoid synthetic materials like nylon or polyester, which melt when hit by hot sparks.
Where is Hammerspace located?
It is located in Kansas City's Blue Valley area at 5200 E. 45th St.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · meetup.com
last checked: 2026-07-21