Entry No. 44 — the Los Angeles file — filed under: hands-on
Adam's Forge
Adam's Forge is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) blacksmithing and metal-arts school where forges and anvils fill a working community shop. Beginners start by hammering glowing steel into projects like bottle openers and hooks, while more experienced students can forge a high-carbon blade in the day-long Blacksmith's Knife class (a prerequisite intro class is required). Instructors are practicing smiths and all tools are provided. It is a genuine community forge rather than a polished tourist experience.
The story
Tucked away on East Easy Street in Simi Valley—roughly 40 miles northwest of central Los Angeles—Adam's Forge isn't a Renaissance faire exhibition or a sanitized corporate teambuilding venue. It is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit workshop filled with active gas and coal forges, heavy anvils, and working metal artists who care far more about hammer control and heat management than commercial flair.
You don't just walk in and forge a broadsword on day one. Everyone starts by taking a gateway introductory class, where you learn how hot steel moves under a hammer while shaping simple utility pieces like iron hooks or bottle openers. Once you clear that prerequisite, you unlock the advanced calendar, including their full-day Blacksmith's Knife class where you hammer high-carbon steel into a raw, functional blade.
Because the shop is run by practicing smiths rather than event coordinators, there are no shortcuts or pre-molded kits. All the hammers, tongs, anvils, and raw materials are provided, but the labor is strictly yours. You will spend hours standing over intense heat, leaving with soot under your fingernails, tired forearms, and a piece of hand-hammered steel you made yourself.
What it's like
Expect a noisy, warm, working shop inside a Simi Valley industrial park. You'll work side-by-side with other students while instructors circulate to adjust your stance and hammer strikes. Classes—particularly the day-long knife workshops running from 9am to 3pm with a meal break—fill up weeks in advance. Wear 100% cotton clothes and sturdy, closed-toe boots, because synthetic fabrics melt near open heat.
The move: Take the day-long Blacksmith's Knife class and forge a high-carbon blade each, hammering side by side at the anvils.
📍 Before you go Located in Simi Valley, roughly 40 miles from central LA; the knife class runs a full day (9am-3pm) with a meal break and sells out quickly.
- 📍 Simi Valley
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 750 E Easy St, Simi Valley, CA 93065
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Grandma Prisbrey's Bottle Village — Drive four miles down the road after your workshop to explore Grandma Prisbrey's hand-built bottle structures, another monument to folk fabrication in Simi Valley.
- Coquina Mine — Pair raw metalworking with a outdoor trip to this abandoned 1930s open-pit limestone quarry located in the nearby Marr Ranch Open Space.
- Concrete ruins of the St. Francis Dam — Head north toward Santa Clarita to scout the massive, shattered concrete remains of the 1928 dam failure.
Good to know
Do I need experience before taking a class at Adam's Forge?
No experience is needed for the introductory classes, but you must complete an intro workshop as a prerequisite before booking specialized sessions like the Blacksmith's Knife class.
Do I need to bring my own blacksmithing tools?
No. All tools, anvils, safety gear, and metal stock are provided for shop classes.
Where is the forge located?
It is located at 750 E Easy St in Simi Valley, CA 93065, about a 40-mile drive from central Los Angeles.
What is the dress code for working at the forge?
You must wear natural fibers like cotton denim jeans and a cotton shirt (synthetic fabrics can melt around heat) along with sturdy closed-toe shoes or boots.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Yelp · visitsimivalley.com
last checked: 2026-06-23