Entry No. 49 — the New Orleans file — filed under: hands-on
Church Mouse Forge
Church Mouse Forge is a working Irish Channel blacksmith shop offering hands-on classes where you fire up the forge, shape hot steel on the anvil, and leave with a keepsake. Introductory workshops are open to any experience level and run through projects like a bottle opener, leaf wall hook, gumbo ladle, or a forged blacksmith's knife; intermediate sessions tackle full blades, tongs, and hammers. Open-shop time and custom-scheduled sessions are available by appointment for those who want more anvil hours.
The story
Tucked away on Chippewa Street in the Irish Channel, Church Mouse Forge is a genuine working metal shop rather than an old-world reenactment. Run by blacksmith Olof Berner—a Carnegie Mellon graduate who built the operation around hand-wrought hardware and custom toolmaking—the shop operates on cold anvil steel, open flame, and honest labor. If you're looking for clean air conditioning and polished glass display cases, you're in the wrong place.
The shop turns out bespoke architectural hardware, custom knives, and tailored tools, but its best kept secret is that Berner opens the space up for hands-on teaching. Instead of buying a mass-produced keepsake, you can step up to a glowing forge, grab a pair of tongs, and learn how to move hot iron under a hammer yourself.
What it's like
Show up ready to sweat and work. When you step into the Chippewa Street shop, you'll be handed safety gear, assigned a forge, and guided through the rhythm of heating steel to a bright orange glow before hammering it on the anvil face. Introductory classes move fast, yielding immediate items like a leaf hook, a gumbo ladle, or a forged knife. It's loud, hot, and physical, so leave synthetic clothes at home and expect to walk out with ash on your sleeves and a heavy piece of iron in your pocket.
The move: Take the beginner knife-forging or bottle-opener class together and hammer glowing steel into a finished piece you carry home that day.
📍 Before you go Classes are scheduled in advance and open-shop is by appointment; introductory workshops require no prior experience.
- 📍 Uptown
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 3249 Chippewa St, New Orleans, LA 70115
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Cure — Balance a session of hammering hot steel on Chippewa Street with a quiet craft cocktail inside a restored Freret Street firehouse.
- The Tree of Life (Etienne de Boré Oak) — Cool off after working next to an open flame by taking a short drive uptown to rest under Audubon Park's massive oak canopy.
- YAYA Glassworks (YAYA Arts Center) — Keep the fire-and-craft focus going by trading forged iron for hot molten glass in neighboring Central City.
Good to know
Do I need prior metalworking experience to take a class?
No experience is necessary for introductory workshops. Beginners learn foundational heating and shaping techniques while making items like bottle openers, wall hooks, or simple knives.
What should I wear to a forging session?
Wear non-synthetic natural clothing—like heavy cotton jeans and a short-sleeved cotton shirt—along with sturdy closed-toe leather boots. Synthetic fabrics can melt around flying sparks.
Can I work on advanced projects like custom blades or tools?
Yes. Intermediate sessions cover hammers, tongs, and full blades, and open-shop forge hours are available by appointment once you have basic shop skills.
How do I schedule time at the forge?
All classes and open-shop times are scheduled in advance through their website or by appointment; you cannot drop in unannounced.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · neworleans.com · linkedin.com
last checked: 2026-06-23