Iron Mountain Metal Craft

Why go: You spend an hour at a working anvil with a smith who has competed on Forged in Fire, and you walk out with a knife you hammered yourself and a leather sheath to carry it in.

About Iron Mountain Metal Craft

Iron Mountain Metal Craft is a working smithy in the Old Mill district, and its stated purpose is to preserve and pass on the knowledge, art, and skills of working metal, including blacksmithing and blade-smithing. What separates it from a demonstration shop is that visitors are the ones swinging the hammer.

The founder’s vision, in the shop’s own words, was to create a smithy that visitors could actually hammer at and leave with a finished product. That is exactly how a session runs. You book a slot, you are fitted with a leather apron and eye and ear protection, and an instructor walks you through forging a knife from raw stock at the fire and the anvil. You leave with the blade and a leather sheath.

Four projects are offered, and the stock you start from determines the difficulty. A steel nail is the beginner’s route for younger children. A pony shoe has no age or experience requirement at all. A horseshoe steps things up for age nine and older. A railroad spike is the shop’s signature and its most involved project, open from age thirteen.

The shop is owned by Robby Bowman, who competed on the History Channel’s Forged in Fire and was named a fan favorite. Materials come from partners including Alabama Damascus Steel and Cutlery and Laying J Leather, and the shop supports the Wounded Warrior Project and Turtle Island Preserve.

Getting to Iron Mountain Metal Craft

The forge sits on Old Mill Avenue in the Old Mill district, the historic corner of Pigeon Forge built around the 1830s mill on the Little Pigeon River. That puts it a short walk from the district’s restaurants, the pottery house, and the general store, and it is a very different setting from the Parkway strip a few blocks west. Because lessons run by appointment rather than walk-in, the trip is worth making only once you have a booked slot.

Why Choose Iron Mountain Metal Craft

Pigeon Forge has plenty of places that show you a craft. This is one of the few where you produce something, and the constraints of the operation are what make that possible.

• You leave with what you made. The finished knife and its leather sheath go home with you, which is a different kind of souvenir from anything on the Parkway.
• Four people to a session, maximum. That cap is what keeps a lesson genuinely hands-on rather than a group watching one person work.
• A Forged in Fire pedigree. Owner Robby Bowman competed on the History Channel series and was named a fan favorite, and the shop is built around that level of craft.
• Children can actually participate. The nail knife project is designed for ages five to twelve, so young kids do the work rather than stand behind a rope.
• A project for every experience level. Four different starting materials mean a first-timer and someone who has forged before can book the same visit at different levels.
• Old Mill district setting. The shop sits among the historic mill buildings rather than in a strip storefront, which suits the work.

Must Do

The projects are the menu here, and choosing the right one for who is coming matters more than anything else you decide.

• Nail Knife. The children’s project, ages five to twelve. A custom knife forged from a steel nail, with a leather sheath, under close supervision.
• Pony Shoe Knife. No age or experience requirement, which makes it the default choice for mixed groups and complete beginners.
• Horseshoe Knife. Age nine and up. A heavier piece of stock and a longer session at the anvil than the pony shoe.
• Railroad Spike Knife. Age thirteen and up and the shop’s signature project. Forging a blade from an actual railroad spike is the most involved lesson on offer.
• Time at the Anvil with Robby Bowman. Instruction from a smith who has competed on Forged in Fire is the reason plenty of visitors book in the first place.

What to Expect

This is a working forge with fire, hot steel, and a hammer in your hand, so the practical details are not optional reading.

• Appointments are required. Lessons cannot be walked into. Call during business hours to schedule rather than relying on the website contact form.
• Age minimums by project. Nail knife is ages five to twelve, pony shoe has no minimum, horseshoe starts at nine, and railroad spike starts at thirteen. Participants under eighteen may need prior blacksmithing experience for the spike.
• What to wear. The shop provides leather aprons and eye and ear protection, and asks that you wear cotton-based clothing and closed-toe shoes.
• Arrive fifteen minutes early. That window covers payment and getting safety gear on before the session starts.
• Sessions run 45 minutes to an hour at most, with a maximum of four people per appointment, so a visit is roughly an hour and a quarter door to door.
• Expect heat and noise. A live forge and an anvil are both, and that is worth mentioning to anyone sensitive to either.
• Accessibility is not published. The shop makes no statement about physical access, so call ahead if that matters to your group.
• Pricing climbs with the project. The four options are priced separately by the stock you start from, so confirm which one you are booking when you call.

Nearby in Pigeon Forge

• Circle Bar T Forge and Blade Works. Another Pigeon Forge blade shop nearby, worth a look if the forging bug takes hold.
• Smoky Mountain Adventure Rides. A nearby outfitter running guided side by side rides into the ridges above town.
• Board and Brush. A guided wood sign workshop for anyone who wants to make something without the fire.
• Titanic Museum. A short drive west on the Parkway, with artifacts and a replica grand staircase.

Explore More

My Smoky Mountain Guide Pigeon Forge is a great resource for finding things to do and places to eat.

• Pigeon Forge Food & Beverage Guide. Restaurants, dinner shows, breweries, distilleries, and eateries throughout Pigeon Forge, from sit-down meals to grab-and-go stops.
• Pigeon Forge Outdoor Adventure. Mountain coasters, UTV rentals, rafting, helicopter tours, and other ways to experience the Smokies from outdoors.
• Pigeon Forge Attractions. Museums, escape rooms, mini-golf, arcades, and other family-friendly stops across the city.
• Pigeon Forge Entertainment. Dinner shows, live music, comedy, magic, and theater experiences throughout Pigeon Forge.