Shaped by Fire. Finished by Hand.
An atelier practice — forging exhibition metalwork since 2009
Studio Tour
Four zones.
One practice.
The Forge
Where iron remembers fire. The coal forge runs at 2,400°F — hot enough to make mild steel move like clay under the hammer. Every session begins here, with the billet brought to working temperature in stages.
Coal-fired forge, 2,400°F working temp, 45-minute heat cycles
Working Temp
2,400°F
Heat Cycles
8–12 / piece
Coal Grade
Metallurgical
The Anvil
A 350-pound London-pattern anvil, bought at auction in 1987, its face worn smooth by a generation of hammer blows before these hands ever touched it. The horn shapes curves; the heel cuts shoulders; the face does the heavy work.
350lb London-pattern, post-vise, 4lb cross-peen hammer
Anvil Weight
350 lbs
Est.
c. 1940
Primary Hammer
4lb cross-peen
The Quench Tank
The moment of transformation — heated steel plunged into brine or oil, the crystalline structure locked in place by rapid cooling. The sound is violent. The steam rises in columns. The steel emerges dark, hard, and changed.
Brine quench for high-carbon, oil quench for tool steel, water for mild
Brine Quench
10% salt
Oil Temp
120°F warm
Cycle Time
30–90 sec
The Finishing Bench
Where a forged object becomes a finished work. Grinding, filing, chasing, and patination — each step deliberate, each surface decision permanent. The bench holds the piece while hands negotiate the final form.
Angle grinder, files, chasing tools, patination chemicals
Finish Options
12 patinas
Final Polish
2,000 grit
Avg. Finish Time
6–18 hrs
Process Explorer
Handle the work.
Then decide.
Click any piece to open the process sidebar — technique, alloy specification, hours logged, and the full documentation sequence.
Raising & Chasing · 2024
Crucible Vessel No. 7
Forging & Welding · 2023
Garden Gate Fragment
Repousse · 2024
Wall Relief: Tide Mark
Forging & Fabrication · 2023
Console Table: Ossified
In Their Words
Curators.
Designers. Collectors.
Margaux Delacroix
Senior Curator
Galerie Noire, Paris
The Crucible Vessel series stopped our acquisition committee mid-meeting. We've never seen a contemporary metalsmith who treats the hammer mark as primary language rather than evidence of process. Three pieces are now in the permanent collection.
Re: Crucible Vessel Series, 2023
The Archive
Every piece.
Every technique.
Fully documented.
The archive holds 15 years of work — 340+ pieces, searchable by technique, material, and year. Filter below to preview, then explore the full catalog.
Process Journal
Download the
full lookbook.
96 pages. Every piece from 2020–2024 documented in full — process photography, technique notes, alloy specifications, and exhibition history. The journal that collectors read before they commission.
"Every weld seam is a decision.
Every hammer mark is a sentence."