Blacksmithing for Beginners

Instructor: Larry Cooper

Day & Date: Saturday September 6, 2025

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Tuition: $100.00

Ages: 18 and Up

All levels are welcome. No experience required.

Location: This workshop takes place on the John C. Campbell Folk School Campus. Please arrive at the Clay Spencer Blacksmith Forge the day of the workshop to check in. It is number 9 on the  Campus Map

Students Please Bring:

·        Wear all cotton clothing

·        Closed-toed shoes

·        Eye protection and hearing protection (limited quantity available for use in the shop)

·        Long hair must be tied back

·        Note taking materials.

·        (Optional) A snack and/or water bottle. Filtered water is available in the classroom.

Spend a day in the Folk School forge with local instructor Larry Cooper. In this day-long workshop students will learn the basics of forging, including blacksmithing safety, general fire maintenance, and hand tool skills. Expect to learn by doing, while using simple forging techniques to make forged hooks, a cabinet or door pull or kebab skewers. 

There will be a 1- hour lunch break. Bring a sack lunch or explore local dining options.

An additional fee for materials provided by your instructor for this workshop is estimated at $25.00 THIS FEE IS PAYABLE TO THE INSTRUCTOR at the time of the workshop. Material fees may change depending on the number of participants and price of materials at the workshop. *Payment by cash or check is required for materials fees. 

* We contract with local and regional instructors for short workshops that generally require a minimum of 4 students to run. If you have any questions, you’re welcome to call Olive’s Porch for up-to-date enrollment information. To respect our instructor’s time and preparation for workshops please contact us as soon as possible if you are unable to attend a workshop. Cancellations made more than 14 days prior to a workshop will be issued a full refund. Cancellations made 14 or less days prior to your workshop are not eligible for a refund. If Olive’s Porch needs to cancel a workshop for any reason, we will issue a full refund. See our General Information and Policies page on our website for more information.

About Instructor: Larry Cooper took his first class at the Folk School in 1986 and began blacksmithing full time the same year, specializing in site-specific architectural and interior forged iron. He is the former resident blacksmith at Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark in Birmingham, AL. During the last decade, he has focused on a lifestyle of simplicity and self-sufficiency. A believer in the small-scale agricultural revolution in this country, Larry is the designer of the Gulland broad fork, which he produces along with traditional Sloyd woodworking tools in his shop in Brasstown, NC.