The Iron Forge

What a great time! Went for a railroad spike knife making session as a bachelor party. The boys at Iron Rhino didn't disappoint. We all went through the same process of master/apprentice hammering on our knives which was perfect because none of us had any experience whatsoever. What's really cool is each of us walked away with very unique knives that we were all really proud of. As fun as the knife making was the inappropriate jokes and references between us and David made the whole experience all the more enjoyable. Because it was my bachelor party and we got along with Dave so well he was kind enough to make me a custom "sexy leg" bottle opener and gave me an Iron Rhino t-shirt for free. Highly recommend for a good time and a sweet souvenir.

Surprised my boyfriend with a class here for his birthday and we had a wonderful time! I booked the railroad spike knife experience and it was so cool. It was both our first times doing this but it turned out wonderfully. Our instructor David was very knowledgeable and sweet. And the rest of the crew was great too! I would recommend it :)

What an amazing experience! Booked the date night for our 6 year anniversary (year of iron) and we had so much fun. Justin was knowledgeable, kind, patient, and just all around awesome. Can’t wait to do it again sometime!

Attended an exceptional two-hour knife making class with David at Iron Rhino Forge. His expertise and passion for teaching were evident as he guided me through each step. I definitely got my money's worth and left feeling inspired. Highly recommend!

Had a great experience with Avi! He showed us how to make knives out of rail road spikes and we were able to participate. Very informative and he clearly knows what he’s doing. I went as a date and I’d recommend anyone goes, regardless if for a date or not.

This experience with Avi wasn’t just “Blacksmithing” it was truly educational, and I don’t say this lightly! Avi spent the time to get to know me and turned them things I learned in the past into the steps of forging. This allowed me to make the items below!

Benet Press

My wife organized a a group of my friends for the pocket knife making class at the iron rhino North location. There was six of us, our instructor was Matt. He was informative, well organized, and he was incredibly knowledgeable. We all had an amazing time and we all walked out with pocket knives that we cherish. I can't say enough about how much fun we had. I plan on coming back to take the intro to blacksmithing course.

Rick Boland

I consider myself an intermediate Bladesmith but seem to struggle with a couple steps in the forging process. I was in the Phoenix area on a short vacation and contacted the owner of Iron Rhino Forge. After the discussion with David, he lined me up with a 8 hour private lesson with one of his instructors (Mike) that specializes in Bladesmithing. I don’t believe there is a better/quicker way to learn, than to watch a skilled craftsman demonstrate a technique and then offer suggestions as the student Attempts to replicate the procedure. I highly recommend Iron Rhino forge for instruction which is individually tailored to the skill level and experience of the student blacksmith. Thank you Mike , I enjoyed the instruction and look forward to practicing the New techniques back at the home Forge.. Rick

Carrie Tinsler

Recently attended a team building event at the forge and it was amazing! David and Rona were patient and informative with 1:1 instructions, David made the learning process fun and engaging while also being filled with information and knowledge. My husband has never been forging and he really took to it! We really enjoyed and will be back!

Noah Dueker

Booked the Railroad Spike Knife experience for my wife and I and had a blast! Our instructor Jacie was super knowledgeable and personable, helping us make a sweet pair of knives! Super fun date night, 10/10 would recommend!

SWEIR

I was gifted the knife making and intro skills class. I walked away with not only the how but also the why. The instructors go the extra mile to help everyone. They are clearly passionate. I highy recommend the team and the classes for anyone regardless of skill level.

Edward Whitehead (The EDucator)

Absolute legends. I took the intro to forging class today at their shop, and the instructor was super friendly, very professional, and went the extra mile to make sure we had a stellar experience. Very safe, highly recommend it, it’s a very unique experience.

Taylor Meza

Had an awesome time! Learned a lot from Dave. My husband booked a date night class for our 6 year anniversary. The iron anniversary! What a great idea right? Anyways, we had a blast and created a unique piece of art together. We will definitely be back!

Brianna Lind

I’m so glad I found David! He was kind, funny, and an excellent teacher. My boyfriend and I had a wonderful time at our date night lesson. Neither of us had experience, yet we caught on quick thanks to David’s explanations. David was also so sweet and understanding when we ran late, and he went above and beyond to make sure we were having fun. It was such a good time! We’re telling all our friends about him. Would highly recommend taking lessons with him!

Rachel Wright

Like many others my desire was fueled due to the show forged in fire. I found Avi at Iron Rhino Forge and took my first lesson and learned so much more! It’s not just banging metal it’s also a healing experience with a great group of people. Open forge night is great to learn and grow and meet others as well as the classes and demonstrations. It became something I needed not just wanted.

Rachel Zdrojkowski

HIGHLY RECOMMEND! I booked a knife making/blacksmith class for my boyfriend and he had a beyond-amazing time! When I called to book/decide on a class, they asked a lot of really good questions; not just about skill level but what we’d like to have at the end of the class/session (for us, learning the skills was super important, but having a functional blade to represent the learning was important too). I really appreciated that Iron Rhino smiths didn’t mind if I hung out and watched for a bit (we’re from out of town, so it was nice to not have to sit at Starbucks all day)! There are so many great things to say about this experience!

Joseph Allerdings

What a great time! Went for a railroad spike knife making session as a bachelor party. The boys at Iron Rhino didn't disappoint. We all went through the same process of master/apprentice hammering on our knives which was perfect because none of us had any experience whatsoever. What's really cool is each of us walked away with very unique knives that we were all really proud of. As fun as the knife making was the inappropriate jokes and references between us and David made the whole experience all the more enjoyable. Because it was my bachelor party and we got along with Dave so well he was kind enough to make me a custom "sexy leg" bottle opener and gave me an Iron Rhino t-shirt for free. Highly recommend for a good time and a sweet souvenir.

Milaniano K

Surprised my boyfriend with a class here for his birthday and we had a wonderful time! I booked the railroad spike knife experience and it was so cool. It was both our first times doing this but it turned out wonderfully. Our instructor David was very knowledgeable and sweet. And the rest of the crew was great too! I would recommend it :)

LeAnna Smack

What an amazing experience! Booked the date night for our 6 year anniversary (year of iron) and we had so much fun. Justin was knowledgeable, kind, patient, and just all around awesome. Can’t wait to do it again sometime!

Nick Sheetz

Attended an exceptional two-hour knife making class with David at Iron Rhino Forge. His expertise and passion for teaching were evident as he guided me through each step. I definitely got my money's worth and left feeling inspired. Highly recommend!

Avie Grissom

Had a great experience with Avi! He showed us how to make knives out of rail road spikes and we were able to participate. Very informative and he clearly knows what he’s doing. I went as a date and I’d recommend anyone goes, regardless if for a date or not.

Jayme Clarke

This experience with Avi wasn’t just “Blacksmithing” it was truly educational, and I don’t say this lightly! Avi spent the time to get to know me and turned them things I learned in the past into the steps of forging. This allowed me to make the items below!

jacob stredwick

Had an absolute blast. They did a great job balancing safety, education, and fun. Definitely recommend anyone who has an interest in learning about blacksmithing, or even people just looking for a fun activity to do with a group

Iron Rhino Forge is absolutely amazing. I have two teens—one who is autistic and the other who is twice-exceptional (gifted and dyslexic). We have been attending lessons here for over 2 years, and the experience has been exceptional. David has created a workshop that is welcoming, inclusive, and truly centered on growth. Classes can be adapted to meet each individual’s needs, which has made a tremendous difference for both of my sons. They have grown significantly in their skills and confidence while working toward their ABANA certifications. Michael has been our main instructor, and he is flexible, kind, and extremely knowledgeable about the process. Our experience with both David and Michael has been incredibly positive—they are supportive, patient, and genuinely invested in each student’s progress. One of my teens has been so inspired that he is now developing advanced skills and selling the items he creates. David has also provided valuable mentorship in business and marketing, which adds another meaningful layer to the experience. This is not a transactional workshop where you simply drop your teen off to learn a skill. David has built a supportive community where people feel included, encouraged, and empowered to grow—not only as blacksmiths, but as individuals and entrepreneurs.

I had an incredibly positive experience with JC at Iron Ryno Forge, and I can’t say enough good things about the level of care and passion behind it. I originally reached out to JC after seeing her work on Forged in Fire, hoping she might be able to point me in the right direction to find a local forging teacher. What I received was so much more than I expected. JC personally took the time to call around, track down resources, and ultimately connect me with a knowledgeable forge instructor in my area, even though I’m all the way in Tennessee. She didn’t just send a quick message or link; she actually called me, and we talked for quite some time about blacksmithing, bladesmithing, and the craft as a whole. She generously shared advice on building a home forge, learning the fundamentals safely, and growing in the art of forging. Her forge is located in Tempe, AZ, but distance clearly doesn’t matter to her when it comes to helping others learn. She went far out of her way to support someone she had never met, simply because she cares deeply about the craft and the community around it. If you’re interested in bladesmithing, blacksmithing, custom blades, or learning how to forge the right way, this is a business run by someone who truly embodies the spirit of the trade. JC’s knowledge, kindness, and willingness to help are rare, and they left a lasting impression on me. I’m more motivated than ever to continue learning, and that’s entirely thanks to her generosity and guidance. I now have a mentor and friend I can call on while learning this craft. I can't recommend them enough. Truly, great people who will exceed your expectations.

I was so impressed by Avi and his entire team at Iron Rhino Forge! I learned so much about the skill set of forging and they made it fun along the way! Highly recommend for a corporate group who want to get hands on in a new way, OR for a fun date night/birthday with friends! Avi and everyone at Iron Rhino Forge are fun and relaxed while keeping you safe, too.

We booked recently for a corporate team building evening (families included). We were able to have our team of 5 plus their spouses and kids. We made camp mallow roasting forks-and everyone had a great time. David and Rona were great teachers! They had a lot of patience and gave every person personal attention tailored to each of us and our comfort and learning styles. We had so much fun that multiple of us are planning on a trip back to the forge soon. 10/10 would recommend for your team building or corporate event!

Jessie Holland

I had an incredibly positive experience with JC at Iron Ryno Forge, and I can’t say enough good things about the level of care and passion behind it. I originally reached out to JC after seeing her work on Forged in Fire, hoping she might be able to point me in the right direction to find a local forging teacher. What I received was so much more than I expected. JC personally took the time to call around, track down resources, and ultimately connect me with a knowledgeable forge instructor in my area, even though I’m all the way in Tennessee. She didn’t just send a quick message or link; she actually called me, and we talked for quite some time about blacksmithing, bladesmithing, and the craft as a whole. She generously shared advice on building a home forge, learning the fundamentals safely, and growing in the art of forging. Her forge is located in Tempe, AZ, but distance clearly doesn’t matter to her when it comes to helping others learn. She went far out of her way to support someone she had never met, simply because she cares deeply about the craft and the community around it. If you’re interested in bladesmithing, blacksmithing, custom blades, or learning how to forge the right way, this is a business run by someone who truly embodies the spirit of the trade. JC’s knowledge, kindness, and willingness to help are rare, and they left a lasting impression on me. I’m more motivated than ever to continue learning, and that’s entirely thanks to her generosity and guidance. I now have a mentor and friend I can call on while learning this craft. I can't recommend them enough. Truly, great people who will exceed your expectations.

Joshua M

Amazing experience! I don't highly recommend too many things, but this one is a must! The wife and I made the railroad spike knives. The instructor was very knowledgeable and funny. Small class size was nice and we learned a lot. Can not wait until the next class.

Amy Schimmel

We booked recently for a corporate team building evening (families included). We were able to have our team of 5 plus their spouses and kids. We made camp mallow roasting forks-and everyone had a great time. David and Rona were great teachers! They had a lot of patience and gave every person personal attention tailored to each of us and our comfort and learning styles. We had so much fun that multiple of us are planning on a trip back to the forge soon. 10/10 would recommend for your team building or corporate event!