Smith Shop

Smith Shop Functional + Ornamental metalwork handmade in Detroit. Founded in 2012, Smith Shop is a dynamic craft-centric metalworking company based in Detroit, Michigan.

Smith Shop produces quality metalwork of all descriptions specializing in the custom fabrication of gold, silver, copper, brass and steel while also producing limited-production wholesale runs ranging from jewelry to architectural hardware. In addition to its manufacturing business, Smith Shop offers access to its metalworking facilities at Ponyride (a noted Detroit creative entrepreneurial space)

through classes, workshops, private lessons and studio rentals. Smith Shop’s founders have exhibited their metalwork nationally and internationally in such prominent venues as the Renwick Gallery of Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., the Bellevue Arts Museum in Bellevue, Washington, The Houston Center for Contemporary Craft in Houston, Texas and Galerie Marzee in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Smith Shop is Gabriel Craig, Amy Weiks, Adam Whitney, and Rachel Kedinger.

Finial sample and leaf work for the current fire screen project. Yet another form I’ve been contemplating for almost a y...
05/09/2026

Finial sample and leaf work for the current fire screen project. Yet another form I’ve been contemplating for almost a year. As a forging this comes quite close to utilizing all of our technical and artistic talent. Can’t wait to show the completed work.

Die forging sample for a current firescreen project. So much character. 🥰
05/04/2026

Die forging sample for a current firescreen project. So much character. 🥰

Recently completed firescreen for the . This first of three screens is for their dining room. Inspired by the heavily c...
04/24/2026

Recently completed firescreen for the . This first of three screens is for their dining room. Inspired by the heavily carved Italian renaissance mantle and the breath taking if somewhat bizarre EF Caldwell andirons, the firescreen slips seamlessly into the period room environment. The screen combines forged moldings, pierced collars, forgewelded scrollwork, gadrooned finials, and paterae with carved acanthus. The feet take inspiration from early Italian renaissance hearth furniture. The symmetry and balance provide a detailed work which doesn’t feel overly complicated, and in the environment feels comfortable as it’s sublimated by the bold andirons and muscular carved mantel. We hope it will become a cherished part of this interior, originally designed by Charles Platt circa 1910.

Many parts and pieces with little context.
02/27/2026

Many parts and pieces with little context.

Recently completed end table commission for a themed period room in which there was an art nouveau nautical theme. Table...
02/17/2026

Recently completed end table commission for a themed period room in which there was an art nouveau nautical theme. Table tops from old bronze port hole ship window (with the oakum still in tact). The forged steel bases imagined naturalistic undersea elements while paying homage to Hector Guimard. As the form moved from architectural milled structural steel to billowing te****le and back we became transfixed by the ability of our material to express its duality. Perhaps we walk away even more convinced that the range of design is greater in the hands of the artist-craftsman.

It’s been a wild month. Amy and I decided to start a specialty steel supply business called Heritage Iron Company. It wi...
02/03/2026

It’s been a wild month. Amy and I decided to start a specialty steel supply business called Heritage Iron Company. It will be a separate venture from Smith Shop, but it exists to supply blacksmiths with low carbon steel, which has superior working qualities for ornamental and decorative ironwork. We have ordered 36 Tons of 1006 steel which should be here in March! We also bought two tons of pure iron ingots. We are sold out of 1/2 and 3/4” bars through pre orders, but have some 1, 1 1/2, and 2” bar left.

In the meantime time, I just received 3 ft of 1” round bar which I’ve been forging out and testing to see how it forges and forge welds. Enjoy watching the results. Thanks to for assisting and being my hype man.

The video of bending and unbending is actually a lap weld a was trying to break. Tried three times unsuccessfully. I then used that bar as the stem of the jump weld. Enjoy!

# blacksmith

We’ve been wanting to make a wood rack (log basket) for a while. The form was a bit more challenging than we would have ...
12/20/2025

We’ve been wanting to make a wood rack (log basket) for a while. The form was a bit more challenging than we would have expected, but that may be because of all the bells and whistles we packed in. The twisted horizontal bars pass through slot punched and drifted square bars on the diamond, and terminate with tenons riveted through the drifted styles. Assembly was hairy!

The form was inspired by our infatuation with the work of Samuel Yellin, but I think we’ve made it our own. The motifs were all taken from native symbols. The pheasant is the unofficial symbol of Detroit, the corn finials represent Midwest agriculture, and the front finials are stylized pine cones.

There is some magic that happens in the interplay between the finely wrought botanical finials, the cleanly executed detailed yet utilitarian form, and the sculpted anthropomorphic forms. Perhaps this is the purpose of ornament? To take a functional form and make it remarkable.

Presenting our latest effort— a firescreen featuring a field of recumbent scrolls. Highlights include anthropomorphic fe...
12/13/2025

Presenting our latest effort— a firescreen featuring a field of recumbent scrolls. Highlights include anthropomorphic feet, vertical bars that pierce and wrap the frame, collars that connect the scrolls, finials that punctuate the composition, and extensive chisel work accentuating the vertical movement. Forgewelding used throughout in the assembly. We also tried to make this one as light as possible for ease of use after looking at some slender historic examples. The visual lightness and rhythm really stand out in this project. We hope everyone has a warm and bright holiday season.

A tapestry hanging bar we recently completed in low carbon steel. A wonderful presence and lots of detail without being ...
11/26/2025

A tapestry hanging bar we recently completed in low carbon steel. A wonderful presence and lots of detail without being over the top. Difficult to photograph because of the long narrow shape. A pretty special piece for a client’s family heirloom. Total length about 5 ft.

11/25/2025

Working on complex ornamental forms for a log rack in low carbon steel. We’ve been working with to develop a retail market in the US for this material. Pre-orders on the first mill run of 1006 low carbon steel close December 5th. More info at historicblacksmith.org.

Address

180 Victor Street
Highland Park, MI
48203

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Smith Shop posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Smith Shop:

Shortcuts

Share