About Us

Matt spent his childhood in a construction zone as his parents and siblings constructed a log home. His dad introduced him to blacksmithing, although, as most teenagers, he stayed away from his parents’ interests. That attitude changed when he landed a summer job in the blacksmith shop at Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site.

Having picked up a hammer at an early age, Matt feels at home working beside an anvil. Over the past 25 years, he has honed his skills and techniques while studying under master smiths around North America. Matt Jenkins is an internationally recognized award-winning blacksmith. In 2009, he received an Honorable Mention in the team forging at the World Forging Championship in Stia, Italy. Returning to Stia in 2015, Matt took home first place in the Drawing and Design category. Matt uses hand tools and early industrial equipment to create designs with a timeless feel. In addition to daily forging for clients, he leads workshops at Cloverdale Forge and has taught at the John C. Campbell Folk School and the Center for Metal Arts.

A friend introduced Karen to blacksmithing in the late 1990s; she made a hook and was forever hooked on the forging process. Although she has diverged career paths along the way, it’s not long before the meditative process of forging lures her back into the shop.

In the early 2000’s she honed her metalsmithing skills while studying alongside master smiths at the John C. Campbell Folk School. While there, she gained an appreciation of how steel will reveal its personality with individual hammer blows. These experiences lead to a portfolio that fuses classic designs and modern sensibilities inspired by travel and microscopic images of the natural world.

Contact Cloverdale Forge, and it will likely be Karen who will reply to you as she administers the behind-the-scenes business activities. Although when spreadsheets and emails get to be too much, she puts on work boots and picks up a hammer.