Rob was absolutely fantastic with my son! I'm always looking for new experiences from my son and recently we have been rewatching forged in forged in fire. I approached my son with the idea of trying to make a knife, not knowing even where to start and hoping I didn't just commit myself into buying a forge to set up and learn trial by fire so to speak. This wasn't till I found Rob, my savior. The day was filled with great knowledge and the principles for basics smithing and it was A-blast to see my son really get into his project he was able to make a full length sword and as Doug Marcaida would say by the time we were done... IT WILL KILL! Thank you for the great time and we're excited to be back again tomorrow for a whole new round of making weapons of minor destruction! Great class for any age and absolutely no experience needed! We will be back again I am sure! read more

BEST CLASS EVER!!!!!!!!! Firstly, Rob the master blacksmith makes the whole experience easy from check in to scheduling to finding the location! It's a whole day activity and my partner and I were able to create our dream pieces!!!! What makes this class DIFFERENT is how passionate the teacher is and how he makes sure you create something PERSONAL to you! It's NOT a cookie cutter, let's make a kitchen knife class!!!!! I can't recommend this place enough for such a personal enjoyable experience I had absolutely no power tool experience and Rob walked me thru every step of the way and helped me out when I got tired lol, my partner made a hand axe and I made a bat'leth! ITS SO COOL small intimate class with tons of direction and support, I can't wait to do it again!!!!! P.S. there's a blacksmith kitty!!!!!!! He's so fluffy and cute!!! read more

What an awesome experience! My college son got on this kick that he wanted to build a home forge. So, while vacationing in the Tampa area, I booked a day knife making class with Wrought Iron Arts. We simply had an amazing time. Rob is extremely knowledgable and a great teacher. We got our learn on in a safe and friendly atmosphere. Rob explained each and every step thoroughly and demonstrated various techniques, as he guided us in the making of our knives and tomahawks. It is definitely not as easy as it looks on TV or as easy as Rob makes it look, but we all learned a great deal and walked away with a tool that we made out of scrap metal. I could go on and on, but I'll leave you with this: If you are interested in banging some metal and bending it to your will, Rob is the man! read more

My husband and I had an amazing time at Wrought Iron Arts! Rob is a super knowledgeable master blacksmith, and he made our experience both educational and a TON of fun! This class was a birthday gift to my husband, who's a big fan of the show Forged in Fire, but had never done any bladesmithing himself. Rob was able to personalize the class for the two of us, letting us each forge a "weapon of minor destruction" of our choosing. He taught us fundamentals and gave helpful tips throughout our full day of forging, and even though we were true beginners, my husband and I both completed some really awesome looking blades!! We laughed and sweat all day, and we loved every minute of it! Thank you Rob for this truly memorable experience! read more

Just completed my 4th class with Rob! After coming here with my son for a school project, I was hooked. Rob will help make your metal art come to fusion. It's not just about making swords! Rob is really good at taking your vision, giving you options and explaining how to manipulate the metal to bring your project to life. He is patient and laid back. Never will you feel intimidated. Best of all you will walk out with a completed project. Talk about experiencing something new! Not many people can say they have plasma cut, blacksmithed and learned how to weld. You will walk away with not only a new skill but inspired. read more

I gave this surprise gift-experience to my husband for his 70th birthday, and our son and son-in-law took him for what he now describes as his best birthday present EVER! He has been on a "high" for the last three days since they went. They describe Rob as a fabulous instructor, educator, and professional. His expert craftsmanship and patience gave them confidence and pride in their work, and they all have knives to use at home now! The day was thrilling: a memory for a lifetime. Highly, highly recommend for anyone with an affinity for or interest in smithing. Just like "Forged in Fire"...but everyone is the winner! read more

Go for it! We loved Wrought Iron Arts. For us, it was an especially cool father-son adventure...blacksmithing at Wrought Iron Arts. My son made a katana and I made a Bowie knife. It all flowed from my son's quest to earn the Metal Working Merit Badge (Blacksmithing). Our blacksmith was Robert Buck; think Forged In Fire. Rob was patient, kind, and eminently knowledgeable. We discussed history, chemistry, physics, metallurgy. And we pounded on extremely hot steel and made things that were immediately taken away from us as soon as we got home. It was AWESOME. read more

I can't say enough great things about Wrought Iron Works and Rob!!! From even before booking the class, he was very informative and kind. The day of class, rob taught the history of blacksmithing, worked with us to choose what to create, answers ALL of our questions, and used his expertise to help us understand everything. Not only that, but he made the whole day fun with a wonderful attitude and was so patient with us to make sure we made exactly what we wanted. I HIGHLY recommend to anyone considering this or anyone looking for something fun to do!! read more

My 17 year old son is difficult to buy gifts for. My friend told me about Wrough Iron Arts and I decided to gft my son a blacksmithing class for him and a friend. They had a wonderful time turning a railroad spike into a custom knife. Robert, the instructor, taught them a little about the history of blacksmithing and helped guide them through every step of the proccess. Robert was patient and never rushed us during the day-long class. They left with a knife they are proud of and an experience they will never forget. read more

I truly cannot say enough great things about our experience yesterday with Rob. I was there with my 13-year-old daughter and he treated her so beautifully! He encouraged her to try parts of the process that were challenging but didn't push her. With his help and guidance, she created a sword that she is thrilled with--he truly made her vision come to life. In addition, we learned an amazing amount from our day with Rob...science, history, art. I can't believe how much we learned about chemistry! read more

I purchased the beginners blacksmith class for my husband as a Christmas gift. Working with Robert through email and phone was great! He provided thorough information to make sure I was making the correct purchase for my husband and was pleasant to speak with. My husband had nothing but great things to say about his experience. He loved the one on one teaching and the fact that was able to forge/create his own " Crocodile Dundee style knife ". Thanks for the wonderful memories! read more

Best forging experience I could have asked for, for my first time. Robert was not only accommodating with what we wanted to make, but also with the schedule. He really didn't restrict any of our ideas, added valuable inputs into those ideas and assisted us in reducing the scope of the project because frankly it was more exhausting than I thought (and I work out 5-7 times a week. If you have thought of doing this, go here for excellent instruction and history of the art! read more

Fantastic customized experience from the initial email to the day of class. The instructor handled multiple teenage boy participants with ease and kept it engaging from start to finish. Everyone was able to on the spot choose their project and finish it to the end to their satisfaction without any pressure to end at a particular time. Although I only observed it was still a great experience and would definitely do it again and recommend. A great memory maker.. read more

The "Welding Arts Class" was an awesome Christmas gift from my wife. Robert took the time to turn some rank novices who have never put two pieces of metal together with anything stronger than super glue into amateur welders. He was very patient with our mistakes and questions and gave us a thorough background to get started in our own shop. Great value, great instructor, and we got an outstanding piece of heavy metal to hang on our wall. Highly recommend!! read more

I surprised my husband with this Blacksmith class for our first wedding anniversary because I know he's always wanted to do something like this. It was a private custom four hour class and we were allowed to make whatever we wanted. Rob taught us a little bit of history and then helped us make our pieces come to life. My husband had such a great time and it was a great bonding experience for us. It was definitely worth the expense and we would do it again. read more

I wanted to learn about blacksmith and read a lot to find the best convenient for me. I think I found the best, not only for distance or price but for what I got; I spent two days with a great person, artist and craftsman. Robert is that person with passion for this trade and lots of patience to teach. I really enjoyed the class and I felt very comfortable under Robert's guidance. As a sculptor myself I highly recommend Robert Buck's Wrought Iron Arts. read more

We came in half expecting to work from a template and to be happy just having the experience but were greeted with a "so what are we making boys" From there we had the pleasure of a full masterclass in fabrication and the fundamentals of working metal from an extremely patient and Accomodating master smith. Our only limits were our creativity and the stamina in our muscles. Get your butt out of your cubicle and start dropping hammers on steel! read more

Had a one on one blacksmithing course with Robert and it was absolutely wonderful. We went through many historical facts about the art and many good jokes in the process. The blade forging was a phenomenal experience and will certainly be a new hobby. Robert was great at explaining things to someone who, coming into this was taught by Forged in Fire, and truly was a pleasure to learn from and work with. Will recommend! Thank you Robert! read more

I booked the beginner blacksmith class for my husband's birthday surprise. It was amazing! Rob was an excellent teacher, very patient and knowledgeable. The day flew by and both my husband and I had a great time. Rob also provided water throughout the day, which I thought was a nice touch. Not only did we learn a lot about bladesmithing, but we had a great time talking to Rob as well. Would 100% recommend as a unique and exciting gift idea! read more