Blacksmithing Basics: Halloween Skulls

Rivers of Steel is hosting a blacksmithing workshop at the Carrie Blast Furnaces on Thursday, October 29, starting at 6 PM. It's an introductory session, so you don't need any prior experience to join in. Over the course of three hours, you'll work with hot metal and basic blacksmithing tools to forge a Halloween skull that you get to take home when you're finished.

The class is led by Jared Ondovchik, a Rivers of Steel staff artist and bladesmith who also runs Artifact Metalworks. He'll walk you through the process, so you'll spend the evening hammering out your own piece rather than just watching someone else do it. The skull is part of the site's Halloween programming, which also includes a Halloween Snake workshop on October 22.

The setting is the Carrie Blast Furnaces, a former industrial site in the Monongahela River Valley. The rawness of the place is a big part of the experience, and it's a fitting backdrop for a night spent working with fire and iron. If you've never been, it's a stark, imposing piece of Pittsburgh's industrial past that still feels very present.

Spots are limited to 16 participants, so it's a small group. Tickets are $90 and sold through riversofsteel.com. The workshop runs from 6 PM to 9 PM on Thursday, October 29, at 801 Carrie Furnace Boulevard.