Church Mouse Forge was born out of a lifelong love of blacksmithing by owner Olof Rolfsson. He grew up in a very hands-on, self-sufficient family in Western Pennsylvania. The son of a small business owner and fine artist, Olof gained an appreciation for hard work and creativity. As a young adult he worked as an industrial designer with a passion for pen and paper sketching, rapid machine prototyping, and teaching through universities and local makerspaces. He has recently relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana. Now living and working in the Irish Channel, Olof Rolfsson draws on years of blacksmithing experience to create thoughtfully designed work with impeccable craftsmanship with only his hammer, a few hand made tools, and an anvil.

© Joseph Wyman Photo 2017
www.josephwymanphoto.com

Church Mouse Forge welcomed Nikolas Klemme in 2023 as the shop’s apprentice. Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, Nik’s fascination with blacksmithing directed him to self-study and take classes, but he was unable to set up a forge of his own. A relatively recent transplant to New Orleans, he got in touch with Olof and Church Mouse Forge, interested in continuing his education. Showing up week in and week out, Nik has been assisting with running classes and working with Olof in day-to-day activities, hoping to deepen his knowledge and spread the joy of blacksmithing to all.

A necessity in any shop, Striker is Church Mouse Forge’s official ratter. Friendly to most humans, she is very persistent to keeping the shop clean of pests. Be careful when you see her to not look like anything overly delicious.