Forged in the depths

Where traditional craftsmanship meets modern artistry. Each piece forged with precision, passion, and purpose in the depths of our workshop.

View Our Work

About the Forge

Murky Fathoms Forge was born from blacksmith Matthew Prince's deep roots in Cape Breton and a lifetime spent near the ocean. The rhythms of the sea and the rugged coastal landscape shape every piece that comes from the workshop.

Matthew's connection to traditional metalworking runs deep—it's a craft learned slowly, with patience and respect for those who came before. Each project is an opportunity to work with his hands, to problem-solve, and to create something that will outlast him.

Whether forging a blade or shaping architectural ironwork, Matthew approaches each piece with the same quiet dedication. The forge is where fire meets metal, where ideas take solid form, and where the timeless craft of blacksmithing continues in the Cape Breton tradition.

Murky Fathoms Treasures

Custom blade

Custom Blades

Each blade begins its journey as a salvaged railroad spike from Cape Breton's historic rail lines—iron that once held together the veins of the island's coal mining legacy. These aren't just knives; they're pieces of living history, transformed through fire and hammer into functional art.

Decorative ironwork

Decorative Ironwork

Function meets artistry in these hand-forged fire pokers—tools designed not to hide in a corner, but to stand as sculptural statements beside your hearth. Each piece is shaped entirely by hand, combining practical heft with flowing, organic forms that catch the eye even when the fire's gone cold.

Talismans & Pendants

Laguz Pendants

These Laguz rune pendants carry more than just symbolism—they're crafted from brass nails salvaged from a shipwreck that washed ashore on Cape Breton's rugged coast. The ocean claimed the vessel long ago, and whether it was a merchant ship, a fishing boat, or something more mysterious, no one can say for certain. (Though when the kids ask, it's always a pirate ship.)

Tools and hardware

Welcome!

Before you step inside, the massive wooden welcome sign outside tells you everything you need to know: this isn't a place for mass-produced sameness. Hand-painted lettering sprawls across charred wood edged with jagged, saw-blade teeth—raw, bold, and unapologetically distinctive.

Tools and hardware

Mjölnir Pendants – Forged, Not Cast

These aren't stamped out of a mold in some factory overseas. Every Thor's hammer pendant is hand-forged from solid steel, shaped by fire and hammer the way the old Norse smiths would have done it—one piece at a time, each one slightly different from the last.

Tools and hardware

Penannular Brooches

The Original Cloak Fastener - Long before zippers and buttons, people across Europe fastened their cloaks with these ingenious pins—and for good reason. The design is simple, elegant, and borderline brilliant: an open ring with decorative terminals and a long pin that slides through both fabric and ring to lock everything in place.

Let's create something together

Whether you have a clear vision or just an idea, we'd love to hear from you.