Fireplace Mantels with Metalwork
Nearly twenty years ago, we started pairing reclaimed wood mantels with hand-forged metal straps — and honestly, it’s still one of our favorite things we make. The idea came from old iron bridges and the kind of honest, no-nonsense craftsmanship you see in early American industry. We wanted that same spirit on the fireplace.
To get it right, we work with WLB Blacksmith Shop. Every strap, corbel, stocking rod, and custom ironwork piece is made by a true blacksmith — coal forge, hammer, anvil — the same basic process that’s been used for centuries. That’s not a small distinction. A blacksmith isn’t just someone who works with metal. Each piece is shaped blow by blow, which gives it a texture and natural color variation that no machine-made or gas-forged piece can come close to. You can see it. You can feel it.
What makes the whole thing work especially well is that Wyatt the Blacksmith fits the metalwork to your actual mantel. Reclaimed beams aren’t uniform — they carry the axe marks and irregularities of the people who shaped them well over a hundred years ago. Wyatt accounts for all of it, so the ironwork doesn’t just sit on the beam. It looks like it grew there.
Hand-hewn beams and hand-forged iron, each shaped by real human effort across generations. Whether you want something simple or elaborate, it’s all made the old way — because that’s the only way that looks right.
The link will give you an even greater sense of what’s possible, but every piece we make is custom — so don’t treat them as a menu. They’re more like a starting point for a conversation. Reach out and we’ll talk through what you have in mind.
Metalwork Styles
We can add a full range of true blacksmith metalwork to almost any fireplace mantel — from deeply traditional reclaimed styles to cleaner, more contemporary looks.
- Metal Straps
- Christmas Stocking Rods
- Metal Inlay
- Metal Corbels
- Custom Unique Metalwork
If you see something you like in our portfolio, reach out and we can walk you through our process.
Metal Straps
This is where it all began for us. Early on, we were drawn to the joinery traditions of Greene and Greene — that philosophy of craft where structural elements are also beautiful ones, where every detail is considered and nothing is hidden. Metal straps on wood beams felt like a natural extension of that idea.
Today we offer single-layer straps, double-layer straps, and more elaborate custom variations. But across all of them, the defining quality is fit. Every strap is shaped to the individual beam — not the other way around.
That matters more than it might sound. A straight, milled beam has clean lines and predictable geometry. A hand-hewn beam is full of personality — high spots, low spots, faces that twist slightly along the length. A log cabin timber might have a rounded or irregular face that a flat strap simply won’t follow. Each situation calls for a different approach, and our blacksmith handles all of them by working with the actual beam in hand.
The result is ironwork that hugs the wood the way it should — no gaps, no awkward pressure points, no sense that the metal was made somewhere else and simply attached. People often notice this without being able to articulate it. The straps look inevitable, like they grew from the beam itself rather than being added to it.
That’s what custom forging makes possible, and it’s what separates this work from anything off a shelf.
Christmas Stocking Rods
One detail that flows naturally out of the strap work is a removable stocking rod — and it’s become one of our most requested options. The rod mounts on hooks in front of corbels or rings on the face of the straps. When you don’t want the rod, you take it down.
The holiday use is obvious, but the rod earns its keep the rest of the year too. Dried flowers, dangling beads, whatever fits the season — people get creative. We have one customer who hangs a gas lamp from each end, and it looks like it was always supposed to be there.
The rod itself comes in square or round stock with forged end treatments, and we can talk through what fits the ironwork you already have going. Like everything else we make, it’s fitted to your specific mantel rather than pulled off a shelf.
It was Wyatt’s idea originally, and it turned out to be one of those additions that customers immediately understood. It makes the mantel feel alive all year — not just in December.
Antique Woodworks and WLB Blacksmith Shop
Mari and I have been working with Wyatt at WLB Blacksmith Shop for almost 20 years, and that long relationship shows in the work. I can bring a rough idea to Wyatt, and he consistently figures out how to make it happen — sometimes with a little friendly complaining along the way. That’s all part of the deal.
Here’s a picture of us at the Edina Art Fair in Minnesota in 2019.
That collaboration matters because these mantels are rarely off the shelf. The best pieces come from the back-and-forth between the wood, the iron, and the design itself. When a reclaimed beam has hand-hewn texture, curves, checks, and irregular surfaces, it takes real experience to create metalwork that looks like it truly belongs there — not like it was added on afterward.
Metal Inlay
We started doing metal inlay on walnut mantels as a way to make excellent use of well-dried walnut stock that wasn’t quite full beam size. Over time, we liked the look so much that we started using similar ideas on reclaimed oak mantels as well.
Some inlays are simple and textured. Others include rivet details for a more pronounced forged look. In some newer designs, alternating flush and proud rivets create subtle hanging points for seasonal decorating while still looking understated the rest of the year.
While this is shown as textured steel, it could certainly be a whole range of things such as polished steel, copper, brass or even tile, stone, or textured wood.
Metal Corbels
Corbels are the elements beneath the mantel that appear to support it — though in many installations they’re primarily decorative. We build plenty of wood corbels, but metal corbels are available for projects that call for a stronger forged presence.
Metal corbels are also a great place to get more artistic. They can read as simple and structural, or they can become a real focal point that ties together the mantel, the fireplace surround, and the room around it.
Unqiue and Custom Metalwork
Some of our favorite projects have come from unusual ideas — distinctive shapes, symbolic details, one-off forged elements that helped make a mantel feel genuinely personal. That creative side matters to us. We’re always interested in building something new and finding ways to combine reclaimed wood and forged iron into something that hasn’t quite existed before.
This particular mantel was inspired by the customer’s travels in Europe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the metalwork on these mantels actually hand-forged, or is it fabricated?
It’s genuine blacksmith work — coal forge, hammer, and anvil. We partner with Wyatt Bienfang at WLB Blacksmith Shop, and every piece is shaped hot by hand. There’s a real difference between that and standard metal fabrication, and it shows in the texture, the color variation, and the way the ironwork fits the wood.
Why does it matter that the metalwork is fitted to my actual beam?
Reclaimed beams aren’t uniform. They have high spots, low spots, axe marks, and surfaces that can twist along their length. Wyatt works with your actual mantel in hand, so the straps and hardware follow the wood the way they should — no gaps, no awkward fit. It ends up looking like the iron was always part of the beam.
What types of metalwork can you add to a mantel?
The most common options are metal straps, corbels, inlay, and stocking rods — but we also do fully custom work. If you have something specific in mind, reach out and we’ll talk it through.
I have my own mantel, can metalwork be added?
In some cases, metalwork can be fitted to a beam you already have — but having the mantel in hand is always the way to get the best result. If you’d like to reach out to Wyatt directly, you can find him at WLB Blacksmith Shop.
Can you do metal inlay, or is it just straps and corbels?
Yes — we started doing metal inlay on walnut mantels and liked the results enough to bring the idea to reclaimed oak as well. Inlays can be simple and textured, include rivet details, or incorporate subtle hanging points for decorating. The material doesn’t have to be steel either — copper, brass, and other options are possible.
Are metal corbels structural or just decorative?
Mostly decorative in most installations, though they read as structural — which is part of the appeal. They can be simple and understated or become a real focal point that ties the whole fireplace surround together. We build both wood and metal corbels depending on what the project calls for.
Can I add metalwork to any mantel, or only certain styles?
We can add blacksmith metalwork to almost any fireplace mantel — from deeply traditional hand-hewn reclaimed styles to cleaner, more contemporary looks. The right approach depends on the wood and the overall feel you’re going for, which is exactly what the initial conversation is for.
Do you have any pre-made mantels with metalwork?
We don’t keep mantels with metalwork in stock — these aren’t the kind of thing you pre-make and hope someone likes. Every one is custom, and for good reason. Each beam is different, each room is different, and everyone wants something a little different.
The process starts with a computer drawing so we’re all looking at the same thing before any metal gets shaped. From there, we bring the actual mantel to Wyatt so the ironwork can be fitted to that specific piece of wood. It’s a little more involved than ordering off a shelf — but that’s exactly why it comes out the way it does.
WLB Blacksmith Shop
Wyatt Bienfang runs WLB Blacksmith Shop out of Le Sueur, Minnesota, about an hour south of Minneapolis — and his shop looks exactly like you’d hope a blacksmith shop would look. Coal forge, old tools, the smell of hot metal. It feels like stepping into a different century, which is fitting, because that’s more or less how he works.
Wyatt has been at this for over 30 years, and he’s still genuinely excited about it. In his own words: the passion to keep learning is the most exciting part. He talks about picking up tools that belonged to blacksmiths generations before him and feeling like history is coming alive around him. That’s not a marketing line — that’s just who he is, and it comes through in every piece he makes.
What makes the partnership work is that Wyatt isn’t just executing specs. He thinks through problems, pushes back when something can be done better, and brings real craft to every piece rather than just filling an order. Over the years we’ve watched each other’s families grow, worked through plenty of strange design challenges together, and built something that goes well beyond a vendor relationship.
We’ve also noticed others following our lead and pairing reclaimed wood with blacksmith ironwork — and honestly, imitation is flattering. But if this work speaks to you, we’d encourage you to buy from the people who originated it. This is how small craftspeople make a living, and the work deserves that respect.
Process for Custom Metalwork
The process starts with finding the right mantel. You can browse some fireplace mantels in our online shop, or we can start from a raw beam — we have hundreds on hand, many of them photographed and ready to look through. Once we land on the right piece, we draw out the mantel and metalwork together on the computer so everyone can see exactly how the metal will be sized and positioned before anything gets made. No guessing, and we provide fixed pricing upfront so there are no surprises.
From there, we bring the actual mantel to Wyatt at WLB Blacksmith Shop. He works directly with the beam — fitting each piece of ironwork to the specific contours and character of that wood. When he’s done, we clean up the metalwork, apply a final finish to the whole piece, and photograph everything so you can see exactly what you’re getting before it ships.
It’s a few more steps than buying something off a shelf. But that’s the process that makes these pieces look the way they do.
Tell Us What You Need
If you want a mantel that combines real reclaimed wood with genuine blacksmith work, we’d love to talk it through. Send us your target size, a few inspiration photos, and a general sense of what you’re drawn to — simple strap work, corbels, a stocking rod, or something more elaborate — and we’ll come back with options, photos of similar pieces we’ve built, and honest pricing. No pressure, no commitment. Just a conversation about whether we’re the right fit for your project. If it’s easier to just pick up the phone, we’re good with that too.