Custom Belt Buckles
& Metal Art
About Cityboy Forge
Since 2005
Founded by a retired commodity trader and frustrated creative person.
Cityboy Forge’s specialty is applying the Chasing and Repoussē technique and blacksmithing to useful objects like belt buckles. Part craftsman - part blacksmith - we make our clients’ great ideas into tangible custom expressions of love, gratitude, commemoration and even humor.
In a Garage
Located on the near-west side of downtown Chicago, within sight of “the House that Michael Jordan built.” A short walk to some of the best tacos in town. We generally don’t host client visits. Our “shop” is a workshop, not a retail location - but occasionally people will stop by to say hello and pick up their goodies.
If you’re going to be local when your buckle is ready and want to pick up -
send a note and we’ll set up an appointment.
Create Custom Items
Your Hands
I like to say; consider Cityboy Forge to be your hands and your tools. You have a great idea; it could be a gift for someone special, or to remember an upcoming or past event. Maybe your friends just hosted you again at their home in the mountains and you know exactly how to say Thanks - you just need to find someone with a shop full of tools to make that idea real.
Dialogue
It takes a lot of communicating to get an idea from your mind’s eye made into our hand forged metal. So I hope you don’t mind a lot of questions. It used to take a couple dozen emails - but we’ve built out an order form that stays true to our chatty nature, but will cut down the emails by nearly a dozen. Remember, this thing we make together will last a hundred years - so it seems appropriate to spend a little time getting it right. Go to the Ordering page.
Get Yourself Inspired
Galleries
Cityboy Forge is best known for our one-off, custom belt buckles. Our galleries can help to show new clients what’s possible. We’re all used to buying what’s on the shelf, because that all the choice we have. Let Cityboy Forge show you what it’s like to collaborate with the maker, to get what you want - you don’t have one or two choices. You have all the choices.
Share it
Little operations like ours live and die by that word-of-mouth marketing. If you like what you see on the site - whether or not you become a client please feel free to share what we do with your circle of friends. Sometimes the best way to get yourself a Cityboy Forge belt buckle is to show your friends how much you’d appreciate one.