Forging Charleston: Blacksmith Zach Liollio on History, Tools and Art

Welcome to this episode of the Shrimp City Report with Devin and DJ — we talk with Charleston native and blacksmith Zach Liollio about his life, craft, and small-business journey. Zach shares how his visual arts education and family background in architecture led him to hands-on metalworking and a love of historic tools and techniques. Zach recounts studying historic preservation at College of Charleston, taking a classes at the American College of the Building Arts, and learning blacksmithing at Middleton Place. He explains how design, history and engineering come together in ornamental and production blacksmithing, and how traditional methods inform his contemporary work. Listeners will hear about Zach’s ZPL studio in West Ashley, how he collects and maintains tools, adapts found spaces (including a former auto shop) into a working studio, and balances craft with efficiency — what he calls “manufacturability” when producing batches of items for sale. A major focus of the conversation is Zach’s Thayer multi-tool project: the history of the 1881 patent, the tool’s original stove and kitchen uses, how he reproduces and modernizes the design, and why vintage-inspired multi-tools have resonated with today’s buyers on Etsy, eBay and wholesale channels. We also cover Zac’s unexpected hits — like copper coffee scoops sized for refillable K‑cups that evolved into restaurant orders — and the range of materials he uses (mild and tool steels, stainless, copper, cast iron and even titanium for certain pieces). He explains forging methods, coal-forge memories at Middleton, and the practicalities of making durable, functional pieces. Zach discusses community and education in the trade: the Philip Simmons/South Carolina Artist Blacksmith Guild, meetups and demos, his part-time teaching at the American College of the Building Arts, and projects such as gate work for Charleston institutions. He emphasizes how supportive local networks and hands-on demos help sustain the craft. For makers and entrepreneurs, Zach shares product-development tips (test in your own kitchen or studio), the power of short-form video and influencer partnerships to drive sales, and the realities of social media as a full-time job for growing a craft business. Find Zach at www.zplandco.com and on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/zpliollio/; he also posts new work on Facebook. Tune in to hear a mix of history, practical craft talk, product stories, and the business side of modern blacksmithing — an episode that celebrates tradition, creativity, and Charleston’s living craft culture.