forge-skill MCP — Use Cases, Install & Live Demo

Why use it

Key features

Fully local — no server, no cloud, no telemetry
forge-self: digital mirror of your own patterns + blind spots
forge-persona: preserves voice/mannerisms from chat + journals
use-self: consult variants (cautious / decisive / relationship-focused) of yourself
use-persona: roleplay with extracted traits of another
Iterative — accepts your corrections over time

Live Demo

What it looks like in practice

forge-skill.replay ▶ ready

0/0

Install

Pick your client

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json · Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "forge-skill": {
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/YIKUAIBANZI/forge-skill",
        "~/.claude/skills/forge-skill"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config. Restart after saving.

~/.cursor/mcp.json · .cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "forge-skill": {
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/YIKUAIBANZI/forge-skill",
        "~/.claude/skills/forge-skill"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Cursor uses the same mcpServers schema as Claude Desktop. Project config wins over global.

VS Code → Cline → MCP Servers → Edit

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "forge-skill": {
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/YIKUAIBANZI/forge-skill",
        "~/.claude/skills/forge-skill"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Click the MCP Servers icon in the Cline sidebar, then "Edit Configuration".

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "forge-skill": {
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/YIKUAIBANZI/forge-skill",
        "~/.claude/skills/forge-skill"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Same shape as Claude Desktop. Restart Windsurf to pick up changes.

~/.continue/config.json

{
  "mcpServers": [
    {
      "name": "forge-skill",
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/YIKUAIBANZI/forge-skill",
        "~/.claude/skills/forge-skill"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Continue uses an array of server objects rather than a map.

~/.config/zed/settings.json

{
  "context_servers": {
    "forge-skill": {
      "command": {
        "path": "git",
        "args": [
          "clone",
          "https://github.com/YIKUAIBANZI/forge-skill",
          "~/.claude/skills/forge-skill"
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to context_servers. Zed hot-reloads on save.

claude mcp add forge-skill -- git clone https://github.com/YIKUAIBANZI/forge-skill ~/.claude/skills/forge-skill

One-liner. Verify with claude mcp list. Remove with claude mcp remove.

Use Cases

Real-world ways to use forge-skill

Consult variants of yourself before a hard decision

👤 People facing tricky life/career decisions who want structured self-reflection ⏱ ~60 min intermediate

When to use: A fork-in-the-road decision where you want to hear your own conflicting voices.

Prerequisites

Skill installed — git clone https://github.com/YIKUAIBANZI/forge-skill ~/.claude/skills/forge-skill
Raw material: journals / chat export — Collect into a local folder the skill can read

Flow

Build self profile

Use forge-self on /path/to/my-journals and chats. Distill patterns, decision tendencies, blind spots.✓ Copied

→ Local profile written with identified patterns
Consult variants

use-self. Decision: accept the offer or stay. Give me 'cautious me', 'decisive me', 'relationship-focused me' perspectives.✓ Copied

→ Three distinct voices, not bland averages

Outcome: A decision you made after hearing your own contradictions.

Pitfalls

Expecting one 'right' answer to pop out — The skill's promise is perspective, not prescription

Combine with: filesystem

Preserve the voice of a loved one you've lost touch with or lost

👤 People wanting to keep an echo of someone important ⏱ ~120 min intermediate

When to use: You have old messages/journals and want to keep their voice accessible.

Prerequisites

Chat exports, journals, social posts — Gather into a local folder

Flow

Build persona

Use forge-persona on this archive of my grandmother's letters. Distill her voice.✓ Copied

→ Persona file capturing style, vocabulary, quirks
Use the persona

use-persona — talk to me about my job stress the way she would.✓ Copied

→ Response that recognizably sounds like her — not generic
Correct iteratively

That phrase wasn't quite her — here's how she'd actually say it.✓ Copied

→ Profile updated, next response better

Outcome: An echo you can sit with, fully under your control.

Pitfalls

Treating it as the person rather than an echo — The skill explicitly warns: this is not resurrection. Hold it as a tool for reflection

Combine with: filesystem

Audit your own communication patterns over a year

👤 Self-improvement-minded people ⏱ ~60 min beginner

When to use: Year-end review with a twist.

Flow

Run forge-self on a year's worth

Run forge-self on my 2025 chat + journal archive. Compare to 2024 if data exists. What changed?✓ Copied

→ Pattern delta with specifics

Outcome: Actual data about how your communication evolved.

Combinations

Pair with other MCPs for X10 leverage

forge-skill + filesystem

Archive sources and profile artifacts in one managed local folder

Organize my journal exports under ~/forge/sources/ and profiles under ~/forge/profiles/.✓ Copied

Tools

What this MCP exposes

Tool	Inputs	When to call	Cost
forge-self	archive path	Build your own digital mirror	0 — local
forge-persona	archive path, person name	Preserve another's voice	0 — local
use-self	question + variant choice	Decision reflection	0
use-persona	question	Voice-preserved conversation	0

Cost & Limits

What this costs to run

API quota: None
Tokens per call: Large on initial distillation (journals can be big)
Monetary: Free
Tip: Distill once, reuse many times — the profile is persistent

Security

Permissions, secrets, blast radius

Minimum scopes: Read on your source folders, write on the profile folder

Credential storage: None — fully local

Data egress: LLM call processes the data — choose a provider whose policy you're comfortable with

Never grant: Network egress for the profile data — stays on your disk

Deeply personal data — think before choosing which LLM provider processes it.
Preserving someone else's voice: do so with respect for them and for yourself.
This is an echo, not a person. Set psychological expectations accordingly.

Troubleshooting

Common errors and fixes

Distilled profile feels generic

Supply more source material, especially distinctive pieces

Persona drifts over many turns

Periodically correct; the skill learns from your corrections

Alternatives

forge-skill vs others

Alternative	When to use it instead	Tradeoff
Writing in a regular journal	You just want reflection, not distillation	No variant consultation

More

Resources

📖 Read the official README on GitHub

🐙 Browse open issues

🔍 Browse all 400+ MCP servers and Skills