🇺🇸 American Made

2024 The Wendell Express Annual Ornament (Aluminum)

Quick Summary

2024 The Wendell Express Annual Ornament is an ornament in Aluminum featuring handcrafted detail, created for seasonal display, collecting, holiday traditions, and meaningful gifting.

Precio regular: $15.00
Precio regular: ~~$15.00~~
Precio de venta: $15.00

Los gastos de envío se calculan en la pantalla de pago.

🇺🇸 Made in Pennsylvania

100+ years of American metalwork

🚚 Free Shipping on $150+

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Description

2024 The Wendell Express Annual Ornament

The 2024 The Wendell Express Annual Ornament is a distinctive holiday keepsake in Aluminum that turns its subject into an easy-to-display piece for the Christmas tree and seasonal collection.

Design, Story & Meaning

The 2024 Annual Ornament: The Wendell ExpressThe majestic Wendell Express pulls into the North Pole Train Station, carrying very important cargo — Santa! Amidst the bustle of elves in their workshop, Santa is returning to the North Pole, overseeing the final touches on toys destined for every good boy and girl across the world.

Craftsmanship & Product Details

Embrace the magic of Christmas with the enchanting 2024 Annual Ornament, The Wendell Express.The 2024 Annual Ornament is inspired by the whimsical artwork of Emily Hendrie and put into metal by Master Die Engraver Len Youngo using hand, hammer and centuries-old techniques. Each is handcrafted by artisans in the Pennsylvania workshop and designed to be passed down for generations.Start Your Tradition Today For more than 40 years, the Wendell August Forge Annual Ornament has become a tradition cherished by families across America.

Display, Gifting & Everyday Use

Whether a grandmother starting a collection for their grandchild, or a coworker looking for something special, the Annual Ornament is a gift that means more.Each annual ornament has the year 2024 hammered onto the back to commemorate this year's wonderful Christmas season. As an ornament, it can return to the tree year after year, becoming part of a personal decorating tradition or a collection built around favorite people, places, milestones, or themes. Its keepsake scale makes it easy to gift, display, and store between seasons while preserving the artwork as the focal point.

Product Highlights

Aluminum
Collection: Annual Ornament Collection
Year: 2024
Craftsmanship: Handcrafted
Die engraver: Len Youngo using hand

Materials

Aluminum

Details

Product type: Ornament

Collection: Annual Ornament Collection

Year: 2024

Craftsmanship: Handcrafted

Die engraver: Len Youngo using hand

Shipping information

Wendell August Forge

Free Shipping on Orders $150+

Standard delivery: 3-5 business days.
In-stock, non-engraved orders ship the same business day if placed before 11:30 AM EST, or the next business day if ordered later.
Engraved and made-to-order items typically ship within 5–7 business days.
Holiday processing may take longer: from November through December, even in-stock orders may require 5–7 business days to process.

Return Policy

Wendell August Forge

30-day hassle-free returns. Contact us for instructions.
Return shipping on a standard return is not a reimbursable expense.
Custom orders and engraved products are not returnable. Before ordering engraved product, please pay special attention that the engraving information is accurate.
Shipping charges are non-refundable.

Learn More

Authorized Retailer Statement

My American Goods® is an authorized retailer of Wendell August Forge. Select items are fulfilled by My American Goods® from our fulfillment center, while others ship directly from the maker. All products are authentic and sourced from Wendell August Forge official inventory. Learn More.

Made in USA
Wendell August Forge Free Shipping on Orders $150+
My American Goods® Certified Quality
Sustainably Made
Small Business Brand

The Story behind Wendell August Forge

Few brands represent American craftsmanship quite like Wendell August Forge.

The story began in Pennsylvania in 1923, when Wendell McMinn August needed ornamental metalwork for his home. Working with blacksmith Ottone Pisoni, that project grew into a forge that would eventually create architectural metalwork for businesses, churches, ships, and institutions—including an early commission for the Alcoa Aluminum Research Laboratories. The decorative aluminum trays that followed helped pioneer an entirely new category of American giftware.

More than a century later, the process is still remarkably hands-on. Artists create the designs, master die engravers translate them into steel, and Pennsylvania craftspeople hammer, shape, and finish the metal by hand. Some hand-engraved designs even carry the engraver's hidden signature—a quiet reminder that a real person helped create the piece.

The company's history is also one of resilience. Wendell August survived wartime shutdowns, changes in ownership, and a devastating 2010 fire that destroyed its historic factory. Yet the Forge continued—and today remains a family-owned American manufacturer creating gifts meant to outlive the occasion they celebrate.

That's exactly why Wendell August Forge belongs at My American Goods®: more than 100 years of American manufacturing, generations of skilled craftspeople, and heirloom gifts still made with hands, hammers, and a remarkable respect for tradition.

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Wendell August Forge

Wendell August Forge FAQs

What is Wendell August Forge known for?

Wendell August Forge is known for handcrafted American metal gifts, particularly Christmas ornaments, baby keepsakes, wedding and anniversary gifts, personalized pieces, religious gifts, home décor, bowls, trays, and commemorative designs.

Who founded Wendell August Forge?

The company was founded by Wendell McMinn August in 1923 in Brockway, Pennsylvania. Its beginnings trace back to metalwork created for August's own home with the help of blacksmith Ottone Pisoni, eventually leading the two men to establish the Forge.

Are Wendell August Forge products made in the USA?

Yes. Wendell August Forge proudly identifies its handcrafted metal gifts as Made in the USA, with skilled craftspeople working in its Pennsylvania workshop.

How are Wendell August pieces made?

Each design begins with an artist and is transferred into a steel die by skilled die engravers. Craftspeople then use repoussé and hand-hammering techniques to bring the design into relief before shaping and finishing each piece. The complete process involves eight stages rooted in traditional metalworking.

Can Wendell August gifts be personalized?

Yes. Many pieces can be customized with names, dates, initials, monograms, or other meaningful details, making them especially suited for weddings, anniversaries, births, baptisms, holidays, and family milestones.

Is Wendell August Forge family-owned?

Yes. Wendell August Forge remains a family-owned American business. The Knecht family purchased the company in 1978, helping transform the Forge's gift business and establishing traditions including its now-iconic annual Christmas ornament.