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.