Wendell August Forge
- Headquarters
- Grove City, PA
- Manufacturing
- Slippery Rock, PA · Canada (some pewter giftware)
- Categories
- home-goods · cookware-and-kitchen
Wendell August Forge has been hammering metal in western Pennsylvania since 1923, when a coal-mine owner in Brockway asked his blacksmith to copy a pair of door latches and the two went into business. It moved to Grove City in the 1930s, made its name with hand-hammered aluminum giftware and has turned out a Christmas ornament every year for more than four decades. After a 2010 fire destroyed the historic plant, it rebuilt outside Grove City, and in 2024 moved production to Slippery Rock, about nine miles away, while the shop and history center went to the Grove City outlets.
The work is done in-house: die engravers cut each design into steel, and metalworkers hammer and finish the aluminum, bronze, copper and pewter blanks by hand. The trays, coasters and ornaments are what the forge exists to make, and they are recorded here at the first mark. The company says they are made in the USA, and a local newspaper independently described the forging operation when it moved. The brand does not say where its sheet metal comes from.
It is a split line, and the brand’s mark is the floor because of it. A handful of pewter giftware items are made in Canada and say so on the listing — the “Glass 1/2 Full” bottle stopper ends “Made in Canada.” — and they carry the Wendell August name. Several hundred glassware pieces pair a forged medallion with a glass vessel of unstated origin. The shop also stocks other companies’ giftware, which is disclosed as resale rather than counted against the forge.
The tell is on the page, and it is a good one. The forge’s own metal pieces carry a “Handcrafted in America” panel, opening “Since 1923, Wendell August Forge has been creating handcrafted gifts made to last for generations.” The Canadian-made items do not carry it. That is a per-product signal, not site-wide boilerplate, and it is what the marks on the three trays and coasters below rest on. If you want the forge’s own work, look for a piece that is solid metal and look for that panel.
The record
Every Wendell August piece is handcrafted in the company's Pennsylvania workshop
“Every piece we create is handcrafted in our Pennsylvania workshop by skilled artists, master die engravers, and dedicated craftsmen.”
wendellaugust.comRetrieved
The forge was founded in Pennsylvania in 1923
“Wendell August Forge was founded by coal mine owner Wendell McMinn August in 1923 in Brockway, Pennsylvania.”
wendellaugust.comRetrieved
Production moved to Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania in 2024
“In 2024, Wendell August Forge moved its production facility to Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania and moved its Flagship Retail Store and History Center into the Premium Outlets of Grove City.”
wendellaugust.comRetrieved
A regional newspaper reported the forging operation's move to Slippery Rock
“SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP – Wendell August Forge, which has operated its giftware metal forging operations in the Grove City area for generations, said Wednesday it’s moving production about 9 miles away to Slippery Rock.”
sharonherald.comRetrieved
Part of the range under the Wendell August name is made in Canada
“Approximately 5" high and comes gift boxed. Made in Canada.”
wendellaugust.comRetrieved
Some Wendell August products pair a forged medallion with a glass vessel from elsewhere
“This University of Akron Beer Mug features a sturdy glass mug with a logo medallion.”
wendellaugust.comRetrieved
Domain record
wendellaugust.com was registered on .It dates the domain, not the business: a maker that moved to a new address reads young here, and an old domain says nothing about who holds it now.
RDAP registry record · checked 19 Sep 2026
What we checked, and what we didn't
The records below cover goods Wendell August Forge makes. Its shop also resells goods by other makers, which we have not verified.
Melrose · Mud Pie · Demdaco
Products
Where to buyDogwood Luncheon Tray
Made in USAThis item carries a different mark from Wendell August Forge as a whole, so it has its own record.
The product page places the tray in the forge's handcrafted American range
“Handcrafted in America Since 1923, Wendell August Forge has been creating handcrafted gifts made to last for generations.”
wendellaugust.comRetrieved
Where to buyGolf Coaster
Made in USAThis item carries a different mark from Wendell August Forge as a whole, so it has its own record.
The product page places the coaster in the forge's handcrafted American range
“Handcrafted in America Since 1923, Wendell August Forge has been creating handcrafted gifts made to last for generations.”
wendellaugust.comRetrieved
The brand's own listing says the coaster is made in the USA from aluminum
“Made in the USA from durable aluminum with a smooth, elegant finish that offers long-lasting beauty and quality.”
amazon.comRetrieved
Where to buyRose Bloom Floral Coaster
Made in USAThis item carries a different mark from Wendell August Forge as a whole, so it has its own record.
The product page places the coaster in the forge's handcrafted American range
“Handcrafted in America Since 1923, Wendell August Forge has been creating handcrafted gifts made to last for generations.”
wendellaugust.comRetrieved
The brand's own listing says the coaster is made in the USA from aluminum
“Made in the USA from durable aluminum with a smooth, elegant finish that offers long-lasting beauty and quality.”
amazon.comRetrieved
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