Our Handcrafted Story
Where an Ages-Old Art Comes to Life
| The process by which the artisans and craftsmen at Wendell August use to create each piece varies ever so slightly from the initial processes utilized by Mr. Wendell August and his early blacksmiths in the 1920’s. Each piece of Wendell August metal giftware is truly made in America…one-at-a-time, by hand by some of the finest metalsmiths in the world. |
A Video of Our Handcrafted Process
| The method of creating our giftware is essentially two distinct processes headlined by The Artisans who create the original artwork on our dies and The Master Craftsmen who create the products our customers know and love. |
The Artisans
| Die engraving: | |
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Using only a hammer and chisel, a master engraver recreates the original work of art (usually a black and white line drawing) into a steel die. This is no easy task; however, as the engraver has to be able to recreate the original in reverse for the handcrafting process. A die can take anywhere from one day to eight weeks to create. As true artisans, our die engravers “sign” their work by hiding their initials in each design. |
The Master Craftsmen
| Hammering: | |
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It is at this stage where the artisans and craftsmen of Wendell August combine to create our masterpieces. A die is placed onto a steel table with the engraved design facing up. A piece of metal is placed on top of the die and then one of our craftsmen hammers the metal into the chiseled out portions of the die to create a raised design. This process is called repousse. The craftsmen then signs each piece twice, once with the Wendell August hallmark and finally with his own personal touchmark. |
| Surface Flattening and Anvilling: | |
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Since the piece comes from the hammer room slightly kinked as a result of the initial hammering, it needs to be made completely flat for the remainder of our process. The craftsman uses a nylon hammer to flatten each piece, hammering it on a leather topped steel table. The craftsmen will next apply light catching marks around the design using a hammer on an anvil. |
| Edging: | |
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Our distinctive scalloped edging is added using a careful touch with a hammer on the anvil. Each “edge mark” is placed carefully one-at-a-time. This is a distinct signature statement for Wendell August. |
| Coloring: | |
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Many pieces are placed over the roaring fire of our Forge to bake in the black color. This step is a true coloring step and not a heating step. This coloring, mostly removed in the polishing steps, will add significant dimension and help the design to “pop” even further when finished. |
| Polishing: | |
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In a two-step process, a craftsman will then remove any extra coloring, usually between 90-95% of the coloring, leaving just enough to accent the design. The craftsmen will then do a final polish with very fine steel wool to enhance the metal’s luster. |
| Forming: | |
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A craftsman hammers the final shape into many pieces by using an antique wooden form or one of our forming presses, each piece being formed one-at-a-time. |
