Tag: Handcrafted in United States

ASL Pewter Foundry At 183 South 3rd Street in Sainte Geneviève, Tom and Patricia Hooper have spent nearly 40 years creating museum-quality pewter pieces using techniques that colonial craftspeople would recognize—casting molten tin alloy into antique molds, spinning flat pewter discs on an 1873 water-powered lathe (now electrified), and welding handles onto tankards with micro-torch precision. This isn’t a demonstration behind ropes; it’s an active studio where you can watch the Hoopers work, commission custom pieces, learn the chemistry and history of the tin-based alloy that graced America’s founding families’ tables, and leave with functional heirlooms made by hands that understand centuries-old craft traditions. The work has earned White House recognition (Pat and Tom met First Lady Laura Bush during George W. Bush’s administration), appeared in HBO’s John Adams miniseries starring Paul Giamatti, and attracted collectors recognizing that genuinely handcrafted American pewter—100% lead-free, made using antique tools and traditional methods—has become exceptionally rare in an era of mass production and overseas manufacturing. One collector testified: “Holding an ASL Pewter piece connects you directly to colonial craftspeople who used similar techniques 250 years ago—the weight, finish, and subtle imperfections prove human hands shaped the metal, not machines.” Pewter: Colonial Middle Ground Read more…

Rust Artisan Shop  At 173 North Main Street in downtown Ste. Genevieve, Rust Artisan Shop transforms Missouri’s surplus corrugated tin into luminaries and lights that cast perfect shadowed images onto walls and ceilings. Owner Sam and her team of local artisans have created a gallery where recycled materials become art—corrugated tin salvaged from old barns and buildings finds new life as functional sculpture. The shop’s tagline says it simply: “At Rust, we make stuff from recycled products.” Featured in Missouri Life magazine, this Main Street mainstay represents the kind of authentic, locally-rooted creativity that makes Ste. Genevieve’s shopping scene distinctive. As one visitor noted: “We purchased several pieces from the shop to remember this awesome spot. Love, love, love!” Recycled Relics and Artisan Craft Rust Artisan Shop specializes in the “Recycled Relics” line—products made entirely from reclaimed and donated materials. The signature pieces are tin luminaries and lampshades crafted from old corrugated tin, creating distinctive lighting that projects intricate patterns. Candle holders, ornaments, and signs emerge from scraps that might otherwise end up in landfills. The philosophy centers on utilizing Missouri’s abundant supply of vintage corrugated tin from deteriorating barns, sheds, and agricultural buildings across the region. The transformation from Read more…

Sassafras Creek Originals At 311 St. Mary’s Road in historic downtown Ste. Genevieve, Sassafras Creek Originals occupies a circa 1850 Brooks House transformed into colonial-era general store showcasing hand-crafted Early American folk art meeting museum-curator standards for authenticity. Owner Kandye Mahurin, selected eight consecutive years for Early American Life Magazine’s Directory of Traditional American Craftsmen, collaborates with fellow Directory-juried artisans creating pieces that satisfy demands from museum curators seeking period-appropriate displays, collectors restoring traditional homes, motion picture producers requiring historically accurate props, and historic preservationists working on period properties. The hand-painted game boards—checkerboards, parcheesi boards, and other surfaces painted in period colors, then artificially aged through distressing, crackling, and layered color application to replicate authentic 18th-century originals—represent Kandye’s founding inspiration. Hand-sewn bandboxes, fabric-covered storage containers reflecting Colonial transportation and domestic life, expand the collection into functional historical craft. The store itself functions as artifact—the 1850 brick building enhancing the shopping experience through period-appropriate setting where merchandise, architecture, and atmosphere align seamlessly. Whether you’re furnishing period property, seeking authentic heirloom gift items, or exploring what genuine Early American reproduction craft means, Sassafras Creek Originals delivers pieces distinguished by scholarship, technique, and commitment to historical accuracy that casual “colonial style” retailers cannot Read more…