By Phil Schaltenbrand
Founded in 1975
Our story
Westerwald was founded by author, historian, and professor Phil Schaltenbrand. Schaltenbrand’s journey began in 1975 when he was asked to design a few pieces of pottery for America’s upcoming bicentennial. The pieces were modeled after early Pennsylvania stoneware, inscribed with town names, and embellished with traditional colonial-style decoration.
These personalized pots were a hit. For several years, Schaltenbrand performed every step in the process himself – throwing, stamping, decorating, glazing, and firing almost every piece alone. It was not uncommon for the pottery to even be delivered by Phil!
This one-man show has grown to accommodate a staff of about 15 today, which includes craftsmen and office personnel. Since its humble beginnings, Westerwald has shipped personalized pottery across the globe while still offering a product hand made and American-made.
What Makes Us Special
Our customers have spoken! While we offer a wide array of beautifully painted pottery, people love us because we assist them in creating personalized, custom pieces. It is this hand-stamped stoneware that sets Westerwald above the rest. From wedding and anniversary dates to town names, if you can dream it, we can stamp it.
To date, Westerwald has stamped more than 50,000 towns and cities onto its pottery. Our top-selling retail piece, the gallon jar, has been nicknamed the wedding jar. Brides and grooms across the country display this jar in their homes with their names and wedding date stamped in to commemorate the occasion.
About Our Pottery
Our famous pottery is wheel-thrown, imprinted, brush decorated, and fired to 2300 degrees Fahrenheit. Because every piece is handmade, no two products are exactly alike. Variance in size and shape occurs. Your pieces may also vary from those shown. Our glazes are lead-free and dishwasher and microwave safe. If your piece is decorated with a decal, we recommend hand wash only. For use in the oven, spray your stoneware with cooking spray and place it in the oven. Heat the oven to 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then turn it off. Leave your stoneware in the oven until it is fully cooled. Your item is now tempered and can be used in the oven. Always allow the pottery to heat with the oven – do not preheat. Please do not place it over a direct flame or place it in the freezer.
All pottery is signed, dated, and stamped with a potters mark. Your stoneware has passed through the hands of up to eight craftsmen. Because of this, no two pieces are alike. Your unique item may vary from the pieces shown on this site.
Patience is sometimes necessary when ordering our handmade stoneware. Each piece must be thrown, stamped, fired in our bisque kiln, cobalted, decorated, glazed, and fired a second time. Unfortunately, mistakes and damages occasionally happen, and when they do, we are forced to begin the process over again. We appreciate you bearing with us as we strive to bring you a quality product made just for you.
Westerwald is committed to pleasing our customers. Please direct any questions regarding the design of your piece to our helpful office staff. We are happy to take your call!
