Forge embodies artisan tradition in modern form. This men's tungsten wedding ring from Foundoria's WELDWOOD Collection pairs authentic whiskey barrel oak with hammered tungsten carbide—creating texture and depth that evokes hand-forged metalwork while delivering the permanence of contemporary engineering.

The hammered finish sets Forge apart from conventional rings. Where most wedding bands feature uniform surfaces, Forge embraces deliberate texture—countless small facets that catch and reflect light with organic variation. This artisan aesthetic, achieved through precision manufacturing rather than manual hammering, creates visual interest that reveals new details with each viewing angle.

Choose Your Finish

Forge is available in two distinctive finishes, each offering a different aesthetic while maintaining the signature hammered texture and whiskey barrel wood inlay.

Hammered Silver

The silver finish showcases polished tungsten carbide with the hammered texture prominently displayed. Light plays across the faceted surface, creating dynamic brilliance that shifts with movement. This finish offers classic sophistication with contemporary edge—the metallic shine emphasizes the textured surface while providing strong contrast with the warm wood inlay.

Silver tungsten pairs beautifully with the natural brown tones of whiskey barrel wood. The contrast is clear without being harsh, allowing both materials to showcase their individual character while working together harmoniously.

Hammered Black

The black finish delivers modern boldness with the same hammered texture. The dark surface creates subtle rather than dramatic light play—the facets reveal themselves through gentle shadow and highlight rather than bright reflection. This finish offers contemporary sophistication for those who prefer understated presence.

Black tungsten creates dramatic contrast with the wood inlay. The warm browns and ambers of the whiskey barrel oak become the visual centerpiece against the dark background, drawing immediate attention to the natural material's unique grain and character.

Regardless of your finish choice, both showcase the same authentic whiskey barrel wood—each piece unique, bearing natural grain patterns and the character that only genuine reclaimed materials can offer.

The Hammered Aesthetic: Modern Artisan Tradition

Forge's hammered texture evokes traditional hand-forged metalwork—the deliberate surface variation created when metal is shaped on an anvil. This aesthetic carries deep cultural resonance, connecting modern design to metalworking traditions that span millennia.

Our hammered finish is achieved through precision manufacturing rather than manual hammering. Specialized tooling creates controlled, consistent facets across the tungsten carbide surface—delivering the artisan aesthetic with modern reliability. Each facet is deliberately formed, ensuring structural integrity while creating the organic texture that defines Forge's character.

The faceted surface serves both aesthetic and practical purposes. Visually, it creates depth and dimension that flat surfaces cannot achieve. Practically, the varied surface helps diffuse minor contact marks that might show on polished finishes, ensuring Forge maintains its pristine appearance through daily wear.

Whiskey Barrel Oak: Heritage in Wood

The wood in Forge comes from retired American oak whiskey barrels—authentic timber that spent years aging bourbon, scotch, or whiskey in distilleries. These aren't new barrels but veterans that absorbed the character of the spirits they held, creating story and depth no new material can replicate.

This reclaimed approach makes Forge genuinely sustainable while adding layers of meaning. Rather than cutting new wood, we give retired barrels new life as heirloom-quality jewelry. Each piece carries history—grain patterns enhanced by years of expansion and contraction, color variations influenced by the spirits aged within, subtle whiskey tones absorbed during decades of storage.

No two pieces of barrel wood are identical. Grain density, color distribution, natural markings, and whiskey influence vary based on the barrel's age, the spirits it aged, and its position in the warehouse. Your Forge ring's wood component is genuinely unique—shaped by that specific barrel's journey through distilling history.

The wood is sealed with our proprietary protection system, making it water-resistant and durable for daily wear while preserving its natural grain patterns, color variations, and organic texture.

Tungsten Carbide Engineering

Forge is built upon premium tungsten carbide—rating 9 on the Mohs hardness scale. This exceptional hardness ensures your ring will maintain its hammered texture and pristine appearance for decades without requiring repolishing or special maintenance.

The hammered texture benefits particularly from tungsten's hardness. Softer metals with textured finishes gradually lose definition as edges round and facets soften through wear. Tungsten carbide preserves every facet with absolute fidelity—the texture you receive is the texture you'll keep permanently.

Tungsten's hardness also provides critical protection for the softer natural wood inlay. By housing the wood within tungsten's indestructible framework, we create a ring that allows genuine organic material to be worn daily without compromise.

Engineered for Endurance

Hypoallergenic Assurance

Forge uses nickel-free tungsten carbide, making it completely hypoallergenic. If you've experienced reactions to other jewelry metals, tungsten carbide eliminates that concern entirely.

Our tungsten carbide is REACH and GPSR certified—meeting the European Union's strictest product safety standards. Independent laboratory testing confirms zero nickel content and full compliance with EU chemical safety regulations. This legal certification ensures Forge is safe for even the most sensitive skin.

Comfort-Fit Interior

The comfort-fit interior is precision-engineered with a gently rounded profile that contrasts beautifully with the textured exterior. While the outside displays complex faceted surfaces, the inside offers smooth, rounded comfort that allows the ring to slide on easily and sit naturally on your finger.

This dual-surface approach demonstrates thoughtful engineering. The exterior provides visual and tactile interest while the interior ensures that texture never causes discomfort when worn. Despite tungsten's substantial weight, this ergonomic design ensures comfortable all-day wear.

The WELDWOOD Promise

Every ring in the WELDWOOD collection celebrates the marriage of natural materials and modern engineering. We source whiskey barrel wood responsibly, manufacture with precision, and guarantee quality for life.

Forge represents this philosophy through its fusion of artisan aesthetics and contemporary capability. The hammered texture connects you to metalworking tradition. The reclaimed wood carries distilling heritage. The tungsten engineering ensures both endure as your commitment does—protected, preserved, and built to last generations.

Tungsten Carbide: Textured Permanence

Tungsten carbide forms when tungsten—the element with the highest melting point of any pure metal at 3,422°C—is bonded with carbon under extreme pressure and temperature. The resulting compound rates 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, just below diamond at 10.

This exceptional hardness is particularly important for textured finishes. Softer metals with surface texture gradually lose definition over time—facet edges round, texture softens, detail disappears. Tungsten carbide preserves textured surfaces permanently. Every facet maintains its crisp edges and light-catching geometry indefinitely.

The hammered texture is created through precision tooling that shapes the tungsten carbide surface into countless small facets. This controlled process ensures consistency while maintaining the organic aesthetic of hand-forged metal. The result is artisan appearance achieved through modern manufacturing—reliable, reproducible, and permanent.

Finish Options: Silver vs Black

Both finishes begin with the same tungsten carbide foundation and hammered texture. The difference lies in the final surface treatment.

Hammered Silver showcases polished tungsten carbide. The natural metallic color provides high reflectivity that emphasizes the hammered facets. Light plays dramatically across the varied surface, creating dynamic brilliance. This finish offers maximum visual impact—the texture reveals itself through bold light and shadow.

Hammered Black features tungsten carbide treated to achieve deep black coloring. The finish is integrated into the material itself through advanced processes, not applied as a coating. This creates permanent black that won't chip or wear away. The hammered texture on black tungsten creates subtle rather than dramatic effects—gentle shadow play that reveals texture through understated sophistication.

Both finishes are permanent. Neither requires maintenance or reapplication. The appearance you choose is the appearance you'll keep for decades.

Whiskey Barrel Oak: Storied Timber

American oak whiskey barrels are crafted specifically for aging spirits. The wood is charred internally, creating a layer that filters and flavors the whiskey while the barrel's structure allows controlled oxygen exposure that mellows the spirit over years or decades.

After their distilling life ends—typically after several spirit batches over many years—these barrels become available for reclamation. Rather than waste this storied timber, we transform it into jewelry, giving the wood a second life while telling a story no new material can match.

The wood in Forge carries authentic marks of its distilling heritage. Subtle whiskey tones absorbed during years of storage, grain patterns enhanced by expansion and contraction through seasonal temperature changes, color saturation influenced by the specific spirits aged within—all contribute to the wood's character.

Each piece of barrel wood is individual. Your ring's wood component tells a story unique to that specific barrel's journey through distilling history—grain patterns shaped by growth conditions, color influenced by spirit exposure, character developed through years of use.

REACH & GPSR Certification

Forge carries REACH and GPSR certification—the European Union's most rigorous product safety standards. This certification covers all materials including the tungsten carbide, surface treatments, and wood sealing.

REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals) requires manufacturers to prove products contain no hazardous substances above legal limits. GPSR (General Product Safety Regulation) mandates that products meet baseline safety requirements before entering the EU market.

For Forge, this means independent laboratories have tested and verified zero nickel content, confirmed the safety of all materials and treatments, validated proper wood sealing, and certified that the ring meets EU consumer safety standards. You're trusting certified laboratory results, not manufacturer promises.

Sealed Protection System

The whiskey barrel wood inlay is protected with our proprietary multi-layer sealing system. This process makes the wood water-resistant and durable for daily wear while preserving its natural appearance, grain patterns, and organic texture.

The sealing doesn't create a thick coating that obscures the wood's beauty. Instead, it integrates into the material's surface—providing barrier protection while maintaining visual clarity and tactile authenticity. The result is protected wood that still looks and feels natural.

Comfort-Fit Engineering

The comfort-fit interior is precision-machined using Computer Numerical Control (CNC) technology for tolerances measured in microns. This creates a gently rounded profile that transforms tungsten's substantial weight from potential liability into premium feel.

The contrast between exterior texture and interior smoothness is deliberate. The faceted exterior engages visually and tactilely. The rounded interior focuses entirely on comfort—ensuring the ring sits naturally without creating pressure points or requiring adjustment throughout the day.

Manufacturing Standards

Every Foundoria ring undergoes rigorous quality control before entering inventory. For Forge, this includes specific inspections of the hammered texture (verifying consistent facet formation), wood inlay (confirming authentic sourcing and seal integrity), and finish quality (ensuring proper color and surface treatment).

For textured rings, quality control includes additional checks to verify that the hammered pattern is uniform across the band's circumference and that all facets display appropriate geometry. This systematic approach ensures the Forge you receive meets identical standards to every other ring we produce.

Forge is engineered for daily wear, but the wood inlay requires mindful care to maintain its beauty for a lifetime.

Wood Care Essentials

The wood inlay is sealed and protected, but wood is organic and responds to moisture. Brief exposure during handwashing is fine—the seal protects against splashes. However, prolonged water exposure (showers, swimming, dishwashing) should be avoided.

If your ring gets wet, dry it immediately with a soft cloth. Don't leave it damp. The wood is sealed, but it's not waterproof for extended submersion.

Never use: Harsh chemicals (bleach, chlorine), abrasive cleaners, ultrasonic cleaners, steam cleaners, or soaking water. These can damage the wood seal or discolor the natural grain.

Caring for the Hammered Texture

The hammered finish is low-maintenance due to tungsten's exceptional hardness. The texture helps diffuse minor contact marks that might show on polished surfaces, meaning Forge maintains its appearance with minimal intervention.

When cleaning, use a soft cloth and follow the texture—wiping along the facets rather than against them. This ensures effective cleaning while respecting the surface geometry. The varied surface requires no special treatment beyond basic dry cloth cleaning.

Both the silver and black finishes maintain their appearance permanently. Silver won't tarnish or dull. Black won't fade or wear through to reveal base metal underneath. The finish you choose is the finish you'll keep for decades.

Understanding Tungsten's Properties

While tungsten carbide resists scratches better than any other jewelry material, it can crack under extreme impact—dropping from height onto concrete, striking against stone surfaces, or compression in heavy machinery.

For normal daily wear, this isn't a concern. Tungsten carbide handles everything from desk work to gym sessions without issue. The impact required to damage tungsten exceeds what you'll encounter in typical daily activities.

Storage Guidance

Store Forge in the provided presentation box when not worn to prevent accidental impacts with other jewelry or hard objects. While the tungsten won't scratch easily, proper storage protects the wood inlay from unnecessary exposure.

Keep the ring away from extreme temperatures and direct sunlight for extended periods. While the materials are stable and sealed, unnecessary exposure to extremes serves no purpose.

With proper care, your Forge ring will maintain its hammered texture and natural wood character for decades while developing subtle patina that adds character over time.

For detailed care guidance, visit our complete ring care guide.