Coppersmiths

Coppersmiths are skilled craftsmen who shape and join copper to create objects ranging from everyday cookware to architectural fittings. They work primarily with copper, though they may also handle brass and bronze, taking advantage of copper’s malleability, ductility, and attractive color. Typical tasks include forging, bending, and planishing metal hot or cold, annealing to relieve stresses, and joining pieces by brazing or soldering. Surface finishes are achieved through filing, chasing, repoussé, and patination.

Historically, copper has been worked since ancient times, with artifacts from Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Aegean illustrating early coppersmith trades. In medieval and early modern Europe, coppersmiths produced household items, religious plaques, and hardware such as hinges and cookware. The development of copper plumbing and copper roofing expanded demand in construction and manufacturing. In many cultures, workshops organized training and standards through guilds.

Today, coppersmiths may operate as artisans, restorers, or industrial fabricators. They may create custom cookware, decorative panels, or architectural features such as copper roofing, gutters, and sculptures. Conservation work preserves historic copper pieces and patinated finishes. Tools of the trade include forges, stakes, hammers, planishing tools, rivets, flux, and engraving tools.

The field emphasizes craftsmanship, knowledge of copper’s properties, including its tendency to tarnish and develop a patina, and adherence to safety and environmental considerations in processing copper ore or scrap.