We spoke with John Wills, one of the last practising brazier-tinmen in the UK, about preserving traditional metalworking skills in a modern world. From hand-forming copper cookware to restoring historic pieces, his work draws directly from centuries-old techniques — keeping a rare and time-honoured craft alive.
Could you introduce yourself and explain what you do as the Copper Elf? For those unfamiliar, what goes into making traditional copperware by hand?
I am John Wills, the Copper Elf, one of the two professional brazier-tinmen left in the UK. I mostly make household items from copper, brass and tinplate, such as cookware, mugs and candle sconces. I also take on commissions and have made everything from tiny brass hinges for repairing antique furniture to a copper church font and a sixty-four-gallon riveted “kettle” in brass for dyeing sheep fleeces.
All of the items I make are produced using traditional techniques and with my collection of antique hand tools. I spend my time in my workshop bringing the past to life by continuing to use the skills of the coppersmiths and tinsmiths of the 18th century and earlier. To keep complete control of my products, I also do all my own blacksmithing of the iron and steel components and accessories used in my copperware.
Left image features classroom at Stanwick Lakes
You spent many years working in software before turning to traditional crafts — what prompted that shift, and what was it that drew you back towards working with your hands?
It was quite by accident, really. I was involved with a re-enactment group and working a handful of hours a week with an environmental non-profit, doing hedge laying, traditional orchard management and meadow management; this was the birthplace of it all.
At a re-enactment market, a trader local to me, the Iron Dwarf, asked me and a friend of mine if we wanted to buy a forge and have a go on one. We took up the offer the following weekend. That was it — I wanted to hit hot metal. I started helping out at the workshop, learning basic skills, and that’s how I ended up at a blacksmith show in Exeter learning traditional copperwork.
The copper really struck a chord with me. I resigned as an IT director and put all my efforts into bringing back the traditional brazier trade.
You’ve learnt from a number of traditional craftsmen, including an Irish tinker and a master tinsmith — how did those experiences shape your approach to the craft?
Learning from people who are using the old methods, and with the same passion as you have, is very affirming. It gave me the confidence that these skills still have a place in the 21st century.
It goes without saying that without the initial Irish copper coal scuttle lesson, I wouldn’t be doing any of this. The lessons with Karl Schmidt, a master tinsmith from the USA, helped me understand some mistakes I had been making, added tinplate to my range, and gave me a massive confidence boost.
Traditional copperware involves techniques that have changed very little over time. Could you talk us through how a piece is made, and what makes methods like seaming and hand forming so distinctive?
Probably the most important part of the job is the “paperwork” — working out the pattern. It is very much like tailoring or dressmaking; it all starts with a pattern which includes all the seam allowances. For items I make regularly as stock, the patterns are made of tinplate and hang on hooks on the wall. For one-off pieces, the pattern is drawn on paper and scaled up onto the material with rules and dividers.
Once the pattern is marked out on the sheet metal, it can be cut out with snips or bench shears. I don’t cut out all the pieces at once, so that I can allow for tolerances; each stage is assembled and tested against the next stage’s pattern before that is cut.
Assembling the pieces is done by forming the metal over stake tools, using wooden mallets and metal hammers depending on the material and shape being formed. Some seams need to be soldered or brazed immediately, such as lap seams on tinplate or cramp seams on copper. Other seams, such as rolled or crimped seams, are fixed by locking the metal together and can be soldered later for water-tightness once the piece is fully assembled. Some pieces are riveted, generally with copper rivets.
The final process is cleaning and polishing. This varies depending on the piece, but always involves removing fluxes, along with general workshop marks and fingerprints. Some pieces may be tin-wiped; others are finished with a high-shine buff using jeweller’s rouge.
Most modern copper and brass are formed using presses, meaning there are no seams. Where seams do exist, they are TIG welded, so you don’t see the golden or silver lines of braze and solder. Handmade seams, by contrast, show marks from the tools — you can see the joins in the metal and all the individual elements that went into its making.
Your work is inspired by artefacts found in museums, churches and historic buildings. What is it about these older pieces that continues to influence your designs today?
With so few people in the trade now, looking at old pieces is almost like having a conversation with their maker. Because I know the challenges certain shapes present, by closely studying an old piece I can see how the maker overcame them. Sometimes you can even see their frustration in a hammer mark — and recognise that feeling.
These older designs worked. They evolved from the material, the tools and the seaming methods available at the time. Trying to copy modern designs made with completely different technology simply doesn’t work.
Right image features classroom at Stanwick Lakes
You describe your work as “perfectly imperfect,” reflecting a time before machine production. Why is that idea important, and what do you think is lost when objects become too uniform?
Handmade objects are not cloned perfectly from a master design. Whilst each piece may be similar, each is also unique — just like people.
When you hold a handmade object, the maker held it. Their personality lives in everything they create; whether it’s a humble tin cup or a bespoke gentleman’s suit, there is a character to traditional handmade work that mass machine production will never replicate.
Your work has also featured in film and television productions — how did those opportunities come about, and what’s it like seeing traditional handmade pieces used on screen?
All of the prop work has come through my online shop, usually starting with a message along the lines of, “I see you make X — could you do it like this…?”
What’s not to love about seeing your products, or even yourself, on screen? It’s a great feeling — although I try not to think too much about what happens to the pieces once production is over.
With more people showing interest in heritage skills, do you feel optimistic about the future of crafts like copper and tinsmithing? What advice would you give to someone looking to follow a similar path?
There are many challenges to the trade of a brazier-tinman. These range from finding tools in good condition to sourcing the materials required, which becomes more difficult each year. People are very interested in copper and tinplate, but issues with tools and materials can often be a barrier to entry.
That said, I am optimistic. I’ve recently been working with a young man studying a metalwork degree — his passion for copper cookware and tinplate is as strong as mine, and he has the skills to match.
For anyone looking to pursue this kind of work, you need to be prepared for failure — for mistakes, for losing money, and for realising you don’t yet know what you’re doing. The key is to keep going. Have a passion for the niche you’ve chosen, be willing to try new things, and believe that you can do it.
There will be jobs where nothing seems to fit, where mistakes happen again and again — but those are often the most rewarding. When it’s finally finished, you step back, look at it, and say to yourself, “I made that.”
Our thanks to John Wills for sharing his time, craft and insight with us.
To see more of his work and follow his journey:
Follow John on Instagram here @the_copper_elf
Find him on Facebook via The Copper Elf