Coppersmithy

The exhibition at the Ambagswerf houses the tools used by copper-smiths and a variety of household articles made by the Swellendam copper-smiths in the nineteenth century.

Copper-smith’s tools are similar to blacksmith’s tools but generally smaller. The exhibition includes stakes, swages, and small anvil heads. There are also hammers, mallets, groovers and creasing irons, rivet sets, tin snips, tongs, soldering irons and bending machines.

Copper-smiths not only worked in brass and copper but also in tin. They made many articles for domestic use like coffee pots, tart pans, saucepans, candle sticks, candle moulds, laundry irons, mugs and baking tins. Repairing copper, brass and tin utensils was also an important function of the Cape copper-smiths.

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