Karl J. SchmidT
Karl J. Schmidt is a historian, designer, and maker whose work brings together historical research, traditional craft, and careful object-making. His interest in making began with woodworking and cabinetmaking, later expanding into architectural and historical modelmaking, and eventually traditional tinsmithing. He holds a PhD in history and spent his professional career teaching and researching history while continuing to work with his hands.
Since taking up tinsmithing in 2015, Schmidt has developed a studio practice centered on historically-informed and decorative objects, with particular attention to material, proportion, construction, and finish. His tinwork reflects a belief that the medium deserves the same care and visual refinement traditionally associated with silversmithing and fine cabinetmaking. While tinplate remains central to his work, the studio is not limited by material and increasingly encompasses wood, metal, and mixed-material objects.
Schmidt’s work ranges from traditional tinware and decorative Christmas pieces to research-based historical reconstructions, expedition and campaign equipment, and larger fitted objects. Across all of it, the emphasis remains the same: thoughtful design, careful construction, and a finished object that is as visually resolved as it is functional.
In parallel with his studio practice, Schmidt continues to research and publish on the history of tinsmithing and historic tin goods. His scholarship includes multiple articles in the EAIA Chronicle and related journals, including his ongoing study of the late eighteenth-century Philadelphia tinsmith Thomas Passmore.
His studio work has been recognized by Early American Life magazine, and he has been included in its Directory of Traditional American Crafts for five consecutive years.
Schmidt has taught tinsmithing workshops in both the United States and the United Kingdom. In 2022, he led master classes in Derby, England, supported by the Worshipful Company of Tinplate Workers alias Wire Workers of London and the Heritage Crafts Association, with instruction hosted by the Museum of Making. These courses emphasized traditional processes and direct engagement with historical tools.
tools of the tinsmithing trade
The tools below are all ones I use every day in my shop. Most of them are from the 19th century; many of the tools pre-date the US Civil War.
This photo shows a basic set of tinsmith's hand tools, including stakes, over which the tinplate is shaped.
These are the three main swedges used by tinsmiths historically. From top to bottom: square-pan swedge, creasing swedge, and cullender swedge.
Beginning in the early 19th century, tinsmith's used simple hand-crank machines to speed up some of the repetitive work. From left to right in this photo: a large burring machine and a wiring machine.
In this photo, clockwise from the top left, are three additional tinsmith's machines: small burring machine, setting down machine (with original wood stand), and a turning machine.