Whitesmithing

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A craft involving the shaping and finishing of light metals, particularly tin, to create decorative and functional objects
2. The art of manipulating sheets of metal such as tin or aluminum into various forms and items
3. A specialized metalworking technique focused on the fabrication and enhancement of softer metals for practical use and artistry

Etymology: Whitesmithing is a compound of "white", in the sense of bright or light-coloured metal, and "smithing", the work of a smith. The "white" refers to metals such as tin and pewter, which were polished to a silvery finish, as opposed to the heavier iron that blacksmiths worked. A whitesmith was therefore someone who finished and shaped these lighter metals, often making small domestic wares, while the blacksmith handled iron. The name comes from the look of the finished work rather than from any colour of the raw material. Tin-plated iron, known as tinplate, was also worked by whitesmiths, which blurred the line between the two trades. The term has been in English use since the Middle Ages, and its most distinctive modern use is in the phrase "whitesmith's work" for this kind of tinware and light-metal craft.