How much Copper would a Coppersmith Smith, if a Coppersmith Could Smith Copper?

My guide and interpreter was a very resourceful guy with lots of great inside information and contacts. He know a guy that was a coppersmith who could help me ship my goods back to the states. The copper smith at the shop also put on a great show of "smithing" for me to videotape. I can't wait to edit all the footage down and share it with my World Neighbor Friends. All my adventures will be posted to YouTube, so stop on by and check it out!!

We strolled into the back of the Coppersmith's shop to witness the transformation of raw copper into beautiful works of art. The area around Santa Anna del Cobre used to be a copper mining area. As those mines have dried up, the artisans now use scrap copper to create their masterworks. They are also blessed with an abundance of (pine/cedar?) that burns a bit hotter than other woods and allows for the correct copper forging temperature. The guys back in the shop were stoking up the fire to commence with the demonstration. They started with a little chunk of copper about 6X6 inches and 3 inches thick. They heated that up until it was red hot and brought it over to the anvil. Four guys with sledgehammers then took turns pounding it into shape. A fifth guy held the copper in place with a long par of tongs while the beating was underway. These guys would be champion bell ringers at the carnival with their precision swipes at the raw copper. This process would continue until the copper was stretched into a thin sheet.

Carlos took me over to where another set of guys were forming and tempering the copper sheets into pots and sink basins with a series of specially shaped anvils. This was hard and sweaty work, but the works that filled the front showroom were a testament to the great work that these artisans produced. Juan Jose was the owner of this shop and he was also a valuable contact for me since he agreed to ship my multiple purchases back to the States for me at a discounted price. He knew all the ins and outs of getting the best deal in shipping to the border and then from there to my doorstep. I was extremely happy to have met this guy….and once again Carlos came through with another extremely valuable contact.

World Neighbor Hangs with the Artisans

I am waiting for my guide Carlos. He is going to take me out to the small villages outside of Morelia and Patzcuaro. I took a nice morning stroll after a hearty Mexican breakfast that was heavy on the cheese and light on the heart health. I took some time to admire the religious art that is pervasive throughout the hotel.

World Neighbor's Funtastic Emporium

Carlos showed up right on time and we sped off to the artisan towns. Our first stop was a small town that specialized in woodcarving and furniture. We met with several shop owners as I searched for the perfect pieces to import back for my World Neighbor friends. I bought quite a bit at two stores. The shop owners were very nice and packed up my goods thoroughly with bubble wrap, newspaper, toilet paper and whatever else was available. Carlos took our pictures and we were on to the next town. Our next stop was to Santa Anna del Cobre, the home of the master copper smiths.