A tinsmith is a craftsperson who makes and repairs objects out of thin sheets of metal, especially tin and tin-plated steel. Tinsmiths shape metal into useful items like cups, lanterns, cookie cutters, buckets, and roofing panels. They cut the metal with special shears, bend it into shape, and join pieces together by soldering or folding the edges.

Before factories mass-produced metal goods, tinsmiths were essential members of every community. A colonial American tinsmith might spend their day crafting a tin cup for the tavern, repairing a farmer's damaged bucket, or making a lantern for a family that needed light after dark. Paul Revere, famous for his midnight ride, worked as a silversmith (a similar craft using more valuable metal).

The tinsmith's workshop was filled with hammers, anvils, snips, and soldering irons. They had to understand how metal behaves: how much it could bend before cracking, how to make watertight seams, and how to shape flat sheets into three-dimensional objects.

While factories now produce most metal household items, tinsmiths still exist. Some create decorative tinwork as an art form, while others restore historical buildings that need authentic period metalwork. The skills of measuring, cutting, and shaping metal with precision remain valuable in many modern trades.