Video: George Smithwick, Traditional Cooper

For many years visitors to wood shows in Australia had the opportunity of witnessing the coopering skills of sixth generation artisan George Smithwick. In recent years his presence has been a highlight at Lost Trades Fair events.

In this almost hour long presentation, George talks about the history of the craft and about his life as a maker of traditional wooden barrels and buckets. Most interesting to watch is the fluency and precision of his movements as he builds a bucket before our eyes. All in all, this is a fascinating look at the tools, techniques, timbers and materials used to make a handcrafted and long-lasting coopererd vessel.