Cooper - a profession that has become part of history

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Cooper is a profession and at the same time an old craft for the production of large wooden containers, barrels, tubs. A cooper is also called an artisan who sometimes makes ship masts.

In order to engage in such a craft, you need considerable physical strength and great skill. That is why there has never been a single female cooper in history. The manufacture of barrels was trusted only by true craftsmen, as only they can create a high quality product. And it is very much appreciated.

Ever since people came up with the idea of storing food for a long shelf life, good barrels have become a necessity in everyday life. They are equally important in wineries and vineyards. Such noble drinks as wine, cognac, brandy are infused and stored in oak barrels. If the artisan has chosen and prepared the wood correctly, the drink will not oxidize, evaporate and be able to ferment properly.

Cooper is a profession whose history goes back centuries

The first cooper's dishes appeared beforeAD in Ancient Greece. Historians suggest that the locals used the barrels to store wines, oils, water and food. Until now, archaeologists have found cooper products all over the world, mainly in Europe and Russia. Ancient structures have the same elements as modern ones - these are hoops, rivets and bottoms.

By the way, in Russia cooper is a profession that appeared around the 10th-15th centuries. and was widely used until the middle of the 20th century. Barrels were used for s alting and storing cucumbers, sauerkraut, mushrooms and other products. And the masters were respected people for the whole village.

In the 21st century, cooperage is no less in demand in production. Despite the level of modern technology, many wineries still prefer oak barrels. Of course, most of their production processes are automated, but not all. No machine can replace the handwork of a craftsman.

What does the profession of cooper mean

At first glance, it may seem that the named craft is simple and does not require anything other than physical strength. But in fact, the master is faced with not one task, but many. The work begins with the choice of material, that is, it should be determined what kind of wood will be selected. The highest quality and most expensive is an oak barrel. Such material has a lot of advantages over others, for example:

• resilience and flexibility;
• it dries quickly and does not crack;
• does not rot when in contact with water, but becomes even stronger.

Linden is easy to cut, does not dry out and does not crack. And aspen keeps products much longer and better, unlike other species.

The second stage is the preparation of wood using special procedures. Previously, it was left in the sun, in the open air, for three years. During this time, the tree dried out, and the rains washed out all the harmful elements from it. Now the material is dried using special ovens, the process takes from 3 to 12 months.

At the next stage, the cooper (whose profession is described in our article) makes calculations and draws up a drawing. Before manufacturing, you need to find out what size the product will be, for which product it will be used, how much material will be required for the product.

And only after carrying out the above procedures, the master can start making the barrel. It includes several steps:

• Assembly.
• Installation of rivets.
• Stuffing hoops on the barrel.
• Firing or singeing the product from the inside.

Training cooperage

Cooper is a profession that is not offered by any institution in the world. This work is very specific and is considered unclaimed. Nevertheless, training in this speci alty can be completed at a factory, winery or brewery - at an enterprise that needs to manufacture barrels. Or you can hire a professional cooper to teach you how to make barrels, jugs and tubs.

Cooper's earnings

Throughout the existence of the profession, coopers are highly valued and earn good money. A couple of centuries ago, this man was respected, and his work was in great demand. With the money he earned, he could buy a small plot of land and build a house. Of course, now a cooper will not be able to immediately acquire land, but a salary of 30 to 50 thousand rubles is decent. In addition, the labor itself has become much easier than before, since half of the process is done by machinery, not by hands.

As a result, we can say that a cooper is a difficult profession, requiring special knowledge, but interesting. In addition, the craft of cooperage is very ancient and is part of world history.