Don Carpentier's mocha is what' s been raising eyebrows, though his recreations of creamware, pearlware, and tortoiseshell decoration have been astonishing too. He' s essentially self-taught as a potter, at it for only four years. His skills as a blacksmith and tinsmith, his knowledge of where to go to have things made, his mechanical abilities, and his willingness to work hard and long have combined to unlock many dusty secrets associated with how these pots were made.

Few things better exemplify the impact of the industrial revolution in 19th century England and America than the explosion of tinware, the rapid evolution of it’s manufacturing processes and the profusion of tin pieces it produced. By the end of the century virtually every household utensil was made of tin.