Cooper is a profession and at the same time an ancient craft for the production of large wooden containers, barrels, tubs. Another cooper is called the artisan who sometimes makes ship masts.
In order to engage in such a craft, considerable physical strength and great skill are needed. That is why in the whole history there has not been a single female cooper. The manufacture of barrels was trusted only by true masters, since only they could create a high-quality product. And it is very much appreciated.
Since people came up with the idea of harvesting food for a long shelf life, good barrels have become a necessity in everyday life. They are no less important in wineries and vineyards. Noble drinks such as wine, cognac, brandy are infused and stored in oak barrels . If the artisan chose and prepared the tree correctly, the drink will not oxidize, will not evaporate, and will be able to ferment properly.
Cooper is a profession whose history goes back centuries
The first cooper dishes appeared before our era in ancient Greece. Historians have suggested that locals used barrels to store wine, oil, water, and food. Until now, archaeologists find cooper items around the world, mainly in Europe and Russia. Ancient designs have the same elements as modern ones - these are hoops, rivets and bottoms.
By the way, in Russia, the cooper is a profession that appeared around the X-XV century. and was widespread, until the middle of the XX century. Barrels were used for salting and storing cucumbers, sauerkraut, mushrooms and other products. And the masters were respected people for the whole village.
In the 21st century, cooperism is no less demanded 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 manual work of the master.
What does the cooper profession mean?
At first glance, it may seem that the named craft is simple and requires nothing more 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 which wood species will be selected. The most high-quality and expensive oak barrel is considered. Such material has many advantages over others, for example:
- elasticity and flexibility;
- it dries quickly and does not crack;
- does not decay when in contact with water, but becomes even stronger.
The linden is easily cut, does not crack and does not crack. And aspen preserves food much longer and better, unlike other breeds.
The second stage is the preparation of wood using special procedures. She used to be left in the sun, in the open air, for three years. During this time, the tree dried up, and the rains washed away all harmful elements from it. Now the material is dried using special furnaces, 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 what product it will be used, how much material will be needed on the product.
And only after carrying out the above procedures, the master can begin to make a barrel. It includes several stages:
- Assembly.
- Installation of rivets.
- Stuffing hoops on a barrel.
- Firing or scorching the product from the inside.
Coaching profession
Cooper is a profession whose training does not offer any institution in the world. This work is very specific and is considered unclaimed. Nevertheless, training in this specialty can be taken at a factory, winery or brewery - at an enterprise in need of barrels. Or you can hire a professional cooper who will teach you the craft of making barrels, jugs and tubs.
Cooper Earnings
Throughout the lifetime of the profession, coopers are highly valued and make 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 worthy. In addition, labor itself has become much easier than before, since half of the process is carried out by technology, and not by hand.
As a result, we can say that the cooper is a complex profession, requiring special knowledge, but interesting. In addition, the cooper craft is very old and is part of world history.