The kettle That wasn't.

For some time now I have been trekking without a kettle, mainly because I am trying to make my pack lighter & the brass trade kettle is a little weighty. A kettle is however very useful for collecting rain water, cooking & boiling water. I have been using my tin cup, but found it unsatisfactory for boiling water; awkward to place on the fire. So I started the search for a smaller lighter kettle.

My search came up empty handed, but I did find some interesting items that are period correct, & could be used as a kettle. So here is my creation. I know from my research that tin cups that have presumably lost their soldered handles heating water in a fire have been repaired using wire for new handles, so I decided to make a kettle from what I had available. The work was fairly simple, though I did have some trouble making copper rivets from sheet copper. In the end I used two copper rivets & two iron rivets to attach the bail brackets.

So this is NOT a copy of a period kettle as far as I know, it is simply something I found in a deserted cabin that had been for the most part burnt except for one corner near the fireplace & chimney that was still intact. This kettle is obviously home made & shows evidence of some other type of handle having once been attached to this bowl.

Floris Van Schooten 1585-1655

http://www.scribd.com/doc/205854633/Food-Food-Preparation-Pots-Kettles-Dutch-Ovens;

Cornelis Jacobsz (1570–1643)

18th Century copper cake mould.

http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/167433-antique-18th-french-copper-cake-mold?in=1661;

Diderot Coppersmith.

Detail from Diderot images re coppersmithing above. Note the copper bowl second from right. 

Kettle made from a copper helmet.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/479633429041882527/;