Good old tin bathtubs! Warmed by the fire, flames gently flickering in the grate. There is no doubt that the thought of the iconic tin bathtub conjurs a nostalgia so strong you could wrap yourself up in it and give yourself a hug. But despite our fondness for this memory of the past, current trends greatly underestimate the superhero properties of this elemental material. So we have decided to wave the flag for Tin, shout from the rooftops and give this glorious miracle of nature the credit it deserves!
Behold, the rise of the #tinfluencers
Now, in order to appreciate the present you must understand the past… so let’s go back to the start.
Tin itself is as old as human civilisation. Dating back to 3,000 B.C Tin was one of the first metals ever to be worked by human hands which in and of itself holds a certain degree of romance. Highly versatile, malleable and robust, this white silver metal proved not only to be beautiful, but extremely resilient with transformative protective abilities.
How does this apply to baths?
You will all have seen the traditional copper pans lined with tin, well tinning to protect copper from tarnishing is as old as the hills, and the technique was adopted during the Victorian times to protect Copper Baths for precisely the same purpose.
Creating a protective coating between the copper and the air, the tin finish on our Tin Bathtubs prevents any patination or tarnish from developing and provides a natural raw metal finish that maintains its soft silver sheen. Fast forward to today and tinning is used primarily for decorative purposes but the techniques used to apply it remain pretty much the same.
The process
We still use the same traditional, ancient artisan techniques to hand apply the Tin as were used since time immemorial. The copper is heated through and flux is used to remove any impurities from the surface which would stop the tin from running onto the copper. Then the solid tin ingots are deposited onto the hot copper which melt on contact. The molten tin is then swept evenly over the surface in one smooth motion using “moleskin” rags which gives a stunning textured finish full or artistic narrative. Of course we use synthetic material so no moles are injured in the making of our baths!
It sounds so simple… but is in fact a highly skilled process. Tin can only ever be smoothed over any single area once. There are no second chances. The stunning satin finish created by our craftsmen is the result of decades of practice and fine tuning of artisan skills.
The result
The resulting finish is a classic icon of style. With the Food Grade Tin applied over the hand beaten copper a glorious rustic-luxe effect is produced. Full of history and narrative you can virtually see our Master Craftsmen at work through the textured sweep and tones of this minimalist and classic choice. With a gentle satin sheen, the subtle silver finish compliments virtually any style or interior adding an understated sense of warm, honest luxury.
The benefits
All of our baths are designed to be extremely hard wearing and last for years and years, however of all the finishes our Tin Bathtubs are still a step ahead in terms of durability and resilience. So much so that we even recommend tin as the perfect option for using outdoors. If your looking for a suitable outdoor bath you may want to read this article Are Copper Baths Suitable for Outdoor Use. Over time, the tin develops a glorious pewter like tone, ageing subtly but gracefully in tune with time. Wouldn’t we all like to do that 😉
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