Posted by Jesse Brennan on February 16, 19100 at 01:54:05:

In Reply to: Topic: Working Native Copper posted by Lanna on February 01, 19100 at 23:42:50:

I saw this request a while back and lost?? it before I could answer it in a way. I posted this as part of another request on casting copper so I'll add this here:

An interesting place where working copper is the village specialty is Santa Clara de Cobre in Mexico. They used to refine copper and make hammer forged

products. Today the melt copper scrap into ingots and hammer forge utilitarian and art objects. See:

http://www.ccu.umich.mx/mich/santa-clara/ (in spanish)

http://www.ecobre.com/htmls/cc.html

There was an article in Metalsmith on Santa Clara a while back but I don't have it handy.

I have wanted to go there but haven't made it yet.

This is as close to working native copper as I know about and it a long, long way from the shore of Lake Superior. Worth a visit I'm sure.

Jesse

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