Tinsmiths were the sheet metal workers of the preindustrial days in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. This almost certainly includes Africa as well but I haven’t been able to find any depictions yet. These craftsmen created many everyday objects and mended all sorts of metal.
Here we see a smith creating a flask. I doubt he would be whacking it from that height but old images of carpenters and smiths use this convention to show the movement. Behind him are some of his wares including a pitcher, something shaped like a bottle, and a pile of funnels. A stack of prepared metal sheets sits on a table next to him.
The lantern maker has more great tools. He is set up in front of the window for light. His work surfaces are stumps but his bench is a fancy trestle type, not the typical tenon leg affair one normally sees from this period of history. In this image, the smith is in the act of soldering the base onto the lantern. This is the oldest image I have found, so far, of a soldering iron in use. The little three-legged pot on the floor is a brazier, holding coals to heat the iron and he has a pretty nifty stake tool on the bench. I think it’s a shears but please correct me if I’m wrong on that one.
Preindustrial Craftsmanship 
It looks a tad like modern seaming pliers…at least on one side. Terrific post again!
I think it might be an early version of this:
It looks like tin snips for someone who has the hands of a contortionist? LOL
The lower limb is hammered into a stump.
Of course! 😀
I felt I had to say that… just in case ; )
You did good. For all I like to think of myself as a rather handy woman, I wouldn’t have had a clue if you hadn’t! 😀
Wonderful Images!! Where are they from? Do you have a citation?
I think those all came from HERE: http://www.nuernberger-hausbuecher.de/. I can probably relocate them more specifically if needed. They are great. The greatest thing about the internet is the ability to search all these libraries and databases. Good luck!
Thanks!
thx