Charles

Hello! My name is Charles, and I was born in and live in Bangkok. I am the 2nd generation of my family's brassware business that started 50 years ago. I was involved in this craft since I was young, as an assistant to my father. After I graduated, my relatives and I cooperated to work together.

Over 50 years ago, my father started as a middleman who bought and sold second-hand brassware. At that time brassware was rare and limited. The available items were mostly made a very long time ago, like over 100 years. My father wanted to preserve the traditional designs of the brassware from the past. He started to produce about 20 brassware designs with 2-3 craftsman, and now we have more than 2,000 designs and 100 craftsmen.

"The craft starts from either trimming pure brass sheet to fit a mold or using a casting method—it depends on the type of product. We have many stages of production; some must be done by hand, and some use machines. At some stages, such as when pouring brass water into a mold, the craftsman must be skillful or there could be air bubbles in the finished product.

"There are more than 20 steps performed by over 10 craftsmen to create one object. Brass is a metal alloy that is made of copper and zinc. We use our own mixing method for the best quality, which makes the product durable and attractive. Now we have about 100 craftsmen; some live with us, and some live in Bangkok or in a nearby province. We take very good care of our workers and live like a family. We share the work by ability; if someone was good at making brass pans, he would do it continually.

"I hope the new generation will get to know the value of Thai brass, because the traditional designs represent the Thai culture from the past to the present. I want this unique brassware to become more popular on the international market. I hope you will love it!"