E.P. Thompson · Hand-worked copper

Copper, made to be used.

Purposeful kitchen tools and protective objects, shaped in small batches and designed to grow more distinctive with time.

Illustrated copper workshop with hand tools and warm copper sheet

Concept artwork for the draft; replace with a real workshop photograph before launch.

01 / Featured work

Useful by nature.

Three pieces that show the range: a kitchen tool, a protective box, and a tabletop object—each letting solid copper do what it does best.

Illustration of a seven-hole copper herb and leaf stripper with rosemary and kale

Concept artwork

Kitchen / solid copper

Seven-hole herb stripper

A compact, hand-worked kitchen tool for pulling leaves from sturdy stems.

$44.97
Illustration of a solid copper Faraday storage box beside a car key fob

Concept artwork

Protection / solid copper

Faraday storage box

A lidded copper enclosure designed for electronics and key-fob signal protection.

Made by hand
Illustration of a hand-hammered copper cigar ashtray on dark stone

Concept artwork

Tabletop / solid copper

Copper cigar ashtray

A substantial tabletop piece with a hand-hammered surface and clean cigar rest.

Made by hand
“The finish isn’t the final chapter. Copper keeps writing it.”

Patina is part of the material. Bright copper warms, deepens, and records the way an object is handled. Keep that living finish—or polish it back when you want the shine.

That choice belongs to the person using the piece.

02 / Material care

Keep the character. Control the shine.

01

Wash by hand

Use warm water, mild soap, and a soft cloth. Dry promptly rather than leaving copper wet.

02

Let it age naturally

Everyday handling will deepen the surface color. That gradual change is normal.

03

Polish only when you want to

A copper-safe polish can restore brightness. Follow the product directions and rinse thoroughly.

Launch recommendation · September 2026

Start lean. Own the checkout.

01

Low fixed overhead

At $15 monthly, the site has a small hurdle to clear before direct orders start improving margin.

02

Made for makers

The service includes an Etsy product importer, custom-domain support, inventory, discounts, labels, and tax tools.

03

Upgrade only when earned

Move to Diamond for abandoned-cart recovery and more automation, or Shopify when richer integrations justify the extra spend.

Margin checkpoint

When does the monthly fee pay for itself?

This isolates Etsy’s 6.5% transaction fee against a $15 monthly platform fee. Both routes still have payment-processing costs; traffic and conversion are not assumed.
$
$50.00

estimated monthly margin retained after the $15 plan fee, before payment processing, domain, apps, ads, and changes in conversion.

Options considered

The sensible shortlist.

Big Cartel Platinum$15/mo

Best starting profit math. Custom domain, commerce tools, Etsy import, and Google Shopping support. Confirm catalog limits before committing.

Big Cartel Diamond$30/mo

Best step-up if abandoned-cart recovery and broader automation are worth at least $15 more each month.

Shopify Basic$39/mo
$29/mo annual

Best long-term ecosystem and channel depth, but the higher fixed cost should be earned by sales or integrations you actually use.

Square Online$0+ / month

Useful for testing checkout with no subscription, but a professional custom domain and stronger site controls require a paid setup.

Snapshot checked September 20, 2026. Plan details: Big Cartel pricing, Square Online plans, and 2026 Shopify plan comparison. Confirm final taxes, card rates, catalog limits, and promotions at signup.

Low-risk rollout

Four moves, in order.

01

Connect a domain

Use a short .com that matches the maker name. Keep Etsy live while the new site earns trust.

02

Import, then curate

Bring over the Etsy catalog, but launch the home page around the Herb Stripper, Faraday box, and Cigar Ashtray instead of treating every item equally.

03

Replace concept art with real photos

Use the existing Etsy photography, then add the herb-stripper video to the product page. Real workshop detail should lead the story.

04

Send paid traffic to the owned store

Keep Etsy for discovery; route Pinterest and other self-generated traffic to the standalone checkout where the fee advantage can matter.