Tinsmiths used their scrap tin that was left over to form other projects. They carefully formed this scrap into simple shapes to sell to the farmers' wives as cookie cutters. Solder was expensive, the tin cookie cutters had solid backs. Handles and other peices were soldered with small dots or when solder became cheaper cutters were put together with large welds to replace dots. *
*Taken from the internet "Collecting antique and Vintage Cookie Cutters"