Pewter

What is pewter? It's one of those words that many of us know but have trouble defining.

Pewter has been around for over 2000 years. As man melted and mixed metals to make alloys for domestic use and artistic expression, he created bronze, which contained a large amount of copper and a small amount of tin. He later found that by reversing these proportions and mixing a large amount of tin with a small amount of copper, a new alloy, pewter was formed. Whether this new alloy came about by choice or chance is not known, but the material was soft and and very workable and became widely used for household items - spoons, cups, plates, bowls, flagons, candlesticks. The addition of lead plates made the alloy even more malleable.

By the 1400's in England the craft of the pewterer had been officially recognized and the "Worshipful Company of Pewterers" kept a record of the many craftsmen, issued hallmarks and controlled the quality of the items produced. As well as the bona fide craftsmen, our nursery rhyme friend the "tinker" dabbled in the craft of pewter. The alloy has a relatively low melting point, so tinkers were able to remelt and repair household pewter items with a minimum of tools which they carried with them from town to town.

By the early 19th century, new developments in pottery enabled man to produce the same items from china and porcelain in vast quantities and at cheaper costs. The use of pewter disappeared until the beginning of the 20th century.

Today's functional pewter no longer contains lead, but contains a small amount of antimony along with the tin and copper. Antimony, a whitish-coloured metal makes the pewter whiter and harder than old pewter. Although it scratches easily, given proper care pewter pieces resist oxidation almost indefinitely. Pewter does not tarnish and is unique in its resistance to the action of almost all acids, so there is no fear of chemical action when using pewterware to serve food or drinks.

Pewter is often used as a substitute for silver, the raw material is cheaper and in the polished state it has a lovely silvery-white sheen that doesn't need the attention silver demands.

Jewellery pieces are made in molds created by the craftsman. After melting the tin, copper and antimony together in a heavy metal pot or "crucible", the alloy is poured into molds. A centrifuge helps distribute the metal evenly. Many jewellery items need an amount of hand-finishing after being cast. One-sided pieces must be smoothed on the back by sanding, others are buffed to a high polish while others require the soldering of findings.

Pewter mugs, bowls and candlesticks are turned on a lathe. After each piece is completed, most pewterers stamp their work or sign it with an engraving tool - look for the mark when buying!