What is pewter?
” It’s a good question, one of which the answer to has changed many times over the centuries. Pewter is an alloy…..that part of the answer has not changed over the years, but the contents of the alloy has. An alloy is a mixture of natural elements, which permanently change the properties of those elements. Once combined, the mixture is renamed, almost as if a new element was formed. Examples of non-alloy metals which are natural elements: gold silver tin to name a few. These metals are found in nature “as is” so to speak and contain no other ingredients. (exceptions may occur in the jewelry industry.) Metal alloys, however, contain two or more ingredients, which after combining with each other, form a new metal. Often it takes on new characteristics, such as color, density, higher or lower melting points, weight, etc. Examples of metal alloys are: Pewter – tin, antimony, bismuth, copper, lead Bronze – copper and tin Brass – copper and zinc Pewter, depending on its use, can be made wi
Pewter is an alloyed metal made primarily from tin, with a small component of lead, copper, bismuth, or antimony. It has been traditionally used to make tableware and decorative items. The metal is highly ductile, meaning that it can easily be worked, embossed, or carved. The malleable nature of pewter has been harnessed for thousands of years, at least since Roman times, and the metal was at one point highly prized. Tin is the metal which appears in the highest concentration in pewter. Most pewter uses at least 90% tin, although other alloys may use as little as 63% tin. The other metals in the alloy are used as hardeners, to make pewter practical for daily use and metalworking. Classically, pewter has been cast in molten form, although it has also been worked in other ways. Pewter is also highly tarnish resistant, although it does form a protective patina with age. In color, pewter starts out glossy and bright, almost like silver. Over time, the metal oxidizes and acquires a grayish
Pewter is an alloy made by mixing copper with tin. In what is sometimes called fine pewter the ratio of tin to copper is 13 parts copper to 56 parts of tin. Which approaches the maximum amount of copper absorbable by tin. However, fine pewter is relatively rare and the exact mixture will matter little to the collector. All the forms of pewter discussed below are hard, white in color, are easily burnished and retain their polish despite frequent use and handling. Nearly all pewter contains antimony as well. There are types of pewter particularly popular in the making of decorative plates and tea sets that contain little or no copper but a high level of antimony. Antimony creates very hard alloys that are noted for their clear sound. Antimony is a common material in the making of bells. Pewter that contains a good deal of antimony has been called bell pewter or Pembertons alloy. In some cases brass, another alloy is used in place of copper. Some purists refuse to call this material pewte
Throughout it’s long history pewter has had an almost infinite variety of compositions, even today there are still numerous varieties produced. Through time the only common factor is a relatively high tin content which is hardened by additions of other elements. The main properties of tin that are exploited by pewter are the low melting point, good casting properties and appearance, pure tin is too soft to be of use. Many European languages make no distinction between pewter and tin for example in French étain is the same word for both. This may appear strange and certainly makes for some interesting conversations, it’s a bit like having the same word for bronze and copper, but equally given the large range of compositions and the factor that tin is the main ingredient you can see the logic. Pewter’s low melting point has always made it ideal for working with minimal equipment, ideal for the small workshop and great for creativity. If it all goes wrong its very easy to melt it down and
Pewter is an alloy that consists mainly of tin, with smaller amounts of copper and antimony added in desired proportions. The proportion of tin in pewter may be as high as ninety per cent. About two to eight per cent antimony and three per cent copper may be added to increase its hardness and its strengthening properties. Earlier, pewter also contained lead. Lead, however, caused tarnishing and had a tendency to poison food. Such an alloy was subsequently replaced by non-lead pewter called Britannia metal. Pewter has a white, metallic color resembling silver and a finish that can vary from dull to highly polished. Articles made of pewter need to be handled carefully because it is a soft alloy that can dent easily.
