[ Home ]  [ Products Main Page ]  [ News & Updates ]  [ Search ]  [ Company Info. ] 

[ Feedback ]  [ About Pewter ]  [ Services ] [ Awards ] [ Gift Certificate ]

On this page you will find information about pewter, how to care for it, and other information concerning pewter.

Pewter

Pewter, any of a number of ductile, silver-white alloys consisting principally of tin.  The properties vary with the percentage of tin and the nature of the added materials.  Lead, when added, imparts a bluish tinge and increased malleability and tends to escape from the alloy in poisonous quantities if the percentage used is too large; antimony adds whiteness and hardness.  

Other metals including copper, bismuth, and zinc can also be added.  Pewter is shaped by casting, hammering, or lathe spinning on a mold and is usually simply ornamented with rims, moldings, or engraving, although some Continental display ware, especially of the Renaissance period in France and Germany, shows intricate ornamentation.

Pewter was early used in East Asia, and Roman pieces are extant.  England was a pewter center from the Middle Ages; pewter was the chief tableware until it was superseded by china.  America imported much English pewter in colonial times and from c. 1700 made large quantities.  

The craft had virtually disappeared by 1850 but was revived in the 20th century in reproductions and in pieces of modern design.  The collection and study of pewter are increasingly popular, although relatively little old pewter has been preserved because of its small intrinsic value and of the ease with which it may be melted and reused.  Pieces made of Britannia metal are similar in appearance to pewter ware.

Cleaning pewter

Disclaimer:  We have provided this information to assist you in cleaning your pewter product, and therefore it is considered "at your own risk" should you attempt cleaning any pewter product.

If the tarnish is thin with a metallic gleam underneath and if there are no pits or thick crusts of corrosion, you have several options open to you.  If, however, the piece has a thick, brittle crust or areas which are heavily pitted, the decision on the steps to be taken should be made by someone with experience and not rashly attempted by the amateur.  

Indiscriminate cleaning of a badly encrusted piece could reveal holes where the corrosion has eaten right through the metal, or a heavily pock-marked surface which requires extensive filling or mechanical buffing to look presentable.  This should serve as a warning to the purchaser that a heavy layer of corrosion masks the true condition of pewter.

Pewter or Britannia metal is largely tin which in ordinary household environments stays bright and polished for years.  Slowly, however, oxides and other corrosion compounds form on the surface as a result of exposure to oxygen and other gases in the atmosphere.

If the coating is thin it can be washed off using Ajax brand liquid household detergent or some similar product applied with a pad of #0000 steel wool.  Although this technique for removing tarnish requires considerable effort, it is especially rewarding for pieces which are only lightly corroded.  Most collectors prefer the result to that obtained with a complete chemical cleaning.  If the layer is too thick for this method, one must resort to an abrasive or chemical cleaning (see below), or to seek professional help.

Warning:  Use common sense, wear rubber gloves and old clothes when attempting this procedure.  Also, don't forget to protect your eyes.  Keep children and pets away from the work zone.  If you are not comfortable using chemicals, DO NOT attempt this procedure.  This procedure is "at your own risk" and Griffin Pewter shall not be held responsible for damages incurred to the pewter item, clothing, or work area.

Chemical cleaning involves dissolving the surface oxides in a solution which does not attack the pewter base.  A practical and effective alkaline bath for the amateur can be made using common lye (sodium hydroxide), which is available at most supermarkets.  A lye solution will loosen or dissolve the tarnish without attacking the pewter.

Unless protection is provided, the chemical treatment will remove tarnish from the touch marks, crevices in and around moldings, and pits in the surface.  A lye solution can harm the finish on wooden handles and finial buttons, and any jewels or gems.  If the wooden handles or bases are not removable, they and special areas such as touch marks, jewels and gems, can be protected with a coating of paraffin or Vaseline.  Unless small holes in hollow parts such as under handles are plugged, the piece may continue to drip lye, perhaps damaging some polished furniture surfaces as it slowly dries out, sometimes over a period of months.

Common sense precautions should be taken when using the lye cleaning bath.  It is best done in an area such as a basement where the floor will not be damaged by drips; rubber gloves and old clothes should be worn, and children and pets barred from the area.  Goggles or similar item should be worn to protect your eyes from any accidental splashing.

Use a plastic container or pail that is large enough to allow the item to be completely submerged.  Although it is not critical, about an ounce of lye to a gallon of water makes a satisfactory concentrations.  Do not use the lye with aluminum chips made for cleaning kitchen drains.  The action is speeded by using hot water, but of course this is incompatible with the use of wax or Vaseline.

Place the pewter item into the solution so that is is completely submerged.  Any exposed area will leave an unsightly ring at the water line which is very difficult to remove.  Keep the item in the solution from one-half hour to forty-eight hours, depending on the amount of corrosion.  In order to judge when to remove it, make a test by taking it out of the bath (remember the rubber gloves, and protective eye wear) and rub a flat surface lightly with #000 or #0000 steel wool.  If the tarnish does not come off with light rubbing, it is not ready and should be put back.  Handles and spouts are made from a different alloy and are the last to surrender their corrosion.

As soon as the piece is taken out of the lye solution, the tarnish should be removed with the aid of a brush or with a little light rubbing with steel wool.  Then the item must be thoroughly washed with clean water.  Teapots and similar forms are best soaked in water for several hours.  When dry, the surface of the metal has a smoky haze with patches of tarnish here and there.  All of this is removed by rubbing with fine steel wool and pumice.  After this procedure, the piece is washed in soap and water, dried, and shined with a clean dry piece of #0000 steel wool.

Once the metal has been restored to a clean condition, it can be kept that way by washing with very fine steel wool and Ajax Liquid Household Cleaner (or similar product).  Under normal atmospheric conditions this does not need to be done more than once or twice a year.

[ Back to Top ]

[ Home ]  [ News & Updates ]  [ Products Main Page ]  [ Search ]

[ Gift Certificates ] [ Company Info. ]  [ Feedback ]  [ About Pewter ]  [ Services ] [ Awards ]

[ Links ]  [ Home Page ]

We accept ,and use to ship your orders

[  Our site is best viewed at 800x600x24 color screen resolution and Internet Explorer 5.5+ ]

Contact us at:

General Information... info06@griffinpewter*com     Customer Support... support06@griffinpewter*com

Sales Questions... sales06@griffinpewter*com or use our Feedback Form

Thank you for your patronage, and we hope you enjoy your visit.

Copyright © 2000~2007, Griffin Pewter, Inc.  All rights reserved.  No Photo's or logo's may be copied, linked to, or downloaded without written permission.
Last modified: August 04, 2006