Pewter—For You?

Both the high price of silverware and the current nostalgia over the past have in some areas sparked a growing interest in pewter tableware. But, you may wonder, just what is pewter anyway?

Basically, it is a metal alloy in which tin is the major component. History says that it may have been used more than 1,000 years before the Common Era. But from the 1300’s C.E. to the 1800’s it was very widely used in Europe and England, for it was a less expensive alternative for silver or gold utensils. It could be cast or hammered into attractive mugs, plates, spoons and forks. These did not “rust,” and they retained a nice appearance. In that period pewter usually was composed of 90-percent tin and 10-percent lead, though sometimes a little copper was added for hardness. Poorer quality pewter might have up to 40-percent lead, making it much softer and more easily dented.

In more recent times lead has been eliminated from pewter. The lead tended to cause some tarnishing, and it could combine with certain foods to form toxic substances that might even produce lead poisoning. Antimony and copper are now combined with the tin instead of lead. So if you buy pewter of modern origin, likely it will be an alloy of tin, antimony and copper. Take care, though, that if you pay for pewter, pewter is what you get, not an imitation made out of aluminum.

If you have real pewter objects, they may look somewhat like dull silver. Some pewter, though, does take and hold a high polish. You should wash your pewter dishes and tableware as soon after use as possible. Use hot soapy water (never in a dishwasher) and rinse well. Do not leave pewter objects to dry in the air, for that may cause water spots that are hard to remove. Rather, dry them with a soft cloth. That will help them to retain their warm, pleasant appearance, one of the attractive features of pewter.