Tinware

As pewter is called household and everyday items such as crockery and cutlery, vases and ornaments, made ​​from tin alloy ( pewter or Britannia metal). In the Süddeutsche the term pewter dishes is generalizing used for anything pewter.

History

Pewter has a long tradition and has already been demonstrated for about 2000 years, although a few very old pieces have been preserved (as grave goods, for example ), since the material was already melted down again and again, when the unit was no longer usable. Remains and is particularly ecclesiastical pewter, which had less wealthy communities in use.

Tin was always used because of its corrosion resistance, when silver was too precious. Pure tin has a silver sheen and similar positive characteristics in resistance to food. Original pewter has little in common with the most artificially aged historicist decorative objects of our day. Pewter was often tableware, would have been disruptive to the overloaded ornaments. It showed very well the prosperity of the middle class and was sort of the silver of the little man.

Production

Most pewter is poured. Tin can be processed in all common casting processes (sand casting, permanent mold, centrifugal casting, pressure casting). Commonly used but also the pressing, in particular extrusion for cups, among other things rotationally symmetric parts. Hammers and bustle is less common. Items are often joined together by soldering. Burrs or unclean surfaces are finished by machining processes such as turning or grinding.

Care of Zinngeräts

Lead -free pewter is resistant to tarnishing highly patinated ( aged ) pewter changes only very slowly. Pewter that is not in constant use, should be dusted regularly, as the dust can result in corrosion due to moisture well. To flush Commercially available detergents are without bleaching additives, from cleaning in the dishwasher is not recommended. Since tin is a soft metal, you should use only soft cloth. For disturbing correspondents special Zinnputzmittel is commercially available.

Pewter and " lead-free "

Pure tin is absolutely safe for food. Tin but is to be avoided because of the better workability, higher strength and to tin pest almost always as an alloying. Common alloys are alloys with antimony and lead ( especially in solders ). At least since the Middle Ages, the toxicity of lead compounds is known. Toxic particular lead salts that may arise in contact with food ( fruit juice, wine, vinegar ... ). The alloy therefore had from time immemorial as a rule more than 10% lead content (for example, the English Pewter ), which was monitored by the guilds. Pewter dishes with this relatively high lead content is likely to be only rarely to find, as it was customary to be melted down old abgestoßenes pewter for new again. In the 18th century arrived in England on the largely lead-free Britannia metal. Since the zinc-lead - Act of 1887 ( max. 7% antimony max. 2 % copper ) is in Germany, only pewter with a maximum of 0.5 % of lead permitted. Simulations with citric acid, beer and coke were in contact for 24 hours at 20 ° C 0.3-0.9 ppm ( Cola! ) detected in the solution. For occasional use, the use is so dangerous, especially acute lead poisoning is not to be feared. Especially when the vessel was already widely in use and the superficial present lead is already solved long ago, threatens no significant load more. Because lead accumulates but also in trace amounts in the body, this dish should not be used anymore (according to DIN 17810 ). Even the angel with scales (old RAL-Seal ) is today not a seal for safety.

New pewter ware for use with food must not contain or emit no lead.

Recycling

The interest in pewter ware is currently low. At home small and large collections are free again. Experience has shown that even beautiful pieces from the period after 1950 usually only for their commercial value for sale. Tin as the most expensive non-ferrous metal in the budget for jewelry is from the local Goldankäufer or by specialized companies purchased (tin purchase ).