Information AboutPewter |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT PEWTER | |
| alloys | |
| copper alloys | |
| fusible alloys | |
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Pewter is a and/or Bismuth , as opposed to lead. Bismuth and Zinc can also be added to pewter. Pewter cannot be used to make tools. Physically, pewter is a bright, shiny metal that is very similar in appearance to Silver . Like silver, pewter will also Oxidize to a dull gray over time if left untreated. Pewter is a very Malleable alloy, being soft enough to carve with hand tools, and it also takes good impressions from punches or presses. Some types of pewter pieces, such as candlesticks, would be turned on a metal lathe. Pewter has a low Melting Point , and duplication by Casting will give excellent results. Use of pewter was common from the Middle Age s up until the various developments in Glass -making during the 18th and 19th Centuries . Pewter was the chief tableware until the making of china. Mass Production of glass products has seen glass universally replace pewter in day-to-day life. Pewter Artifact s continue to be produced, mainly as decorative or specialty items. Pewter was also used around East Asia . Roman pewter items are very rare, although some are still in existence. Pewter gradually stopped being used and by 1850, it was just about gone. By the 20th century, however, the craft was brought back into existence. Unlidded mugs and lidded tankards may be the most familiar pewter artifacts from the late 17th and 18th centuries, although the metal is also used for many other items including Porringer s, plates, dishes, basins, spoons, measures, flagons, communion cups, teapots, sugarbowls, and cream jugs. In the early 19thc, changes of fashion witnessed a decline in the use of pewter flatware, but increased production of both cast and spun pewter tea sets, whale-oil lamps, candlesticks, etc. Later in the century, pewter alloys were often used as a base metal for silver-plated objects. The word ''pewter'' is probably a variation of the word Spelter . This became peauter in Dutch , peautre in French , and many other languages. Today, pewter is mainly used in decorative objects, namely collectible statuettes and figurines, replica coins, etc. |
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