items (0)
At Yellobox, we are proud to state that our tankards and a substantial percentage of our Hip Flask range are made from the attractive metal, ‘pewter’. From our images, we are confident that the glistening, clear shine of this smooth metal will appear almost hypnotic to our visitors. For those who have been fortunate enough to receive one of these products in a ‘Yellobox’, it is certain that you have been dazzled by its radiant high quality and durable strength. Otherwise, you are fully entitled to a 14 day Money Back Guarantee.
The pewter used within our products is highly polished and reflects the high standard of excellence that the ‘Hallmarks’ (which are located on all of our pewter products) represent. Please select any of the links below to learn more.
This semi-precious metal alloy ranks fourth in metal value after platinum, gold and silver. The primary principle a metal must conform to in order to be defined as ‘Pewter’, is to be composed of between 85% and 96% tin. The remaining material could be any number of ductile, silver-white alloys. Consequently, the properties of the metal can vary according to the nature of these added materials and their respective ratios. Throughout the long history of pewter, it has had many compositions and currently there are still numerous varieties in production.
Traditionally, lead was commonly used as an alloy. It gave the metal a faint blue hue and increased its malleablility. An extreme disadvantage however, was that it tended to add poisonous properties to the metal if used in remotely high quantities. As in the hip flasks and tankards, from Yellobox, pewter has been used for eating and drinking utensils. Accordingly, lead is no longer used in the production of pewter today for understandable health reasons.
Alternatively, pewter is currently manufactured using varying ratios of hardening agents such as, copper, antimony and sometimes bismuth. Pure tin is too soft to exist as the sole content of most utensils or uses and therefore, antimony has a considerable strengthening effect as well as improving casting qualities. It usually constitutes between 0.5% and 8% of modern pewter. Copper offers similar properties to the metal alloy as well as aiding retention of the antimony when the pewter is in a molten state. It usually accounts for between 0.25% and 2.5% of the mixture.
In general, the resulting metal shines brightly with an appearance likened to silver. Similarly, it can oxidize to form a dull grey if not treated (see Keeping your Pewter ‘Yellobox fresh’) however unlike silver, does not tarnish to a blackened hue. Pewter has a low melting point and is relatively malleable for a semi precious metal. The versatile material can therefore be used to construct many items such as hip flasks and tankards and allows effective impressions from punches or presses.
As quality hallmarked on all of our pewter hip flasks and tankards, Yellobox employs at least 92% tin within manufacturing process of the metal alloy. As explained and reasoned in, What is ‘Pewter’? , the remaining constituents of modern lead free pewter are the hardening agents, copper (0.5 – 8%) and antimony (0.25-2.5%).
The manufacture of pewter commences with the melting of tin in a cast iron melting pot. The relative percentage weight of copper is then added to the molten tin, which sinks and dissolves. This sub-process can take place at relatively low temperatures. When the antimony is added, dissolving is problem-free at around 400°c.
When this melting process is complete, the molten material is cooled and stirred before being poured into ingot moulds. Pewter can be shaped by hammering, casting or spinning as mold on a lathe. The finalized product is then usually ornamented with rims, moldings or engraving.
Alternatively, after hardening ‘Pewter sheets’ can be created by scalping layers off the ingot mould with casting billets and passing them through rollers to reduce the thickness and flatten further. These sheets are highly versatile and can be used to make a variety of items and hollow ware designs (such as our Hip Flasks and Tankards).
It has been widely claimed that the metal pewter has been used by the Chinese up to two thousand years ago. There is evidence to suggest it was used to make primitive utensils in the ancient world by civilizations such as the Egyptians and Romans.
The first evidence of pewter in use in England dates back to the 10th Century and it had developed into extensive use within Europe during the mediaeval times. The metal was used in plates, dishes, pots and other tableware as well as in church for crosses, candlesticks and communion vessels. Unfortunately, little pewter has survived from this early period as many damaged or worn items were simply melted and recycled. America imported a supply of pewter from England during these colonial times and began manufacturing the metal independently from the 17th Century onwards.
It was around this same time, when practices used in Continental Europe influenced Britain to incorporate the hardening agent, ‘antimony’ within the pewter production process. This can somewhat be regarded as the ‘Golden Age’ of pewter manufacture and many vessels and utensils made during this period still exist due to its greater durability.
Eventually, other materials replaced pewter for use in practical items and utensils. Throughout the Middle Ages, it had been the main constituent of tableware until China superseded it. Additionally, various developments in glass and clay products during the 18th and 19th Centuries meant these materials were preferred over the traditional pewter for utilitarian purposes.
Fortunately for the prosperity of this fine metal, pewter has been experiencing a renaissance in relation to decorative purposes with the creation of home décor and fashion articles. The production of pewter jewellery, ornaments, picture frames, candlesticks cutlery, plates and obviously tankards and hip flasks is in support of this. Furthermore, to promote accessibility to the general consumer, many of the items that were created in Sterling silver during the Victorian era, are now made in pewter. Likewise, it is widely respected as a valuable semi-precious metal for both its versatility and rich, luminous shine.
As previously explained in our What is ‘Pewter’? section, the metal pewter is composed of a high but varying amount of tin. This percentage of the overall weight is directly related to the quality of the metal alloy, which rises as the proportion of tin to other hardening metals does.
Concrete evidence has proven that pewter items have been branded or etched to represent their quality since many centuries ago. These markings were most commonly made as representations of the city of origin along with the manufacturer’s mark. As time and the use of pewter progressed however, many variations had evolved through the use of personal symbols and the need for a standard was acknowledged.
In 1478, the need was met by the ‘Worshipful Company of Pewterers’, which was established to ascertain control over the expanding pewter trade. Inspectors from this society travelled all over England, paying visits to workshops and testing pewter items for their composition of tin. On completing apprenticeship, pewter manufacturers were required to have registered a ‘touch mark’. This was to be stamped on their pewter products that adhered to a standard of quality it was to represent. Consequently, if the quality failed to meet this standard due to a high level of lead for example, the manufacturer would incur a fine and perhaps have their production rights removed.
Today, marks are not formally controlled or regulated and consequently, there are variations in the nature of marks that manufacturers currently use on their pewter items. With no reflection on the quality of the metal, pewter is often found without a mark or with only the mark of the company manufacturer. Many products display an increasingly wide diversity of intriguing letters, numbers and symbols that represent clues as to its maker, origin and age.
In an attempt to assemble or identify a pattern of the most common features of marks used, the average British pewter may employ one or more of the following types of marks:
The above is an example of the marks that our ‘Sheffield Mint’ pewter hip flasks may be laden with. The four symbols seem to correlate with the order of marks suggested previous. All the pewter from Yellobox will be hallmarked and is guaranteed to have a minimal amount of 92% tin. We can see verification of this claim in the symbol positioned second from the left above. At Yellobox we strive to offer you the finest in style with the utmost in quality. Our pewter easily complements this aim and the symbols above prove this as well as a radiant and polished shine that simply dazzles.
Fortunately, pewter does not tarnish and so does not require cleaning as often as Sterling silver. The lead-free pewter you find at Yellobox has a highly polished finish and is extremely shiny and smooth. Very gradually, it may oxidize to form a grayish layer on the surface although really requires cleaning as little as a couple of times a year.
Please read the following tips that you can use to retain the radiant shine your pewter dazzled you with when you opened your ‘Yellobox’ for the first time:
