Pewter

Manufacturing pewter

The pewter we use rhymes with longevity, warmth, aesthetics and easy maintenance.

We receive pewter ingots that we smelt in a 210°C hot furnace. To make edge profiles, we smelt pewter in vintage cast iron molds. Most date from 1870 to 1930. We also own more recent ones (1950, 2020). We are also capable of realizing contemporary and modern designs.

We format pewter slabs on a wooden chassis
(30 or 2x18 mm CP). Slab and edge profile are then welded together, then scratched, sanded down and curled by hand. Everything is artisanal and done by hand.

Its history

Pewter is a precious metal with a history dating back to Antiquity. It was used by many antique civilizations, including the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans. They mainly used it to make kitchen utensils, ornaments and coins.

Its usage lasted over eras, and became a key element in modern industry, including to weld, coat and to make metal alloys.

The use of pewter was important in international trade, as for centuries it was one of the most sought-after precious metals. To this day, pewter is widely used in many industries. It ranks fourth in the precious metal list.

Specific features

The pewter we use complies with EU and US food hygiene norms. It is naturally antibacterial and antiseptic. Pewter is food graded and non-oxidizable, unlike zinc which is non-food graded. 

Our pewter is imported from Indonesia. During the early XXth century, countertops were made of a 60% pewter and 40% lead. Nicknamed ‘Zinc’, those countertops were nonetheless made of pewter and were called that way because of a distortion of the word ‘Zinn’, which means pewter in German.

In 1941, the French State allowed the German occupier to requisition precious metals.

Pewter or Zinc ?

Le zincPewter
characteristicsOxidizable
Non-food-safe
non-oxidizable
food-safe
antibacterial
antiseptic
weldsvisiblenon-apparent
robustness
longevity
+
+
+++
+++
colorlight gray,
Zinc blue
can darken over time
light gray,
Patina over time
repairs++++
More flexible for
any repair or modification
RESISTANCE TO AGGRESSIVE LIQUIDS+
reacts, forms salts and hydrogen
+++
reacts slowly with acids
ease of maintenance++++
cost€€€

Maintenance

Pewter is a malleable and reasonably ductile grey metal. It is naturally antiseptic and antibacterial.

A pewter countertop is the easiest surface to clean.

Your countertop will very slightly change color and take a patina over time. Pewter is a non-corrosive metal when exposed either to salt or freshwater. Your countertop should be cleaned daily using a slightly humid soft rag or a dishcloth (no detergent is needed). We recommend that you use our soap ‘Le Chardonnet’ every two weeks. This cleaning product is also a 100 percent natural. It maintains your countertop, cleans it and brightens it up.

en_USEnglish