Pewter mug from thrift store safe to use?

[bellevivre]

yep, well, one of the knock offs, anyway! Lemmie see if I have the pictures I sent to the Pewter Collectors Society...

here it is



it has actual touchmarks and whatnot, but looks like it was cast then machined, as there is large crystalline features on the inside (like you see on the aluminum guardrails on roads) They were really interested in it as it was a shape they'd never seen, and that the marks were relatively clear, clearer than they'd seen in the past...

It's mt very favourite part of my faire kit- when in London, I bought a nifty glass bottom tankard that has a renaissance groat in the bottom... but I never use it!

[chinamimi]

Thanks everyone.

[Charlotte Rowan]

If you're ever worried about lead in a product (pewter, ceramic, glazes, etc) there a small inexpensive kit you can get at Home Depot or such, that swabs the material and changes color if it detects lead. Easy and cheap peace of mind.

No kidding! That's good to know! I didn't even know that pewter could contain lead! I guess I should test my mug! I have a thrift store mug... Been using it for several years. Maybe that explains a few things... 

Hmmm I didn't even think about this either! I've only used a pewter mug for one season, but I might need to test it before next year!

[iain robb]

But ... good luck with the testing kit. I bought a kit and, as I recall, it was supposed to leave a black mark if the mug contained lead. Sounds good.

I tried it on a mug I am almost certain does not contain lead, and on one I think might contain lead. On the one that almost certainly does not contain lead, it left a mark that was a little darker than the rest of the metal. On the other one, it left a mark that was a little more dark than the mark on the other mug.

So what does that mean? As far as I can figure out, it means the one I am almost certain does not contain lead almost certainly does not contain lead, and the one that I think might contain lead, I think might contain lead. Oh, and I had less money.

[Rowan MacD]

 Aren't those test kits for paint?  They may change color differently for on metal use, unless they can also be used to identify lead pipes in plumbing.

[iain robb]

Perhaps there is a test kit for lead pipes, and I got the wrong type. It's been a while, but as I recall there was only one type available and it was supposed to work on anything.