The company was originally created from the merging of Ystad-Metall in Ystad, Scania/Sweden and Metab in Karlshamn, Blekinge/Sweden. After the merger in 1969 the new company Scandia Present AB was gathered in Karlshamn.
The company had its heyday in the 70's and 80's. The last production stopped in 2007 and the company was closed in 2010.
Real Scandia Pewter - a precious metal that is ideal for utility purposes
We would like to point out that several of Scandia Present's pewter products come with a small, red folder in which the information below appears in Swedish. DPH Trading does not assume responsibility if the text below proves to be incorrect.
Scandia pewter is of the highest quality and alloyed with antimony and copper to, among other things, provide increased hardness. The surfaces are oxidized, which means that the objects become more and more beautiful over the years. This also means that pewter objects have always been and still are very attractive collectibles.
Material declaration for Scandia Pewter:
- Pewter: 93.0%
- Copper: 1.5%
- Antimony: 5.5%
How do I tell real pewter from "fake" pewter?
Although the pewter is alloyed with small amounts of other substances, it is still called "real" pewter.
"Fake" pewter will be pewter that has been mixed with less precious metals, such as lead, to make it cheaper. Unfortunately, such disruptions have occurred quite often over the years. And lead is unhealthy.
Can I eat from Scandia pewter?
You may, as Scandia Presents pewter is pure. However, you must be aware that pewter must NOT be used for storage. Tin is unsuitable for storing food or drinks, especially if it is acidic food and drinks, such as fruit creams, compotes or salads with vinegar dressing. - Storing these in tin can cause sudden stomach problems, and the stitches can also leave ugly stains on the metal, which will be difficult to remove again.
In Denmark it's said that you should be aware that if a pewter object contains lead and antimony, which together make up more than 10%, these must not be used for food. Cf. Scandia Present, however, this is not the case in their products.
How do I maintain my Scandia Present pewter products?
Scandia pewter is very pure and when used normally, it should never be polished, only washed and dried well. Likewise, you should not put pewter in the dishwasher. Tin should also not be exposed to frost, especially not below 13°C.
Pewter has a rich history
Actually pewter as art and craft dates back to ancient times. Eg. more than 6,000 years ago, pewter products were highly valued in Egypt, where it often had to follow it's owners to the grave, so that they could continue to enjoy it "on the other side". Pewter can also be traced back 4,000 years to China and India, where pewter products were valued in the high cultures. Pewter is actually also mentioned in the Bible, already in Numbers (one of the five Books of Moses). Here it says that the priest Eleazar counts the pewter among other spoils of the crisis, and then distributes it after the victory over the Midianites.
The Greek poet Homer, to whom the two great epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey, have been attributed since ancient times, has also mentioned tin. He called the pewter Cassiterite, which is a name that recurs when it comes to the mysterious "pewter islands" - also called the Cassiterides. These islands have been told about by many writers over time, but despite this, to this day there are still none that knows with certainty where exactly are. Some believe that it must be England, while others, including the author Herodotus, believed that the islands must be the islands off Brittany - Belle-Ile-en-Mer, Ile Houat, etc. Younger authors such as Poseidonius and Ptolemy, on the other hand, believed that the islands must be in northwestern Spain.