About Colin Hamer Pewter

Many of my pieces are spun on a lathe in two or more parts and then welded together

Many of his pieces were spun on a lathe in two or more parts and then welded together

Colin Hamer

Colin was a metallurgical engineer, scientist and pewtersmith. He learned his craft from Doug Shenstone, who was one of Canada's first master pewtersmiths. While working as a metallurgist, he always had hobbies during his spare time – from candle-making to oil painting. One day he visited Doug's workshop to buy a pair of wine goblets and before Colin left he had convinced Doug to take him on as a student. Colin has been pewtering since 1976. For many years, until his retirement in 1995 from Natural Resources Canada, pewtersmithing was his avocation. Since retirement it has been his profession.

What is a Pewtersmith?

Colin was one Canadian few pewtersmiths. A pewtersmith is a craftsperson who can form and shape a sheet of pewter by hand using hammers and stakes. Spinning and shaping pewter discs against forms on a lathe is often part of the process. Then, spun shapes are welded together, and these simple shapes are combined to make more complex shapes such as tea pots, jugs, candle holders and oil lamps. Some parts, such as handles, stems and hinges, are produced by casting. This involves melting the pewter and pouring it into a mould.

What is Pewter Made of?

Pewter is an alloy of tin, antimony, and copper. The alloy Colin used was 92% tin, 7% antimony and 1% copper. Hundreds of years ago, pewter contained lead, but modern pewter contains no lead and is safe to use for food and drink.

Colin’s designs ranged from classical, traditional pieces, as well as modern – and at times, downright weird – designs. He also liked to incorporate etching, welding, exotic woods and stained glass in some of his pieces.

Colin’s touchmark is added to all of his work. This is on an unfinished piece, added while the pewter is still flat.

Colin’s work is identified by his touchmark, which is a distinctive design on the bottom of every piece. It incorporates his initials "CAH", with a crossed mallet and gad with the the word PEWTER underneath.  As his work goes all over the world, he also stamped CANADA as the country of origin. The crossed mallet and gad was the guild symbol of the miners and smelters dating from the 13th century, and still used by present-day miners and metallurgists. These tools are similar in appearance to the hammers used in pewtersmithing.

You can learn more about him here: