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Pewterers

mikejee

Super Moderator
Staff member
Attached is a cutting from 1971 concerning what was probably the last pewtering firm in Birmingham, James Smellie. Are there any pewterers in the city now?
mike

James_Smellie_8_9_71__1A~0.jpg


James_Smellie_8_9_71__2A~0.jpg
 
I don't know about Pewterers,but that chap in the photo is a handspinner,there must be some about even now. When I worked at Bulpitts many years ago It was fascinating to watch the handspinners at their work. It was quite a skilled job,I could have watched them for hours but the foreman used to get a bit funny about it:)

Terry
 
Hi Mike, well i was a pewterer , i worked for Pewter and SilverPlate, and well after 1971 !!! .
The company was originally when i joined in 1967 in King Edwards Parade, facing the side entrance to Bingley hall.
We later moved to Ledsam St by Bellis and Morcam.
I spent much of my time working at the Cutting out and Tinning up shop in Warstone Parade East, i was what was known as a " Maker Up " or Necker!!. Its strange to look back now at the soldering fluid or flux that we used was Rape Seed Oil, later we used a faster fluid called Oiliec acid.
The company closed down in 1976, after an American take over by Raymond Silver. Max
 
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Terry, Malta & Max
Thanks for that all of you .I didn't know if any survived. It was the tone of the article that made me think it might have been the last one .
Max
I agree about the memories, and often younger people (well some of them) find all the (too them) mysterious happenings back then very interesting. Incidently the Rapeseed oil you used would be very different from the rapeseed oil you buy in the supermarket today. The old sort is still produced, but a new (supposedly) more healthy type has been developed for food that technically is related to the older sort, but is very different.
Mike
 
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