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The word stein is a shortened form of Steinzeugkrug, which is German for stoneware jug or tankard. By common usage, however, stein has come to mean any beer container—regardless of its material or size--that has a hinged lid and a handle. Tankard would be more technically appropriate than stein, but these 2 words are used interchangeably. Some people reserve tankards for the all-pewter or all-silver varieties. Mug is universally used as the name for those vessels that have handles but would never have had a lid.
The early history of stoneware is virtually the same as that for steins in general, since stoneware was for some time the only really important material used to make steins. However, there is a history of making that does precede stoneware, and inforomation about that follows.
Earthenware and Hafner Ware
Earthenware vessels, especially in a baluster shape, were common in the Rhineland area in the 1400's. They were made by firing clay to about 800°C (1500°F) to drive off all the moisture. The resulting pottery was not durable, and the surface was quite porous. None of these early pieces still in existence evidence of having had a lid. Hafner ware pieces, on the other hand, have been found with lids, that is to say, in the true beer stein form. Hafner ware is earthenware that has been covered by a lead glaze to make it nonporous and to somewhat increase its durability. Hafner ware had long been used to make stove tiles and other useful household items. Decorative glazes have been seen on Hafner ware stein, and known examples date from the 1500s to the 1700s. Most of these are from Austria, Northern Switzerland or Southern Germany. They are quite uncommon now.
The most common stoneware are from the Westerwald region. Stoneware is a product of clay heated so intensely, to about 1200°C (2200°F), causing the clay to be vitrified into stone. It is hard to scratch, even with steel, and is impervious to liquids. Thus, glazes have been added only for aesthetic reasons.
Furnaces capable of producing such heat took some time to evolve, but it is really the special clay required for stoneware that prevented earlier discovery of this product. Stoneware clay must be very plastic, free from metallic and alkali impurities, and fired with little (5% or less) shrinkage, no warping, and no cracking. Stoneware clays, sometimes called white gold, were originally mined out of potholes, the sides of which were supported by saplings. These clays are still being mined today, but extensive shaft and tunneling techniques are now used.
A wide variety of materials have been used for production. Below we have listed and briefly described the most prominent ones.
STONEWARE (German-Steinzeug) — Hard material, fired in high temperature kilns generally around 1,200 °C to 1,400 °C . At this temperature, stoneware vitrifies (becomes glass-like). The resulting product is less than 2% porous; therefore, glaze is not mandatory for a stoneware stein. When glaze is used, it must be of a special quality to withstand the high kiln temperature.
PEWTER — A pliable compound consisting of tin, copper, and antimony. European pewter has a minimum tin content of 94%. Copper and antimony are added to harden the metal. The higher the tin content, the more silver the final color. A common misconception is that all pewter products contain lead. Although used in the past, lead is virtually never used in modern pewter stein production. Various techniques are used to create a pewter beer stein. Primarily, steins are component cast — that is, the lids, bodies, handles and special ornamentation are separately made. Pewter is also occasionally rolled or hammered. The final color is a result of the tin content, polishing and chemical antiquing.
CRYSTAL — denotes a material consisting of 24% or more lead crystal. The body is hand-cut, hand engraved and/or patterned by the mold. They are case hardened, usually are mouth-blown and often feature transparent coloring on exterior and/or the interior of the body.
GLASS — The least expensive of all popular materials. Unlike the procedure for making stoneware, pewter, and crystal steins, glass bodies and handles are formed in one mold. Also, the lids are often attached by machine. The bodies are usually transfer decorated, and the only hand work involved usually is the application of a border decoration. CERAMIC MATERIALS — Ceramic steins fall into one of five categories according to the quality of the ceramic mass, the raw materials, the firing temperature, the color, and density of the mass:
STONEWARE (German-Steinzeug) — Hard material, fired in high temperature kilns generally around 1,200 °C to 1,400 °C . At this temperature, stoneware vitrifies (becomes glass-like). The resulting product is less than 2% porous; therefore, glaze is not mandatory for a stoneware stein. When glaze is used, it must be of a special quality to withstand the high kiln temperature.
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