前幾天的一個帖子，承蒙懶蟲的幫忙，所學非淺，知道使用錫器，有很多的妙處：
錫是比較安全的一種金屬：“古時候，人們常在井底放上錫塊，淨化水質。在日本宮廷中，精心釀製的禦酒都是用錫器作為盛酒的器皿。它具有儲茶色不變，盛酒冬暖夏涼，淳厚清冽之傳。錫茶壺泡茶特別清香，用錫杯喝酒石酸清冽爽口，錫瓶插花不易枯萎。”
“錫是排列在白金，黃金及銀後麵的第四種貴金屬，它富有光澤、無毒、不易氧化變色，具有很好的殺菌、淨化、保鮮效用。生活中常用於食品保鮮、罐頭內層的防腐膜等。”
嗬嗬，好東西呢，過去的牙膏皮就是錫做的，我小時候會拿去貨郎擔上換糖。現在的香煙也用錫紙保護，還有很多燒烤也用錫箔，看來應該不會有什麽危害吧？
盡管如此，錫這類的重金屬合金做容器或包裝，對於人體健康可能造成的影響，還是不應該掉以輕心的。
因為中國自古就有很多吞金自殺的先例，近代又有不少使用鋁鍋炒菜造成老年人癡呆和誤食鉛造成小兒大腦發育畸形的個案。
那麽，先看看洋大人們是怎麽說的：
Pewteris an alloy consisting of mostly tin and it is the fourth most preciousmetal. It also has very small amounts of antimony and copper which isadded mainly for strength and/or color. The percentage of tin can varyfrom manufacturer to manufacturer, but most often you will find at theleast 91% tin and the rest in antimony and copper.
Europeanpewter has a minimum tin content of 92% although many of thesemanufacturers raise this to 95% and some even to 97% tin. The higherthe tin content, the more silver the final color.
Pewter dates back to the Roman days and was only something the rich and wealthy could afford.
Despite contrary beliefs today's pewter is perfectly safe to eat and drink from. Modern pewter contains no leadas it once did. How can you tell if your pewter items have lead inthem? This is a question that gets asked quite often. Read on to findout...
The result of lead in pewter is agrayish-black patina on the surface of the item. The amount ofdarkening and type of oxidation can vary depending on the type ofenvironment the items are left in.Mostoften, people will leave this patina on because it creates an antiquelook that many manufacturers try to simulate today. If you should tryto remove it, the layers underneath are then exposed which will in timeonce again corrode and the patina comes back. In all actuality, thepatina layer that forms on lead based pewter acts as a protective layerand should really not be removed.
Lead free pewter can also oxidize over time, but it takes much longer and the color is usually more grayish compared to the lead based pewter which is a darker gray or black in color.
也就是說，以前的錫器，根據廠商的不同，錫含量差異很大，為了增加硬度和顏色，多少都添加銅、銻和一種有對人體有害的重金屬鉛，而鉛的氧化，就會在錫器的表麵，形成現代的收藏家們趨之若鶩的一種叫做包漿的灰褐色的氧化層。而現在歐洲生產的錫器，按照行業標準，基本上都不應該再含有鉛。
可是， 事實又如何呢？
Startingcenturies ago, pewter pieces were branded or etched into the finishedproducts to show that it was a quality product. The mark usuallyconsisted of the mark of the city combined with the maker's mark. Astime went on, the pewter makers started to use their own symbols andmarks. It was at this point the guilds stepped in and brought forthrules and regulations for the stamps.
Alloyregulations were put forth because the amount of tin in the productmade a difference in the quality. Certain quality marks were put intoeffect for good, better and best.
Two of these known high quality marks are the crown with the rose and the ore angel Michael holding a sword in one hand and a balance in the other which dates back to the 18th century.Pewtermanufacturers today still use these old marks along with theircompany's marks. The angel mark has never been controlled or regulatedso you will find many pewter manufacturers today that continue to usethis traditional stamp regardless of whether or not their product isreally a "high quality" product. Some of these products that bear theangel mark may only have a thin plating of pewter or very low tincontent and are usually referred to as decorative or ornamental type pewter.
Tocombat this, in 1973, the pewter guild came out with their hand-madeseal as a representation of high quality pewter. Some manufacturerstoday do not even use a quality stamp other than their own company logoor seal such as SKS Zinn, a leading high quality pewter manufacturer in Germany.
So,although policies and rules have been tried to be put forth, they arenot always followed when it comes to identifying the quality of thepewter. The best advice we can give you is to ask what the pewtercontent is and make sure you are buying from a reputable company. TheFDA requires that the tin content be at least 92% in order to bequalified as "food safe" and you will find some companies go evenbeyond this point with up to 97% pewter. Even though the pewter contentmay be where it should be, who makes the products is also extremelyimportant as we all know that quality can vary between differentcompanies.
盡管美國食品與藥品檢驗總署規定了錫器含錫量的下限是92%，也有一些歐洲的廠商自覺地將含錫量提高到95%和97%以上。可是仍然有一些不法商販，掛羊頭，賣狗肉！
那麽咱中國的情況又如何呢，最近好像也大量出口錫器。曆史上也有大量的茶葉，裝在大大的錫罐裏麵，或翻山越嶺，或飄洋過海，走遍了地球上的每一個角落。
可是，中國無錫，這個城市，少說也有，不止2000年的曆史了吧？
