What does pewter the metal feel like?

Answer 1

Pewter is a physically weighty metal alloy made from Lead and Tin (with trace quantities of Zinc and Nickel). To the touch it is naturally cool, and can be worked to feel very smooth. It also has an unusual (for metal) soft feel to it, almost like hard plasticine; you can gouge a fairly deep scratch in it with your fingernail for instance. It is a very pliable metal. Even at room temperature you can bend a relatively thick piece of Pewter with just your hands. Pieces up to around 6mm thick can be torn like paper by a person of average strength, in which respect it is much the same as Lead. It should be noted that some people are naturally mildly allergic to Pewter, and, while allergic reactions of any kind vary from person to person, the typical reaction to Pewter is that of small redened patches of skin and itching in the place that was in contact with the metal. I include this note only because some jewelery is made from Pewter. It is no more likely to cause a reaction than silver or gold, but as with any allergy, all individuals are different.