How to repair a German Beer Stein
How to repair a German Beer Stein
How to repair a German Beer Stein the right way makes a difference in its appearance and its value. Once a stein is I need of repair, the value drops by nearly 50%. If the repair to it is done professionally and correctly the drop in value could be as little as 10% or as great as 40%. It is all dependants on what was damaged and to what extent.
Lids and thumblifts are the most common items in need of repair with the old German beer steins. This is due greatly because this is the only moving part on the stein. The rings on the lid can become worn, brittle and break. This is the easiest item to repair.
For some that are thinking the dents in the lids of their German beer steins are in need of repair, think twice. Dents will always occur in the steins lid because the pewter metal that is used is malleable. A too perfect lid on an old beer stein would be a dead giveaway that it had been repaired and the value of it would be diminished.
The thumblift is very often cracked or broken off. This is because of the constant pressure being applied to it when opening the lid. As the German beer stein ages, the hinge of the lid can become clogged with small amounts of debris. This will make it stiff to open, thus causing the thumblift to have excessive wear. These can be easily repaired by a professional, but there will be signs of this repair that cannot be hidden.
The most costly and heart breaking types of damage that could ever beset a German beer stein is when the stoneware itself is chipped or cracked. This takes a professional restorer in the art of porcelain and stoneware to correct. These are craftsmen that are getting fewer as the years pass by.
Most of the ceramic restoration shops can make your old German beer stein look like new again. But with the repair and restoration, all of the age that was on the stein will be removed, thus diminishing its value. Unfortunate if the repaired stein is not totally restored, the repaired area will stand out.
To restore a German beer stein, the stoneware will have to be refired in a kiln in most cases. This would require all of the metal or pewter items to be removed and then reassembled after the decanter is cooled down again. The more that is done, the greater chance of damaging the stein and the greater loss in value it will have.
If you feel you must have your German beer stein repaired make sure it is done correctly with a reputable dealer. The repair job has to be just as good or better than the original craftsmanship that went into making the stein. There is nothing worse than losing the value of your stein on a repair job that then flakes off or is otherwise imperfect in time. This would cause the stein to lose more value than if it were never repaired at all.
This is how to repair a German beer stein if you must.