I finally tracked down and scored one of the elusive Wilton Armetale bicentennial shaving mugs offered by Williams shaving soap in 1976. This is not mine, but mine is just like it. It was a major score for me since I collect Williams memorabilia.
Not very long as I haven't collected Williams memorabilia very long. I just typed it into the search engine on ebay and it pulled right up. There were and still are several more still there. Alot of people mistakenly look for "pewter" in their searches for this item, but they were not pewter, but were made of "Armetale" which is an alloy of aluminum. No more fears of knocking it off my bathroom counter and breaking it, and it is a piece of Williams Shaving Soap history!
If you type "Wilton Armetale Mug" in the ebay search engine, it will pull up several, one of which is selling for dirt cheap. It seems the standard going rate for these is between $25 and $40, but that one is way cheaper. Just giving a heads up in case one of our members who is a collector wanted one as well. It would seem a shame for them to go to someone who didn't know what they really are. I think a lot of sellers and other people think they're old drinking mugs (which I guess you could use it for in a pinch. LOL!)
Also try "Pewter Shaving Mug" in the ebay search and it will pull up another dirt cheap one if someone wants it.
I purchased this mug new in 1976 and used it daily. In a few years the interior was very pitted and I stopped using it. It never dawned on me that the soap would eat up the metal.
This is an interesting thread. I would not have thought the Pewter would react to the soap and begin to pit. Could you spray it with a good clear enamel (inside only), so that you could continue to use it?
I don't know how the soap would react with pewter. But it wasn't nice to the Armetale. I went back to using a stoneware coffee mug, which I still use.
I don't know how the soap would react with pewter. But it wasn't nice to the Armetale. I went back to using a stoneware coffee mug, which I still use. Sorry about not putting this reply in the correct location.
I have used my Bicentennial Mug for 30 years with different kinds of soap and my mug is shiny inside with no pitting... I have pure spring water with no chlorine or flouride added... perhaps your water is the problem....
