Steve On Steins

A lifelong collection of beer stein knowledge.

  • Guest writer’s articles: “Identifing Faience Steins [Part 2]: “Proskau Fayence (Germ.) Beer Steins,” by William Hamer

    Guest writer’s articles: “Identifing Faience Steins [Part 2]: “Proskau Fayence (Germ.) Beer Steins,” by William Hamer

    Note: This article and all the others in this series  were originally published in “PROSIT,” the magazine of Stein Collector’s International.  Used with permission of the author Bill Hamer, a long term good friend of mine; and from Ron Fox, the editor of “PROSIT.” IDENTIFYING FAIENCE STEINS  [part 2] -Proskau Fayence Beer Steins  –  By…

  • So You Think Being “Into Leather” is Sexy?

    So You Think Being “Into Leather” is Sexy?

    Our guys are literately “into the leather (chairs)” ! So you think being “into leather” is sexy?! That “leather look” has been around for longer than you think! blackjack n a tarred leather tankard or jug [from black + jack3] Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003…

  • “Roerkenville” (Northern Germany) – A Very Expensive Town To Live In.

    “Roerkenville” (Northern Germany) – A Very Expensive Town To Live In.

    “Roerkens” are small “pilsner shaped” Northern German (mostly Baltic area) pewter drinking vessels, almost always associated with a Guild! A premier “Roerkenville” inhabitant is as this one below:      At only 7.25 inches tall, with notched body fillets. Also notched rings on bottom of dome and around the lip of the lid, the lip of…

  • F. Santessson’s Works, and his “Till Eulenspiegel’s Daubenkrug.” (AWPD)

    F. Santessson’s Works, and his “Till Eulenspiegel’s Daubenkrug.” (AWPD)

        The Master Pewter-smith from Stockholm, Sweden, F. Santesson made this piece. One of the best known, and most respected, producers of pewter steins of all types including  the “Daubenkrug” was F. (Frans) Santesson of Stockholm, Sweden. Frans was born into a pewter-smiths family, and learned the trade both by working with his father, and by working…

  • The Original “Free Church of Scotland” Bell Metal Bronze Chalices. [FWTD]

    The Original “Free Church of Scotland” Bell Metal Bronze Chalices. [FWTD]

    The Canongate Kirk, Edinburgh. Each Nine inch tall chalice is engraved with: “FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND / CANONGATE / 1845”   THE ORIGINAL FOUR, BELL – METAL BRONZE CHALICES OF THE “FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.” [FWTD]  The “Free Church of Scotland” is a Scottish denomination which was formed in 1843 by a large withdrawal from…

  • “Punsch” (Punch) Bowls, German – A Pictorial Review.

    “Punsch” (Punch) Bowls, German – A Pictorial Review.

    Detail: From a V &B ‘Mettlach’ wall plaque. Showing a punch bowl on the table and roemers in use all around. See below for front view and full verse. If you are thinking of collecting old German made “Punch Bowls,” please stop and think at least for a minute. PUNCH BOWLS ARE THE DRINKING VESSEL’S…

  • “52 Pick Up” – Cards on beer steins and old drinking vessels.

    “52 Pick Up” – Cards on beer steins and old drinking vessels.

    The card playing monkeys, one getting ready to” slap down” a card. In “illegal play pinochle,” this “slap” means [a] the person doing it is now out of the suit just played, and it is a signal to one’s partner to lead that suit next time, so that the person doing the “slapping down” can…

  • Answers to “beer stein” questions of interest. [3]

    Answers to “beer stein” questions of interest. [3]

    PAGE 3  – And a reminder from Page 1 = Here is the deal with the beer stein questions folks: Don’t ask the questions .if you don’t want to hear the answers! Steve A quick summary of the “subjects” of questions found  below – ONLY ON PAGE 3: [26] A very nice set of 3 German Student society …

  • Stirrup Cups; the Little Gems of Thirst Quenchers.

    Stirrup Cups; the Little Gems of Thirst Quenchers.

    A collection of English porcelain and ceramic  “Stirrup Cups.”  This photo was sent to me (10/2011) by Thomaston Place Auction Galleries in Maine. Thank you! Mostly a “Stirrup Cup” is a “parting cup” given to guests, especially [1] when they are leaving a home and have their feet in the stirrups. There are at least three…

  • Answers to “beer stein” questions of interest. [2]

    Answers to “beer stein” questions of interest. [2]

    PAGE 2  =  And a reminder from Page 1 = Here is the deal with the beer stein questions folks: Don’t ask the questions .if you don’t want to hear the answers! Steve _________________________________________ A quick summary of the “subjects” of questions found  below – ONLY ON PAGE 2: [15] Large wooden stein from Estonia. [16] Manusov’s Character Stein (ECS-181),…

  • Answers to “beer stein” questions of interest. [1]

    Answers to “beer stein” questions of interest. [1]

    QUIRYN VAN BREKELENKAM.  Soldier Drinking. I really enjoy getting emails such as these posted below, as it gives me a chance to help fill in the gaps of knowledge between all the formal written articles and the stuff still clogging up my mind, and of course the best part = I get to do a lot of new (to…

  • Unanswered Questions About Beer Steins and Other Drinking Vessels. (With Some Answers.)

    Unanswered Questions About Beer Steins and Other Drinking Vessels. (With Some Answers.)

    Although I’ve been collecting beer steins, tankards, beakers, pokals, and other drinking vessels for over 40 years now, there is still a wealth of information that other people have that I or the collecting masses do not. Therefore this web-site and also this informational page. Anyone with even the slightest information on any of the listed questions is asked to…

  • Rorstrand beer steins, servers, beakers, mugs, etc.

    Rorstrand beer steins, servers, beakers, mugs, etc.

    RORSTRAND STEINS / MUGS / SERVERS Not much has ever been written about this Swedish company that has made porcelain beer drinking vessels, (faience very early on) and not too many of them it appear on the market. Most were hand decorated. The home page for brand new items is:  http://www.rorstrand.se/ A little of the old firm’s info…

  • Guest writer’s articles: “Modern Brewery Character Steins (charted.)” – by Jerry Berg

    Guest writer’s articles: “Modern Brewery Character Steins (charted.)” – by Jerry Berg

    Corona Octopus Character Jerry Berg , of the “Carolina Steiner’s” (and SCI)  recently came to a “Gambrinus Stein (Collecting) Club” meeting held in Maryland  and gave an excellent talk on newer Brewery Character Steins. I asked him if I could publish his well documented handout, and he agreed. Thanks again go to Mr. Berg for all he has  done for beer steins collectors…

  • Friedr. van Hauten’s Enameled Drinking Vessels; Many Examples of His Great Workmanship.

    Friedr. van Hauten’s Enameled Drinking Vessels; Many Examples of His Great Workmanship.

      FRIEDR. VAN HAUTEN OF BONN,  GERMANY: A .5 liter V & B, Mettlach, No. 289 stein, decorated by van Hauten, with scene of a young Bacchus. [Walt Vodges collection.] “This stein belongs to my collection called, “From Which To Drink.” It is a blown glass stein (most likely Theresienthal glasshütte) with an enameled figure of a…

  • Guest writer’s articles: Ken’s real life story; “A Beer Stein by the Railroad Tracks.”

    Guest writer’s articles: Ken’s real life story; “A Beer Stein by the Railroad Tracks.”

     One of the benefits of having a web site such has mine is that one gets some very different e-mails about old beer steins, of course most often they are questions. This is one that turned out to be, what I thought to be so interesting and intriguing that with Ken’s permission, I dedicated a page to…

  • “Armetale” – What Is This Stuff?

    “Armetale” – What Is This Stuff?

    BOWLING  PIN BEER  MUG,  RWP,  WILTON ARMETALE. “Armetale” – What is this stuff? My first exposure to “Armetale” was  on a going out-to-dinner trip in York,  Pennsylvania, with some old friends of mine years ago. The restaurant was a quaint old place with some Federal Colonials name to it. It was very dimly lit and these were hanging on the…

  • Guest writer’s articles: “US Military Steins from ‘The Cold War’ Era” – by Norman Paratore

    Guest writer’s articles: “US Military Steins from ‘The Cold War’ Era” – by Norman Paratore

    Norman is a member of the “Gambrinus Stein (Collecting) Club ” of  Virginia, Maryland and DC, and of SCI. (With a little personal USAF Military history and trivia thrown in.) From all indications, there is a huge and growing interest in military steins bought by US Servicemen and women, mostly who served in Germany, and…

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