MATCH Pewter: The Story Behind the Italian Pewter
What is MATCH Pewter?
MATCH is a family-owned company that has made pewter in northern Italy since 1995. It was founded by David Reiss, a Rhode Island School of Design graduate, who found small, family-owned pewter workshops in northern Italy and built a company around them. The designs draw on European tableware from the 14th to the 19th century, adjusted for the way people set a table today, and every piece is cast in a lead-free alloy of 95% tin.
From the shop: We've carried MATCH Pewter for quite some time. It's the rare luxury tableware we'd tell you to use every day rather than save for holidays.
How MATCH pewter is made
Each piece is cast in a mold, then finished by hand. Some molds start as a single handmade original: the Venezia pedestal bowl, MATCH's first engraved bowl, began with a craftsman hand-drawing the pattern and engraving it into pewter over about a day and a half. That disc became the mold for every Venezia bowl since.
The flatware is made differently. Italian pewter is cast around 18/10 stainless steel without adhesives, so the handle and the working end are one piece. Leftover metal from production is melted down and reused.
How to read MATCH hallmarks
Every MATCH piece carries a row of small stamps. They mark the workshop, the company, the tin content of the alloy and the Italian town where the piece was made. The "95" is the tin content: 95%, against the 92% minimum for true pewter.
On Convivio dinnerware, look on the pewter rim. On trays, bowls and serving pieces, they're usually on the underside. The hallmarks are the quickest way to tell MATCH from pewter-look stoneware or plated "pewter finish" pieces.
What each MATCH line is made of, and what it can handle
This is what you need to know before you buy, and it's spread across dozens of product pages. Here it is in one place.
What a MATCH place setting costs
MATCH plates are sold in sets of four and mugs in pairs, which makes the per-person math hard to see. Here it is, per person, at our current prices.
Add a Scribed Rim Charger at $399 to $410 per place. A table of eight in the four-piece Convivio setting comes to $4,984.
From the shop: The mixed setting is where we'd start. Use 1508 for the dinner plate that goes in the oven, microwave and dishwasher every night, and Convivio for the salad plate that shows off the pewter rim.
Mixing MATCH with what you already own
- Pewter chargers sit under patterned porcelain as easily as under plain white, and they're the simplest way to bring MATCH into a table you already have.
- 1508 and Convivio share the same white and pair on one table.
- Viviana's scalloped edge works best with plain white plates around it.
- Gabriella flatware has a thumbnail edge and banded collar that suit almost any dinnerware.
Where to start
For the table
For serving and display
As a gift
Shop all of our MATCH Pewter.
Caring for MATCH pewter
- Wash by hand in warm water with mild dish soap, and dry right away to prevent spots.
- No oven, microwave or open flame for the pewter itself, and use a trivet under hot pans on pewter trays.
- No polishing needed. Pewter tarnishes very slowly. For a stubborn spot, rub gently with 0000 steel wool in small circles.
Wondering whether pewter is safe for food? Read What Is Pewter, and Is It Safe?
Frequently asked questions
Where is MATCH Pewter made?
By hand in small, family-owned workshops in northern Italy.
Who founded MATCH Pewter?
David Reiss, a Rhode Island School of Design graduate, founded MATCH in 1995 after finding small pewter workshops in northern Italy.
Is MATCH Pewter lead free?
Yes. MATCH uses an alloy of 95% tin with copper and antimony. It contains no lead and is FDA approved for food.
What does the 95 stamp on MATCH pewter mean?
It means the alloy is 95% tin. It sits alongside hallmarks for the workshop, the company and the Italian town where the piece was made.
Is MATCH Pewter dishwasher safe?
It depends on the line. 1508 ceramic is dishwasher, microwave and oven safe. MATCH allows pewter dinnerware and flatware on the lowest heat setting, but hand washing is safer. All-pewter serveware should be washed by hand, and pewter never goes in the oven or microwave.
Why is MATCH Pewter expensive?
Each piece is cast and finished by hand in small Italian workshops, and the alloy is 95% tin. A four-piece Convivio place setting costs about $623 per person; a 1508 setting about $180.
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