Located at 4, Jalan Ushawan 6 | Setapak Jaya, Kuala Lumpur. Tel : 4145 6122.
Pewter is a malleable metal alloy, traditionally 85–99% tin, with the remainder consisting of copper and antimony. Copper and antimony act as hardeners. It has a low melting point, around 170-230°C unlike steel at 1370-1510°C.
In 1885, a young pewter smith, Yong Koon sailed from the port of Shantou to Kuala Lumpur. It was the discovery of tin in Malaya that had lured him and thousands of other Chinese to the fledgling tin-mining town.
Initially business was door to door and later, operating from his shop at No. 23 Cross Street. All his products were hallmarked or stamped with the mark "Yu He Zu Xi". "Yu He" meaning Jade Peace (the name of his shop) and "Zu Xi" meaning pure tin.
Subsequently, they moved into their own shop house at No. 219 Pudu Road.
With products ranging from children's gifts, wine accessories, cuff link, flash drive, trophies to cutlery, there's something to suite everyone's budget and taste.
They also own Selberan and Comyns.
Picture quality in this post is better as I was using a Canon G11 camera.
Admission is free. Open daily 9.00am to 5.00pm.
Visitors are greeted to the world's largest pewter tankard, recognized by the Guinness Book of Records in 1985. It is 1.987 meters tall, weighs 1,557 kg and has a capacity of 2,796 liters
Yong Koon
First Shop
Women employees working
The main entrance
Administration and Management employees who have worked more than 5 years get to place their palm print on the wall. What a great way of giving due recognition to staff and also great interior design motif
Some old pewter replicas of old Tanah Melayu currency
Old tools used for pewter making
Small scale of kapal korek
Close up of the tin dredging bucket
Actual size of the tin dredging bucket
Rear view of the kapal korek
Old pewter items, Chinese motif
Traditional pewter candle holder made for temple with gold plating
Altarpiece Candle stand
Incense Burner, late 19th century
Yong Koon, ledger book and other personal effects
Old pewter items, casserole bowl
Sauce cup
Abacus used by Yong Koon, early 20th century
Apparatus used during the day for making pewter items
Trophy
Corporate logo's over the years
Yong Koon old clothes, made from silk
Old molds used for designing pewter items. These are solid blocks of wood. I understand that Yong Koon use to carry it from house to house to do sales. He would make pewter items based on what was requested by each household. Imagine how tough life was back then
A thin sheet of pewter and a cutting tool
One of the melon pots made by Yong Koon, with his personal engraving at the bottom
Yu He Zu Xi markings
Modern version of the melon pot, highly polished
Shavings from the pewter is recycled (melted and reused) to produce new products
Since tin is scarce in Malaysia, it is now imported from overseas in 45kg bars
Factory workers hand prints
Closeup
We were provided welcome drinks, 100 plus in pewter tumblers
Bottom with inscription, Visitor Center
Factory
Pouring pewter into the mold
Melted pewter, due to the heat the pewter smith will need to wear 4 layers of gloves
An artist providing designs to the pewter item
Before (right) and after product (left)
The shavings from the pewter will be melted and reused
Three stages before the final product (far left)
Work station
F1 trophies
Latest F1 trophy in the form of a helmet
Selberan is now Royal Selangor Pewter
Foundry, where you can design your own pewter items from scratch at RM150
Yong Peng Kai
School of Hard Knocks. RM60. You get a chance to make your own pewter bowl
Molds and the tools
You are provided with a thin pewter sheet
My son the pewter smith
First you know the name in. Don't knock too hard. You will know later what I mean
The bowl slowly taking shape. An expert takes 10 minutes. It took me half an hour and not as great looking as the expert
The end product. Can you see the mall hole. That's what happens when you engrave the name too deep in
Once I patch this bowl, I'll use it as an ice cream bowl
The bowl we made comes in this elegant box
The apron my son used was given to us as well
The apron and bowl we made was presented to us in this lovely paper bag
Entrance of the Sales Gallery
Inside the Sales Gallery
Golf items
Dinning set
Wine items
Vase
Lord of the Rings Goblet
Chest set
Koi fish
Belts
Cufflinks
Selberan is also there
Gorgeous Peacock
Walking stick
Comyns
Animals
Owl
Crab
Shirts
Postcards
There is also an eatery inside
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