Some of the etched steins also seem to have distinctive decorations around the bases. As you become better acquainted with the Thewalt etched steins, it is easy to spot them from a distance based on the characteristics I have discussed without looking for the markings on the bottom.

Etched Steins

When it comes to etched steins, of course, Mettlach is the Mercedes Benz of etched steins. They are the highest quality and their numbers dominate the resale market, as can be evidenced in any beer stein auction catalog. You hear of other stein makers mentioned for their etched steins (Hauber & Reuther, Marzi & Remy, Merkelbach & Wick, Mathias Girmscheid, Simon Peter Gerz and J. W. Remy to name a few), but you rarely hear mention of Albert Jacob Thewalt. Although Thewalt etched steins may not be commonly found in auctions as the others are, their quality is right up there when comparing them to Mettlach etched steins. The chart on the next page shows that Mettlach offered more than three times the number of etched steins as its nearest competitor. When you combine that with their higher quality and the probability that their production runs were no doubt greater due to their market share and acceptance, it is no wonder that they dominate the resale antique market today. A further consideration is that when the buyer bought an etched Mettlach stein, they knew it was worth keeping and thus, more would have survived to become an antique. It is also obvious in looking at the chart why Thewalt etched steins are harder to find.

While The Beer Stein Library only includes 30 of the etched Thewalt steins, there are others out there waiting to be discovered. I only have 12 myself, so I am still searching for some to add to my collection.

The first one in my collection is form 327, a 0,5L stein showing a man playing a guitar for a woman. The handle is a type 1. The lid is pewter and the two side panels are mountain scenes showing a church and a house. The base design seems to be unique to Thewalt etched steins.

Form 333 is a 0.5L stein showing a hiker or wanderer. The lid on this one is pewter. The handle is a type 1. The two side panels show German text: Muss ziehen der Wanderer von Lande zu Land, ein Sträusschen am Hute den Stab in der Hand. (The wanderer must walk from place to place, a small bunch of flowers on the hat, walking stick in hand.) The base design seems to be unique to Thewalt etched steins.

Form 390 is a 4L stein showing a shooting fest. The lid has a ceramic insert of a target, which is appropriate for this stein. The handle is type 3. The name of the stein in the Thewalt mold book is Auf dem Schießstand or At the shooting stand. The main scene shows several people watching a woman shoot a shotgun at an outdoor shooting fest. The sign above them reads K.K. Schiefsst, an abbreviation for Kaiserlich Königlicher SchiessStand. (Imperial Royal Shooting Booth.) The same scene in relief without the sign appears on Thewalt 462. The German text, which is in a Bavarian dialect, on each side panel reads: A’ Buchserl zum schiassen A’ Stoassring zum schloan, A’ Deand’l zum kussen Muss an echter Bua han. (A real boy must have a girl to kiss, a shotgun to shoot with, a skeet to hit.)

Form 405 is a 1L stein showing an outside drinking scene under a tree. The lid has a ceramic insert of a deer in a glade. The handle is a type 2. The side scenes show a house with hills in the background. The scene is reminiscent of a Franz von Defregger painting.

Form 439 is a 0,5L stein showing a man courting by playing a guitar to a woman. The ceramic insert in the lid is of a castle. The handle is a type 4. They are sitting by a wall with a town and a castle in the background. There are no side panels on this stein. The German text is in a banner beneath them: Madel, ruck, ruck, ruck an meine grüne Seite. (Girl, move, move, move to my favorite side.) This is a mid-19^th century Swabian folksong and the reference to his favorite side is where his heart is. Again, the base of the stein is probably unique to Thewalt etched steins.

Form 474 is a 0,5L stein showing two men playing cards while a third man watches them. There are no side panels on this stein. The German text in a banner on each side reads: Trink was klar ist, sprich was wahr ist. (Drink what is clear, speak what is true.) The lid is the most popular ceramic insert, a Gnome pointing to a clock tower with an owl sitting on a banner with the German word Feierabend. The handle is a type 4.

Form 494 is a 1L stein showing an outdoor gathering of a family with a young man playing the flute for a young woman with flowers. The older couple behind the young woman have goblets, so they probably are drinking wine. A little boy is blowing soap bubbles. The Thewalt mold book lists the title as Vier Lebensalter or Four periods of Life. There are no side panels on this stein. The banner on each side of the bottom has German text that reads: Wein macht fröhlich, Bier macht selig. (Wine makes one happy, beer makes one blissful.) Ah, the older couple is being scolded for their poor choice of beverage. The lid is the most popular ceramic insert, a Gnome pointing to a clock tower with an owl sitting on a banner with the German word Feierabend. The handle is a type 2. Again, the design of the base appears to be unique to Thewalt etched steins.

Form 542 is a 1L stein showing an outdoor gathering with two couples dancing, one woman sewing, one woman who appears to be crying and an older man with a pipe. The Thewalt mold book lists the title as Lustige Leut or Merry People. There are no side panels on this stein.  The German text on the bottom reads: Tanzen und Singen ist unsre Freud. (Dancing and singing is our joy.) The lid is the most popular ceramic insert, a Gnome pointing to a clock tower with an owl sitting on a banner with the German word Feierabend. The handle is a type 3, which may be used on taller 1L steins versus the handle type 2 used on shorter 1L steins. Form 542 is 9.5 inches tall, while form 405 is 8.25 inches tall.

Form 642 is a 0,5L relief and etched stein showing a man bowling while three men watch. The two side panels are relief flowers. The text at the top of the scene is in English: He’d rather bowl than eat. There are no beer steins shown in the scene, but I presume that he is like the rest of us and does drink beer while bowling. Form 643 also has English text, so both were intended for import to the English speaking market. On this stein, the form number appears at the bottom of the body next to the handle versus being shown on the seam under the handle like on the other steins I have. The handle on this stein is a mermaid as shown in the attached photograph. The mermaid handle can also be found on the Lorelei, Nautical and Navy steins currently produced by Thewalt.

Forms 714 and 715 are 0,5L steins in the jugendstil style. The lids are also in the