Royal Selangor Visitor Center

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The Royal Selangor is a world renowned manufacturer and retailer of Malaysian pewter, known for its quality pewter and craftsmanship. Established in 1885, it is one of the oldest homegrown brands in Malaysia.


In a recent trip to Straits Quay Penang, I've visited the 4000 sq ft with my family. It was an opportunity for us to learn about its history and the art of pewter-smithing through its multi-sensory interactive exhibits and a complimentary guided tour.


A friendly staff greeted us and immediately led us to the upper floor where the museum tour began with a brief history of Royal Selangor. There were several early artifacts of pewter objects on display such as teapots and old tin currency.


At the Chamber of Chime section, visitors get to ring the chimes hanging from the ceiling. These chimes were made of metal, bamboo, wood and pewter which produced different tonal qualities depending on the materials used. Behind these chimes is the Wall of Finishes, featuring various textures and patterns of pewter. Visitors were encouraged to examine the tactile qualities of pewter by touching them.


As we proceeded to the demonstration section, the lovely staff briefly showed us the "elaborated" process of pewter-smithing which included casting, filing, polishing, soldering and hammering.


We were told that all excess pewter from filing, shaving and polishing processes are collected, recycled and melted down to create new products.


There was a giant container at the center which was filled with 4150kg worth of pewter swarf. As stated on the container, swarf was defined as "fine chips of filings of stones, metal, etc.".

The tour ended with an optional participation in School of Hard Knocks workshop which required a small fee of MYR60 (approx. AUD20). It was a fun and interactive activity for visitors to get hands-on experience. Some of us decided to join in for fun and it was indeed a worth-while experience. The workshop required us to make a pewter bowl engraved with our names.


We started off by stamping each letter of our names on the pewter disc followed by molding the disc into the shape of a bowl using wooden mallet.


Once it's completed and inspected by the staff for quality check, we were given a certificate for graduating from the School of Hard Knocks. Best of all, we get to keep our final product as souvenirs!

The whole tour lasted for about 1.5 - 2 hours but it was well-worthy of the time and money. We all had great fun and would definitely recommend it to friends and relatives.

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