Safe to eat tin dinnerware?

when you look at enamelware on Ebay, and I do have some enamelwares in my cook box, how would I know which is safe and not safe. Many of them do not have any labels on them. As for my cast iron cookwares, I stick with Lodge, nothing else. I used to have ones made in China or any of those cheap "outback" suppliers, they were worth NOTHING, and rusted so bad or so porous that you could not get the scrambled eggs out for anything except for a sandblaster. I tossed all those "china made" iron stuff out. Same for our reproduction weapons which we are strict that our weapons are made in USA.

I might have to resell some of the pewter ware since I have NO idea of their age but they sure are pretty to eat from! The pewterware are the eating forks, not for cooking.

The simple answer is ....you dont know. I would only use (personally) enamelware that has no cracks, chips or dings. Any compromise of the enamel and its not good to cook in - but thats my personal opinion on it. I believe most antique dealers will tell you the same however, as well as what is considered "safe" for food consumption.

I have some enamelware that I will use to put things like biscuits and breads in (with a towel) but thats about it. Same with my Homer Laughlin dinner ware and some stonewares or glazed pieces. It all depends on what it is. Never would I drink out of them however, I'm afraid of leaching.

If you must have authentic pieces for doing reproduction era things, the safest bet is to purchase reproduction pieces. I'm not sure if you're into the Civil War (it sounds that way) but I have friends that do this and do encampments and re-enactments constantly, so I can ask them where they get their items. They go all over the US doing re-enactments, and just a few years back did Gettysburg and Shiloh.