I’ll start this off by saying you all owe Steinwielder Brad a great debt of thanks for finding this and tinkering. Before sharing the discovery however, you must first endure my rambling.
The exposed glass style of Stein of Science are my least favorite to build. They are the ones that pose the most personal danger to me in the course of construction. While the warning label states that the dewar can shatter unexpectedly, the only time it is likely to in it’s life as a vessel for human beverages rather than a piece of grad student tortured labware is when I am turning it into stein (good news: hasn’t happened yet). The same warning label advises you to wear safety glasses, long sleeves, and apron; not needed while drinking beer, but you better believe I’m wearing them when I’m building shiny style steins.
However, the shiny steins are quite beautiful. Beneath that full metal jacket is the elegant curve of of silvered glass. They are consistently the ones people tell me they admire the most but are frightened of because of the lack of protective shield. Honestly, if you can take care of a pint glass, you can take care of the shiny style. Heck, it even has a handle; you don’t get that with a pint glass.
But there is something even better to recommend the shiny stein now: at long last and much searching, there is a travel mug lid for it that actually fits. By far, one of the most common questions I get asked is “Why don’t you have a travel mug lid for this?” You better believe I’ve been looking for well over a year. On Tuesday, Steinwielder Brad sent me these photos for the DCI I Am Not A Plastic Lid on his 350ml shiny brass:
Now, the lid in action:
This morning, I stole my EH&S Director’s ceramic coffee mug and verified that the silicone lid fit my day-to-day drinking stein (a 665ml shiny brass). It was a thing of non-spilled fluid beauty that will fit a 350, 665 of 1000ml bare glass style stein, but not an FMJ because of the fold-over gap of the aluminum shield. I admit, it is not the locking top travel mug lid that I hoped for nor quite as insulating as the foam lid I normally provide, but this makes it finally possible to use the steins (at least one specific variety) as goddamn travel mug.
Go forth, check it out on Amazon and get one, shiny brass Steinwielders!