My "new" vintage silver flatware

[aviondavid]

One of the first things I had to get when we moved back from Hawaii was flatware. A friend gave us a Malwart gift card so I went and picked out some cheap made in chinnee stuff that didn't look too offensive. When I got it home I discovered that the good were even cheesier than it appeared in the package, but it was still better than eating off of disposable flatware so I just kept it and used it.

I grew to dislike that cheep stainless flatware more and more all the time. Finally, around the time of our 20th anniversary, Dennis said "Let's try to upgrade our flatware."

Well, so here we are in Cortez, CO this winter and we looked around and the only place in town that sells flatware is (sigh) Walmart (oh, and the dollar store has some cheap stuff too.). I took a look at what they had but even the "Better Homes & Gardoons" stuff left me cold.

So one day we are knocking 'round town and stop in at a large antique store called Antique Corral. In the far back of the store we find an old tarnished set of silverplate. I was wooried that it may have been neglected so long that the silver would be damaged, but we took a chance. The 55 piece service for 8 cost us 70 bucks-about 5 dollars more than the not happening stuff from Mr. Sam's joint.

A few more buck for a jar of silver creme and we were in awe! The silver was fantastic and beautiful. It is an old pattern by King Edward Silver called "Moss Rose" although Dennis and I think the flowers look like Hybiscus (Hawaii calls!).

We were also delighted to find out the silver has antibactirial properties.

 

[58limited]

Very pretty, nice score!

 

[polkanut]

Our Hyacinth wil be so proud of you.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Congratulations

WOW! You even have cream soup and regular soup/dessert spoons in that set or is what could be the dessert spoons 16 teaspoons? Is that your kitchen in the trailer?

 

[aviondavid]

Kitchen in the trailer?

No Tom, it is the Kitchen of the ridiculously huge manufactored home we are housesitting this winter. The kitchen in this house is probably bigger than our whole trailer. When I am cooking in this kitchen, I half expect a man with a TV camera to start following me around. It is the biggest kitchen I've ever had...

 

[petek]

A nice set at a great price. When my partner and I first got together he wanted a silver set and I bought him the chest and place settings for 4 iirc. Over the years I'd add to it with another place setting and/or a piece of the matching serving utensils each birthday or Christmas. It's complete now for 8 people but we only use it rarely, like T-giving or Xmas when he hold the dinner at our place which isn't every year.

Has anyone else noticed that most of the new flatware,cheap or pricey, all the knives and forks etc are so huge?

 

[firedome]

So few folks...

seem to care about silver service any more... but obviously not here! It doesn't seem to be a priority with the new more casual lifestyles for most. So glad our better-half collected Steiff Lady Claire sterling service from childhood, because with the properly pressed linens (those old irons got hotter!), the Lenox, and the Brierly crystal it truly makes any dinner a special occasion!

 

[tomturbomatic]

I keep two place settings of my 1810 by International in my kitchen. I have no one to leave it to who will enjoy it as much as I do and it is too beautiful to sit in a chest. I use it for eating at every meal and use the stainless for regular kitchen tasks. Washing it by hand gives me an additional opportunity to enjoy its look and feel and to polish it dry and remove tarnish when it appears. There is no comparing how silver feels to the lips and tongue. It makes any food or beverage taste better. USE your new silver in good health and joy.

 

[aviondavid]

Skeered of the dishwasher

While we do have a lovely Kenmore DW here, we have not put our silver in it. I recall as a kid Ma put her sterling in with no problem, but I think silverplate may be a little different.
It is so lovely to handle and a delight to the eye that it is like owning everyday artwork-I really don't mind handling it to wash and dry. In a coupla months we move away from the dishwasher and back into our coach, where there is no mechanical dishwasher.

I know I will get a thrill when folks come over to our RV site and find they are served with silver! A silver spoon to stir your cocoa round the campfire!

Oh and Tom-that's 8 gumbo spoons and sixteen tsp. with two large tablespoons and a jelly spoon.

 

[xraytech]

Very nice set of silver service there.

I myself enjoy using my antique circa 1930s Rogers silver service. I use the First Love pattern, I have a service for 8 but I need to add cream soup spoons and maybe the chipped beef forks. I do use the silver regularly and I enjoy the feel of silver.

I do hope to someday have a set of sterling silver service from Tiffany&co

 

[petek]

Rogers 1890 or something,, that's what our set is. Can't remember the pattern name though. It's not from 1890 though which was just part of the Rogers name.. It was new in the 1980's. Stuff wasn't and probably still isn't cheap either, that's why I had to buy it bit by bit.

Speaking of all this nice old silverware.. cleaning it.. I've always cleaned it in a "bath" of water/ washing soda/ and aluminum foil on the bottom.. the electrostatic method or whatever it's called.

 

[michaelman2]

David, NOOO Dishwasher for this set.... What petek suggests above is perfect, you can add a small amount of dishwashing liquid to that mixture. If you place silver plated pieces in a dishwasher they will become hazy and the plate will not last.

 

[mattl]

Not my experience.  I toss my silverplate in the dishwasher all the time and have no issues.  However I do place it in it's own section of the basket, mixing it with stainless is  not a good idea.

 

[abcomatic]

My sterling is 1905 Towle, Williamsburg pattern. I have all sorts of strange serving pieces like: a bon-bon server, cheese server, pie server, individual salt cellars, individual sterling butter pat plates and individual butter knives.
I also have a quadruple plate tea service. It has been in the family since: "Allie, Christmas 1890 from mother and father" inscribed on it.
I put my everyday silverplate in the dishwasher and have had no problems. I just make sure that no stainless touches it. I polish it every now and again. Gary

 

[michaelman2]

David, I promise ya on this. Dishwasher is not a good idea for silver plate.

As I mentioned above, the method that petek suggested and a some regular dish washing liquid added to that solution is the best way to keep that set nice.

I use my silver plate pieces a good bit and for large groups and simply have the pieces placed in a soapy basin, they are clean in a snap.

I do not put my sterling in the DW either. Regardless of the chemical reactions with stainless or other metals in the machine, the alkalinity AND high heat associated with a DW is not helpful to a silver plated finish.

 

[sudsmaster]

After some years of searching, I finally found the flatware pattern I was looking for.

Reed & Barton "English Gentry". It has a simple beaded pattern, with a little accent at the rounded end. Unlike fancier patterns, the rounded fork handles don't dig into one's palm if one holds it that way (which may not be the best etiquette but seems most natural to me).

This flatware is quite heavy weight, "Continental Size", and 18-10 stainless. Everything about them says quality to me, except for the inevitable "Made In China" label on the box, lol. Oh, well, can't have everything. In any case, these are keepers (silverplate version shown in photo; the 18-10 stainless version is nearly identical):

 

[polkanut]

Our stainless flatware pattern is Cordova by Riviera.  It came out in 1969, and Bev bought her first pieces around 1972.  We've added to it substantially over the years to accommadate large family gatherings.  The best deal was a boxful of about 150pcs. we bought off of Ebay for $50.00

[this post was last edited: 1/2/2012-14:09]

http://www.replacements.com/webquote/RIFCOR.htm

 

[sudsmaster]

My mom laboriously collected some sort of trading stamps in the 50's and 60's, and wound up with a nine place setting of Oneida sterling. She kept it hidden for decades, and then finally in the 1990's she started using it. She gave it to me when she had to move out of her apartment, and I've kept it in the same felt bag she used ever since. Took it out today as a result of this thread to take a look. Needs cleaning a polishing. She did use a plate of aluminum with special instructions (baking soda) on it. I think it all needs a good cleaning (feels greasy to me) as well as a good polishing. It's not an oversize set, definitely, but attractive enough. I have no idea what pattern it is. It's too bad she put it to use (I could have bought her a stainless set if that's what she needed, and she certainly could have afforded to buy her own stainless set at that) but I suppose the scratches etc can be polished out.

 

[sudsmaster]

Heiress

Apparently a full set of this is worth some coin...

 

[michaelman2]

Rich, that is a nice set and the story that went with it is nice as well. Those green stamps purchased some cool things back in the day.

I collect Oneida Silver Plate patterns "Seneca" " Fairhill/Clairhill". They all are the same pattern just produced at different times.

Anytime I find a set or some pieces that I want,and it is a decent price I try to purchase. Started production in the 1920s and stopped production in the1980s.

The patterns were called "hotel plate" because they were plated heavily and would hold up to commercial use.

I like the pattern because it pairs well with contemporary and traditional settings.

My sterling is Towle - King Richard and it is ornate. My mom and grandmother's patterns. Picture in a minute

 

[michaelman2]

Picture of Towle - King Richard

Ornate, kind of like Old Master.

Oh, and guys, place several pieces of chalk (like used on a chalk/black board) to the chest or container where the pieces are contained. It will help reduce tarnish.

Never, ever.. use Tarnex or one of the acid based tarnish removers on anything, but especially silverplate.

 

[petek]

In a way real silverware doesn't have to look all that shiny and mirror like, such as wehen you first purchase it. As it ages and with use the good stuff should gain a nice patina.

As for the cleaning with the aluminum and baking or wash soda.. it's pretty straight forward..
You should use a non metallic / non conductive wash bowl, either plastic or glass, like a glass lasagna pan..
Tear off a sheet of aluminum foil and place it on the bottom.. or even an aluminum pie plate.
Put about 1/2 cup of washing soda and about a teaspoon of salt in the pan and then pour in enough near boiling water to cover everything that will be in it..stir it.
Then just place the knives and forks a few a time into the water touching the aluminum..voila,, the tarnish begins to disappear.

 

[sudsmaster]

Thanks Pete and Michael.

I like the Senaca pattern you pictured first. Simple but elegant.

I figure this sterling Oneida Heiress set might be worth $2,000, at least from what I've seen on eBay. It's a six piece setting. Not shown in the photo (which I pulled off the web) is the soup spoon and the butter knife.

So... I'm thinking I need to move it from the bag (where the piece clang together and scratch each other) into a proper chest, or at least a divided carrier. That is, after careful cleaning and polishing.

It's also interesting how place settings have changed over the years. Back in 1942, a proper setting had teaspoon, salad fork, dinner fork, knife, soup spoon, and butter knife. Nowadays the butter knife has been relegated to the hostess setting, and the soup spoon has been replaced with an oval desert (or table) spoon. Perhaps because many, including myself, could never quite get the hang of a big round soup spoon.

 

[firedome]

many decades ago

we were told NOT to put the sterling in the dishwasher because the glues that cemented the knife blade for the handle would become, well, un-glued! Supposedly new glues are now alleged to be not affected by hot water & detergent, and thus are dishwasher safe, and the sterling part itself should not be affected. Just to be on the safe side, however, we still handwash, along with handwashing the Lenox Solitare dinnerware, and any cut crystal, as the platinum bands on the dishes would indeed eventually wear off in time, I believe. After 40 yrs of use everything still looks new.

 

[sudsmaster]

Well, I'll be hand-washing my mom's sterling collection, just to be on the safe side.