Perfect for my "elegant" table..

[twintubdexter]

[COLOR=#008000; font-size: 14pt]I originally posted this in Shopper's Square but moved it over here. I saw this set of flatware on the local Craigslist and decided to get it. 124 pieces of 1847 Roger Bros. (a trade name, not when it was made) for $80. Silver plate of course but still nice. I looked up this pattern, Heraldic, and discovered it was introduced in 1916 and discontinued in the 30's. I like stuff with a hammered finish. Many of the pieces don't appear to have ever been used. Everything is monogrammed with "JH" and I'm a "JA" but unless you look closely the H looks like an A, and besides, by the time my dinner guests get to the table they're so gassed they couldn't read jumbo print.[/COLOR]

 

[COLOR=#008000; font-size: 14pt]Some of the pieces are silly...one soup spoon for clear soups and another one for cream soups (for fancy occasions I serve Campbell's Chicken Noodle). There are special fruit knives, ice cream forks and a server for cold tomatoes. Who uses things like that? No wonder it was discontinued in the 1930's when people stood in line for bread.[/COLOR]

 

 

 

[earthling177]

Nice, enjoy it in good health!

 

[launderess]

Well some pieces may seem "silly" now, but at one ti

Were in dead earnest. If you were a hostess or someone looking to move up in the world, eating your salad with a dinner fork, or serving your guests ice cream with soup spoons could spell disaster. *LOL*

As to what all those pieces do: https://www.etiquettescholar.com/dining_etiquette/table_setting/place_setting/flatware/forks.html

Standard advice today is unless one is entertaining royalty or whatever, to use one's sliver flatware as one wishes, within reason of course. When haven't run the dishwasher and we're out of tablespoons, have used those huge serving spoons to eat my morning porridge. Ditto when out of dinner forks have used salad instead. Not entirely practical, but when you have to eat...

 

[rolls_rapide]

"and besides, by the time my dinner guests get to the table they're so gassed they couldn't read jumbo print."

Ha Ha!

"When haven't run the dishwasher and we're out of tablespoons, have used those huge serving spoons to eat my morning porridge"

LOL

You two should be on the stage - you'd have everyone splitting their sides!

 

[frigilux]

Great set, Joe! Love the grapefruit spoons (deep; almost triangular shape). Try one and let us know how well it works.

Watched an old video on YouTube featuring Emily Post on the correct way to place and use cutlery at a formal dinner table. Your vintage set of highly-specialized pieces would be perfect for such an occasion.

 

[earthling177]

Eugene:

Thank you for that chart -- I see now where I've been remiss all this time, although I *have* had sit down dinners for 16, with several courses (no fish course due to allergies), my poor guests were pressed into sharing the salt and pepper shakers (we only had 2 sets per table).

Poor things, I can't imagine the embarrassment they endured having to ask someone to please pass the salt and/or pepper, and having to *wait* for that to happen. What if me or the hubby noticed? No way they could just shake a bit in private without one or both of us noticing our food was not seasoned properly!

Well, off to the stores to buy another 14 sets and fill them up.

(Hm... maybe we need a "Terms of Use" for our dinner parties, or have a trusted guest gather and mix up all 16 sets right after dinner, or we might end up finding out who amongst our friends are using the shakers...)

;-)

 

[frigilux]

Subjecting your guests to the indignity of communal salt and pepper shakers? I've always suspected you were trash, Paulo, LOL.

The Emily Post video was enlightening and it rationalized the presence of 10+ pieces of cutlery at each place setting. She explained the necessity of using the dessert fork and spoon together to manage difficult-to-deal-with desserts. One should hold the dessert steady with the fork, cut it with the spoon, then use one or the other to transport food from plate to mouth. Ditto with salad greens: Use the salad fork and knife simultaneously to reduce ungainly greens to bite-sized pieces. That requires four pieces of cutlery for just those two courses.

Most of us are accustomed to a total of three pieces of cutlery: Knife, fork, spoon; maybe a salad fork.

post was last edited: 8/18/2017-09:03]

 

[earthling177]

Eugene: ROFLMAO!!!

Also, thank you for the movie, I can't tell you how relieved I am that I am not ungraceful when eating my asparagus with my forks -- I will have to contact dear parents and inform them, however, that unlike the way they taught me (use the fork or spoon to carry unwanted portions of food to the plate), the proper way is to use my fingers. No wonder people think I'm poorly educated! I am concerned however, if the unwanted food is not solid, it must make a real mess of the fingers, and most people barely provide one sheet of paper napkins anymore, never mind a decent cloth napkin and a wash bowl!



All poking fun aside, I am grateful for my parents who taught me all of that enough that I can have dinner without embarrassing myself too much. But even more grateful that we actually did the relaxed thing at home most of the time.

Cheers,
   -- Paulo.

 

[ea56]

When I was growing up my Mom served a formal dinner every Sunday and we used the good china and silverware. We were all taught how to use the appropriate piece of flatware with each course. And we were also taught to break our bread or dinner rolls into small, bite sized pieces and to butter each piece as we ate it, rather than buttering a whole slice or roll at once. When we went out for breakfast, which was seldom, my Dad even made us eat our bacon with a knife and fork, something not easlily accomplished with crisp bacon, LOL. I'm very grateful that I know how to behave with proper manners at the table.

My maternal Grandma even had individual salt cellers for each place setting. My Mom got them when Grandma passed away, but I don't know whatever became of them. I got Mom's good china when she died and Grandma's silverplate flatware and we always use it on holidays. My brother and sister especially enjoy it when I serve dinner on this beautiful china and silverware.

I took a photo of the service, sorry, but I didn't iron the tablecloth or the napkin.
Eddie

 

[tomturbomatic]

I remember when my brother and I discovered mom's silver individual salt and pepper shakers, but after seeing them around for a while, I don't know where they went. I remember that they were in  blue velvet boxes.

 

 

 

 

 

[twintubdexter]

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">Eddie, how very cool that you have your mom's china and grandmother's silverware and that you use them on special occasions. Good manners at the table and anywhere else are always appreciated and never go out of style.</span>

 

[lordkenmore]

One of my grandmothers had (IIRC) sterling silver, and she used it all the time. I heard one story that the only time she used stainless steel was when serving eggs (which posed a tarnish threat). It's funny, because my grandparents were never rich... Perhaps it was partly the era. Also my grandmother's father was a minister...and I wonder if she didn't grow up in a world of limited money, but a requirement of living to a certain standard due to his ministry.

 

Meanwhile, my other grandmother had some nice stuff--but did everything she could to avoid using it. Perhaps it was the nature of her small town. It was OK having a pretty tea cup on display, but when serving coffee, one must use the cheap mug set bought on sale at Sears.

 

[lordkenmore]

I also have to admit mixed feelings about older china and silver. A lot of it is attractive, and I love all the little bits and pieces.

 

But...I wonder how much I'd love using the above. I hate washing dishes by hand, and i cringe at the thought of a mountain of flatware and china generated by some sort of fancy Miss Manners dinner. I think if I were to ever entertain, I'd probably want stuff that is stuff I can toss in a dishwasher without thinking about.

 

[frigilux]

With a bread plate, cup & saucer, plus all the cutlery, glassware, and service/charger plates under the soup and salad bowls, you'd fill a dishwasher to capacity with the dirties from a party of four.

Having said that, my Italian mom ensured there was always a tablecloth and cloth napkins for supper/dinner. As a tyke, I had to clean up and change into a dress shirt and long pants for supper. Add a bowtie for the Sunday meal. Wine always accompanied dinner. We had a pretty nice set of dishes for daily meals, so the fine china was reserved for company. We were the only family I knew who washed a big load of tablecloths each week.