Sterling Silver Flatware

jkbff · Jul 7, 2014

I'm honestly surprised there aren't more posts about this on here.. I've seen some about silver-plate and some about stainless, but not many on sterling..

I am making it a goal to have a 12 place set of some form of genuine sterling flatware by the end of the year.

I just don't know how to go about getting it and what to pay... I've seen prices that I can only imagine being super inflated retail and prices suggesting the item wasn't genuine sterling.. I'm sure I'll have to find something at an estate sale or something. Online everyone seems to want over-bloated retail.

The reasoning behind this is I am on my 3rd set of department store stainless flatware in 7 years. I am not sure if its something I am doing or if its the quality of the product but the knives keep splitting on the sides and rusting, the plating flakes off the forks..

I have to admit I didn't know what I was buying when I purchased the sets, but I guess Oneida isn't what it used to be. Also, I am getting tired of the metallic taste that seems to get worse as each year passes. Some sites have said Sterling doesn't cause the metallic taste.

I was also looking at some forged patterns as well and was thinking that might work as well but.. Would prefer to find sterling.. If the sets I've seen have lasted since the early 1800's, they should last into my old age as well.

Let me know what ya'll think!

jkbff · Jul 7, 2014

Since I sell Cutco, I've been toying with the idea of just buying a set of classic brown handled flatware.. They remind me a lot of the forged ekco eterna canoe flatware.

Such choices LOL.

rp2813 · Jul 7, 2014

I think your best deals will be found at estate/tag sales.

I'm not into sterling, but agree that not all stainless holds up well. Our everyday set isn't falling apart, but it has a lot of scratches from use and knocking around in the drawer for about ten years or so. I can't say I've noticed a metallic taste.

I couldn't tell you the manufacturer of our current set, but it's likely MOL stuff at best.

danemodsandy · Jul 7, 2014

Sterling....

Is wonderful stuff (I miss mine, which is stored at a relative's in Atlanta), but sterling has its limitations.

The biggest is NO DISHWASHER. You'll think you're getting away with it for a few washes, but eventually, the DW detergent begins to etch the silver, leaving it a cloudy white. You have to hand-wash. You also have to use a dish liquid that's not acidic, meaning no lemon- or other fruit-scented products.

Sterling cannot be soaked in the sink for a long period - again, etching is possible. Also, knife handles are attached to their blades with cement, and soaking or very hot water can loosen them.

On the plus side, sterling is very repairable - a good jeweler can remove etching and deep scratches, straighten bent pieces and remount knife handles.

And nothing feels like sterling in the mouth - it's a soft feel, nothing like the hard feel of stainless.

If these things make you feel like sterling is not for you, I would suggest vintage stainless, which is much higher quality than stuff made today.

polkanut · Jul 7, 2014

<span style="font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: 12pt;">I agree 100% with Ralph. Estate/tag sales are your best starting point. We have a huge set of Riviera stainless steel flatware. The original set (Cordova pattern) was purchased in the early 1970's by my wife, and we've added to it over the years. It has a nice hefty feel to it, but not clunky feeling. Even after all these years, I still love it. It goes through the dishwasher all the time without any negative effects whatsoever.</span>

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

xraytech · Jul 7, 2014

I personally think for everyday use sterling or silver plate is not terribly practical.
If you go stainless I also agree on going for a vintage set. Most of my family has interpur or ecko eterna stainless from the 70s and early 80s.

Currently for my everyday set I have a stainless and faux gold set from Penneys I got a few years ago. I'm not at all fond of it. As soon as I have the funding to get a set of Cutco flatware with the white pearl handles my current stuff will end up at good will

jamiel · Jul 7, 2014

You get what you pay for, any more, with stainless. Oneida has several lines of flatware; TBH you aren't getting much if you buy a 20 pc service for 4 at anywhere where there isn't corresponding open stock (i.e. nothing from Kohl's on downward is worth a da**). You might find some reasonable stuff at your local department store (Macy's/Belk/Dillards) but in the silver/china department rather than in the housewares department. I bought some David Mellor from Harrods in England (!)...was kind of fun, they shipped it to me so I got to open it...it's now available here in the US. Very plain but forged and has served very well for 20 years. My mom had sterling but also good (WMF) German stainless so I grew up with stylish, functional everyday stainless (as well as Centura white coupe daily dishes) and am pretty snobby about it

The sterling was used on special occasions and when we made homemade icecream and we ran out of the stainless spoons in the kitchen drawer...always a shock to eat ice cream from a silver spoon (conducts cold...)

jkbff · Jul 7, 2014

Now this isn't to suggest defiance or disagreement, but I'm somewhat confused on the "no sterling in the dishwasher" part.

Several posts on gardenweb and chowhound plus various independent blogs have suggested that sterling in the dishwasher is safe as long as its not touching stainless and you use a detergent not full of citrus. Also, that you only have to polish twice a year if the flatware is used daily. The posts promote it because it seems the actively used sterling doesn't tarnish as much as sterling sitting in the chest.

One person actually had a dishdrawer installed in his built-ins in the formal dining room so the sliver never left the dining room and was always washed in the dishdrawer.

My landlord even runs her 1860's era sterling through her BOL miele dishwasher every day. She got tired of her stainless sets and not ever using her sterling since her husband passed in the late 90s. I know she only polishes hers twice a year because she usually waits for me to go up and help her with the task. We're going on 8 years this year. I haven't noticed much damage over the near decade of my helping. She uses Melaleuca DiamondBrite religiously.

Maybe its luck, I dunno.

mikael3 · Jul 7, 2014

Older stainless is much better than newer, in my experience. We have some older Oneida--with the "cube" mark alongside the name--and it still looks like new and does not have any taste that I can detect. We have two patterns: Michelangelo, which is very frufy, and Appliqu<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">é</span> which has a real '70s vibe (to me, anyway). If you watch eBay, you can find vintage Oneida sets at a good price--a GOOD price, not cheap. Look for the "cube".

We also have my grandmother's old pattern, Creation, which was put out by International stainless. It's the version with the deco-looking tulip, not the later plain Creation. Considering those pieces have been in continual use for my entire life and maybe more, I'd say they pass the durability test. They are my favorite pattern of all, partly because they were my grandmother's, partly because I love the sleek, super-simple, deco-ish, "form-follows-function" look. On eBay, these are actually cheap, but large sets rarely come up, which means you fritter away your money on shipping. Replacements has this pattern at a reasonable mark-up, but of course, it costs more there.

I haven't had a lot of luck with stainless flatware at flea-markets and thrift stores and such. Then again, if you don't mind mix-and-match, you might do okay.

The stainless I see at Target and places like that isn't even fit for recycling.

[this post was last edited: 7/7/2014-14:16]

mikael3 · Jul 7, 2014

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We use sterling a lot, but not every day. It has it's own problems, one being that silver is a soft metal. The fork tines can be twisted very easily, and all the pieces are subject to bending. Knife blades are stainless, unless you have a pre-WW2 set with silver blades. Post-war fish knives also often have silver blades. Silver blades have their own problems--they can't cut anything!! I suppose that's why it's okay to use silver for fish--fish pulls apart without a lot of help, so the knife only guides it to the fork.

Our main sterling pattern is Chateau Rose by Alvin--yet another mid-century pop-pattern for the masses. It has the usual frills of pieces from that period. Shockingly, we have a full dinner service for 12, a full lunch service for 12, a drawer full of serving pieces, and all sorts of extras in other patterns. That's what happens when you're the last one alive in the family.

Silver companies used to make slightly more diminutive pieces for "luncheon" use. Those pieces ought to be a cheaper option, since they use less silver; but those sets don't come up very often.

The prices of silver flatware really and truly are dependent on the going price for silver in the commodity markets. There isn't that much added value in the flatware pattern, unless it's particularly rare. The prices on eBay or anywhere else will always be driven upward by people looking to sell the pieces for their silver content only.

I don't think I've ever used a dishwasher--a shocking admission on this site, I'm sure--so all this talk of silver in the dishwasher is a bit of a surprise to me. I haven't polished our set since the '80s, which makes me a disgraceful housewife, I know. But it is always shiny because we use it just enough.

[this post was last edited: 7/7/2014-14:12]

tomturbomatic · Jul 7, 2014

You are going to need to keep some stainless in the kitchen for all of the kitchen tasks where you need to grab a fork to spear pickles and such. When I fed more people than just myself, I put the sterling in the dishwasher, but I polished it afterwards to get rid of spots and dots from the drying. I figure that the stuff I bought in the 70s had damn well have the knife handle cement situation pefected and it works just fine. Now what I use to feed myself, I just wash by hand when I wash some items of cookware by hand. It's nice to have more of an excuse to hold it and buff it. I use Oneida's Paul Revere in the kitchen for the prep stuff and it has held up for almost 40 years, but when the food is on the plate, the sterling is used because as Sandy said, nothing feels like sterling in the mouth.

When I was growing up, the sterling went in the dishwasher, except for the knives because of the fear of the high heat loosening the handles. We did not use it everyday, but often enough and my brother and I had to use the Wright's Silver Cream on it until we got rid of the gas stove which cut down the amount of tarnishing. Times were different then. My mother expected to pass her silver on to my sister, but she was not interested in it. I sure as hell did not buy mine to have it sit in a chest and be sold for scrap value when I croak so I get some joy out of it while I am alive. I have read in both the NYT and the WSJ that sterling often goes for the scrap value of the metal at estate sales now because so few people want to bother with it, but that is just a sign of the downfall of gracious living.

I wish you the best with the sterling you hope to acquire. I hope you have it for many years and use it in best of health and happiness. Decide on the pattern you like, try to make sure it is still active so that you can still pick up pieces you want, then watch for estate sales where the dealers usually name the sterling pattern in the sale ads. NEVER, EVER, TURN ON THE DISPOSER BEFORE EVERY PIECE OF SILVER IS EITHER WASHED BY HAND OR LOADED IN THE DISHWASHER--EVERY PIECE. DO NOT LET ANYONE ELSE HELP WITH THIS IN THE KITCHEN AND RINSE ANYTHING WITH EGG ON IT IMMEDIATELY TO PREVENT DARKENING FROM THE SULFUR.

danemodsandy · Jul 7, 2014

That's My Story....

And I'm stickin' to it.

Dishwasher detergent etches sterling (though the amount of etching will depend on detergent brand, dishwasher brand, cycle chosen, etc.). The hot water and the drying temps compromise the cement in knife handles.

And proximity to stainless causes electrolytic damage.

Again, you'll think you're getting away with it for a while. Then, one grim day....

tomturbomatic · Jul 7, 2014

Sterling is never loaded into a compartment with stainless steel flatware because touching can cause pitting; in fact, when we were washing mom's sterling, the Oneida stainless was loaded into the coffee basket of the Farberware percolator, handles down and placed in the lower rack of the KD15. We did not use those horrid detergents with "lemon anything" in the formula, but it's all moot now, as I said.

perc-o-prince · Jul 7, 2014

Rich, with rare exception, puts our sterling flatware/serving ware in the dishwasher, but only he loads it. Knives, where the blades are held to the handles with pitch, are hand-washed. Sterling never touches stainless.

The more sterling is used, as long as it's done respectfully, the nicer the "glow" it takes on. Though we've acquired pieces together, he's had sterling longer than we've been together and is a good caretaker.

That said, we do have a stainless set (Japanese Reed & Barton Rebacraft) that we use for everyday. We've had it for years with no problems or off-taste and it goes through the d/w 2-3 times a week.

Chuck

danemodsandy · Jul 7, 2014

There's a Big Difference...

....In American-made vintage stainless and stuff made of whatever scrap metal happens to be laying around a village 8000 miles away from this country.

Oneida always made good stuff when it was made here, in both its forged and stamped patterns.

Hard to go wrong with vintage Paul Revere, which is heavyweight forged stuff. Michelangelo was lighter forged stuff, very ornate.

For midcentury patterns, look up the following on eBay or Replacements, Ltd.:

- Twin Star (a Betty Crocker premium pattern)
- Oceanic (a mass-market pattern sold at discount stores like Woolworth's)
- Accent (very handsome and simple, but popular, therefore expensive)
- Firefrost (very "modern")
- Wintersong (similar to Firefrost, but even more "modern")

You should be able to find something made by Oneida you like. Just don't buy it new! If you buy stuff that needs some sprucing up, I heartily recommend Wenol (pronounced VEE-noll), a German metal polish that has a lot of "cut," but is an ultra-fine abrasive that will leave things nice and shiny. It really does wonders on stainless.

Many of Oneida's stamped patterns were very lightweight, but they are strong and hold up well to use. The one thing I've never liked about Oneida's flatware is that the salad forks are dinky, but that has not been enough of a drawback to keep me from buying it. I've owned pieces of every pattern I've listed here. I presently have eight places of Twin Star as the "everyday" stuff. A Betty Crocker pattern in silverplate - Oneida's Queen Bess - is the "good" stuff until my sterling makes its way North.

pcasa · Jul 7, 2014

quality stainless flatware

I have a nice set of heavier weight - nice quality stainless flatware - it's SUPREME CUTLERY by TOWLE

mikael3 · Jul 7, 2014

Michelangelo is oddly ornate for stainless. I would not have chosen it--"someone else" in the house wanted it. I'm not really fond of stainless that tries to look like silver. Nothing looks as cheap as fake elegance, although I wouldn't quite put Michelangelo into that category. To me, stainless is a good medium for a more streamlined look. I was actually pushing for Paul Revere at one time, but I just gave up, and kept using the International 'Creation' for my plain stuff.

Thank you, Sandy, for the information you posted, about the dishwasher AND about the vintage patterns. I could go on and on about China patterns and everyday dishes all across the 20th century, but I know nothing about stainless, and nearly nothing about silver. I don't think stainless flatware has gotten the retro-love it deserves.

chachp · Jul 7, 2014

Stainless vs. Sterling

I really wanted to use my sterling flatware every day and I never have for all the reasons mentioned above. And I still doubt that I would because using it makes me feel like it's a special occasion and we all need those from time to time.

The reason I wanted to use my Sterling every day is because I like the size and the weight of the Sterling pieces vs. most stainless that I've used. I guess I like a nice, heavy, oversized piece of flatware. Until a few years ago the stainless I was using daily just didn't have that feel until I found Stainless from Southern Living the Gallery collection. The pieces are oversized, heavy, feel good in your hand and wash up beautifully in the dishwasher. The pieces are now discontinued but are available all over eBay. Some at a good price and some overpriced but I am very happy with these pieces as my daily drivers. And, I get to keep my Sterling for special occasions.

This link is to an auction of the style I have. They don't look all that large in the picture but I promise they are well sized and substantially heavier than most Stainless pieces. I would recommend buying one set and see what you think. You may get the feel you're looking for at a fraction of the price of Sterling and the convenience of easy maintenance.

Pardon Our Interruption...

NYCWriter · Jul 7, 2014

Sterling rules ...

There is absolutely nothing wrong with using sterling every day; it was actually the case in the upper classes centuries ago before the invention of stainless steel. And, of course, before the invention of dishwashers.

As I've said before, I really do not understand Americans' obsession with dishwashers for a task that takes at most 15 minutes by hand -- much more thoroughly and effectively -- without the use of caustic chemicals.

That said, most people don't realize there's an inherent health benefit to eating food off of sterling silverware. I'm not entirely sure of the science behind it, but the benefit is twofold: microscopic silver ions that transfer from the silverware to the food and into the mouth have medicinal qualities once ingested, and the ionizing silver itself is anti-bacterial.

As was mentioned before, you do get what you pay for, but sometimes you also luck into some really good deals. A few years ago I was browsing inside Fish's Eddy and they'd apparently just received such an enormous shipment of overstock (?) from Oneida that they put up a special display area. For once, EVERYTHING matched (as long as you didn't mind that the only forks were salad forks), and it was stainless that felt impossibly heavy with almost a mirror finish. And they were asking only $1.00 for each piece! Holy crap! I loaded up right then and there and got myself service for 20. It's ended up being one of the best right-place-at-the-right-time deals I've ever encountered.

One of these days, I'm going to realize my silverware dream and order myself a brand new service for 20 from Tiffany. Frankly, the only pattern I like there is their "Century" line, which they sadly discontinued several years ago for one of the most stupid reasons I've ever head of (a saleswoman said the decision to discontinue was made because it was "too popular, and we weren't selling enough of the other lines"), but a manager assured me that for a minimum order of a place setting for 20, they'd do a special order for me.

Yeah ... one day when I have an "extra" $17,500 to spend on silverware ...

Sterling Silver Flatware

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