Kitchenalia

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How did I miss this thread? I love these kinds of things!!!

My rule is that the item must be something I will use though, and I will use them. It's fun to pull out proper pieces to set a table, and to befuddle my nieces/nephews with pieces that make them question my sanity. I have utensils in both silver-plate and sterling. China in assorted pieces from family and foundlings (thrift shops.) I typically search antique shops for things to complete items I already have. For example, my grandmother bought her holiday dishes from Woolsworth (a five and dime store) on sale after holidays one year. I've added pieces in the same pattern to it. Currently, I have been hunting for sterling ice cream spoons in Fairfax by Gorham Durgin without a monogram OR silverplate ice cream spoons in Memory 1937. I know they have them in the Fairfax pattern but have mixed responses regarding the Memory 1937 pattern. So far, I am unwilling to sell my soul for the prices asked for the spoons in the Fairfax design.

I love the egg coddlers and gorgeous uranium glass. The green glass juicer looks like one my aunt had. It was from the 40s or 50s. She called it "depression glass."

Here are some of the things I have in my "everyday flatware" drawer as I use them often. And all are in need of a polish since I was delayed with my mid-November polishing this year. Also, all go right into the dishwasher when I use them.

So....I have dessert forks, tomato (or summer vegetable slices) servers, an olive pick, sardine forks, and toast server.



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I have a set of sterling dessert forks with a local jeweler’s mark that I get excited to use, I think they impress me more than anyone else. 😂

Sometimes you find them labeled as invalid forks.

I also have one of these sterling food pushers, for children and invalids.
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I love this stuff!
 
I have a child's pusher tool too! haven't seen it for a while.
I have no place for any of my silverware here. I'm afraid it's all wrapped up in storage.
 
🥳 all lovely stuff above!!!
Your forks are pastry forks, and are either laid out between courses, delivered with the dessert course, or laid out above the plate setting from the start of the table setting. It is usually matched with a dessert or sorbet spoon. The pastry fork is largely known as such because it was often used for afternoon delights offered to guests in a civilised manner, such as tartlets with Lady Grey tea.
The toddler pusher cutlery was usually gifted by grandmother and often handed down. It would have had a matching baby spoon with the curled handle. There are some very very beautiful examples out there, but they are highly sought after and therefore can command eye watering prices.
Uranium glass is definitely in my wheelhouse and I love to find unusual kitchenalia in thrift. It’s often called depression glass which is also an accurate description. Much of it was made in the early twentieth century but by the 50’s, the name depression glass was more commonly used due to the scare factor of radiation exposure caused by uranium. It was largely phased out by the mid 70’s and a lot of pieces ended up in the tip or at thrift. It was certainly out of fashion for at least two decades.
In the early 90’s, a small but growing group of collectors were seeking out uranium glass and it’s now a large market and those thrift store treasures have dried up and the prices on the internet are quite high ☹️
 
Love old silverware pieces and have quite a collection of Arbutus, which was introduced in 1908 by 1847 Rogers Brothers. Most of our pieces are in pristine condition with little to no issues. There are multiple serving pieces, some with duplicates, along with some specialty pieces. The two silver chests that house all the silver are so heavy I can hardly lift them. Love each and every one and they pair nicely with our Homer Laughlin Virginia Rose (fluffy rose) china. The dishes have a thin platinum trim on their edges. Sets a beautiful table. Dessert might be served on Anchor Hocking block optic to enhance the green in the china.

Arbutus
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Fluffy Rose plate:
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Beautiful Katie, just lovely.
Grandma had silver like that. I think Mom had something similar, she had several patterns. But then set them aside and went with a more modern (to me) set which I also have. All in storage now but I wrap up settings for meals and when friends come over just have to grab one or two, unwrap and presto- dinner is served.
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Funny thing I remember there were also smaller dinner knives, for salad, dessert or bread (without the kink one usually associates with bread knives). When I told her she said nope, never existed. LOL, but Grandma had some with one of her sets.
 
@dragnlaw that’s a great way to store your silverware. Do you put anything between the individual pieces of silverware in your package to prevent tarnishing? Because I have always been of the understanding that tarnishing occurs when the pieces touch?
 
No I don't separate them. Stack them as snuggly as I can so they don't rub/scratch, but that's all.
You get tarnishing only when you have stainless and silver touching. Especially in a dishwasher with the harsh detergents.
Once I learned that, I separated them in the dishwasher (when I had one) making sure they could never touch. It worked! no spots nor tarnishing! I was very impressed!
 
@Katie H Katie, I'll bet those pieces make a gorgeous table. Please tell me that you use them fairly regularly! Too pretty to keep locked up most of the year!

I wash my sterling and my silverplate in the dishwasher all of the time. Through the year, they develop a soft patina in crevices that is actually quite pretty. Around Thanksgiving (except for this year,) I roll out all of my silver and spend a day polishing everything.

With my silver-plated set, I have luncheon knives, forks, and spoons as well as their dinner-sized counterparts. Also, I have place settings for 8 in the Grille (Viande) style of the same pattern. The Viande pieces were given to my great-grandmother from her brothers one year for Christmas. She was delighted that they matched her pattern. The Grille (Viande) pieces differ in that the forks have longer handles but shorter tines and the knives have longer handles with shorter blades. To be honest, I find them easier to use at times. I don't know much about "why" these pieces were introduced other than they were vogue in the mid-century.
 
@Katie H Katie, I'll bet those pieces make a gorgeous table. Please tell me that you use them fairly regularly! Too pretty to keep locked up most of the year!

I wash my sterling and my silverplate in the dishwasher all of the time. Through the year, they develop a soft patina in crevices that is actually quite pretty. Around Thanksgiving (except for this year,) I roll out all of my silver and spend a day polishing everything.

With my silver-plated set, I have luncheon knives, forks, and spoons as well as their dinner-sized counterparts. Also, I have place settings for 8 in the Grille (Viande) style of the same pattern. The Viande pieces were given to my great-grandmother from her brothers one year for Christmas. She was delighted that they matched her pattern. The Grille (Viande) pieces differ in that the forks have longer handles but shorter tines and the knives have longer handles with shorter blades. To be honest, I find them easier to use at times. I don't know much about "why" these pieces were introduced other than they were vogue in the mid-century.
Yes, the table is lovely when set. The china and glassware are all in a glassed-in china cabinet. I enjoy looking at them every time I walk by the cabinet, which is halfway between the living room and kitchen, so I see them multiple times a day. Warms my heart!!
 

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