Etiquette Books-A Great Resource for the Tablemaster

It is probably no secret that etiquette books are a great resource for the tablemaster.  There are a great many available from authors who purport to know something on the subject.  Some books have been around for many years.  Others have popped up to take advantage of the changes in technology.  For our purposes, the older books will do, since cell phones are not even a consideration at Mr. Bowen's table.  The great news is that many of these books are available for bargain prices at the online auction arena.  In deed, Mr. Bowen has purchased most of the etiquette books he owns this way.  The following are Mr. Bowen's top five etiquette books for use by a tablemaster:

1. The Butler Speaks by Charles MacPherson, 2013 Random House
2. Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Book of Etiquette, by Amy Vanderbilt, 1958 Doubleday
3. Debrett's Etiquette & Modern Manners, edited by Elsie Burch Donald, 1990, Webb & Bower
4. A Gentleman at the Table, by John Bridges and Bryan Curtis, 2004 Rutledge Hill Press
5. Service Etiquette by Captain Brooks J. Harrall, U.S.N., 1963 US Naval Institute, Annapolis

To be sure, Mr. Bowen owns many more books.  However, if you could only own five, these would be it.  These authors take their craft seriously and have been writing and researching about it for many years if not decades.

The Big Three-Holloware for Every Meal

There are three holloware pieces that are arguably the most versatile ones that one can own and have on the table for virtually every meal.  If Mr. Bowen mentions the three holloware pieces- the bread tray, the gravy boat and the water pitcher, it might conjure up a vision of a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.  You would be correct in thinking in terms of using these pieces in connection with a major dinner occasion.  However, you may want to expand your vision a little in terms of what these pieces can offer.

Sterling silver doesn't seem to get much thought in terms of usage for breakfast.  In yesteryear though, sterling was used fairly regularly for breakfast and not just flatware.  One of Mr. Bowen's favorite pieces in this regard is the toast rack. These were ubiquitous in Victorian times.  They are seldom seen today. 

There are several typical holloware pieces that are perfect at dinner time, but would have no place at the breakfast table.  Classic example here is the candlestick or candelabra.  Candlesticks and candelabra don't make their appearance on the table until after 5 PM.

The first of the "big three" for your consideration is the gravy boat.  This is the most versatile of the three.  One may use it for gravy of course, but you may want to use it for syrup for breakfast pancakes or French Toast.  Another use could be for salad dressing.  A gravy boat's potential uses are many.  It is easily your most useful holloware piece overall.

Bread has been called the staff of life in many western diets and around the world.  Although it has fallen out of favor in some quarters, bread remains a staple.  A bread tray may be used for bread, but at breakfast time, it would make an ideal holder for muffins or sweet rolls.  Some holloware manufacturers did make specialized muffin trays.  But from a utilitarian standpoint, the muffin tray isn't really discernible from other trays of similar size in appearance.  The classic shape of the bread tray somewhat resembling an open flat bottomed two ended boat with bow & stern rising up in elevation from the middle is unmistakable. 

The water pitcher like the gravy boat can hold many different types of liquid, suitable for any meal.  Mr. Bowen wouldn't go crazy on this one-water or orange juice-that kind of thing. 





 

Mr. Bowen's Top 5 Table Etiquette Laws (or at least they should be)

If it were in his purview, Mr. Bowen would enforce certain traditional etiquette customs.  This would be for the benefit of all seated at the table and for those serving them.  Mr. Bowen's Top 5 Table Etiquette Laws are as follows:

1.  When finished eating the main or respective course, place the fork and the knife parallel to each other on the plate with the handle ends at the 7 o'clock position and the business end of the cutlery at the 11 o'clock position.  This tells the people serving you to remove your plate from the table.  Expect that this will happen from your right side as food is served from the left side.  Many times service personal are unable to tell whether you are finished or not and ready for the next course if the cutlery is not placed in this traditional manner.

2. When passing the bread tray do so in a counter clock wise manner.  When the tray arrives at your left, take a piece, and place it on your bread plate which should be above the forks on the left side.  Offer the bread tray to the person on your right.  After handing off the bread tray, you may break the piece of bread in half with your hands.  Notice here that food is served from the left and taken away from the right.  The exception is the pouring of drinks on the right side of the place setting as that is where the water goblet, wine glasses and coffee cup are located.

3. Do not rest the knife handle on the table and the blade on the plate.  The entire knife should rest on the plate with the blade facing inward.  This keeps the tablecloth cleaner.

4. The napkin should not make its appearance on a person's lap until the hostess picks up hers.  If there is no hostess, place it in your lap as soon as you are seated.  It should be picked up by the corner and laid neatly across your lap.  It should not be shaken out.  Never tuck a napkin under your chin.  If eating conditions warrant such action, the eating establishment will provide you with a special bib such as for lobster.  Furthermore, when leaving the table place the napkin on the seat of the chair.  Some places like to hang it over the back of the chair for your return.  Somehow, that doesn't seem appealing to Mr. Bowen.
Only when the meal is finished, the coffee served and the bon bon dishes have made their appearence may one place their napkin back onto the table on the left side.

5. Dress appropriately for the occasion.  What used to be business casual-khaki pants, white shirt, tie, & leather shoes is now considered business attire in many quarters.  Business casual now seems to be slacks and a Hawaiian shirt.  A business suit for man and an appropriately modest dress for a woman will never be out of style for most fine dining situations.  Hats may be worn by women inside, but not by men.  Obviously, there are other considerations as well, but these are Mr. Bowen's top five.

Half Wits Holiday

In his youth, Mr. Bowen watched many short films featuring The Three Stooges.  His favorite one is titled, Half Wits Holiday.  In case you aren't familiar with this one, the story line has been recycled several times by Hollywood.  Two gentlemen bet they can turn a person or in this case Three Stooges of questionable character into a gentleman.

In watching the film short, Mr. Bowen paid careful attention to the lessons being given to The Three Stooges.  The butler served them from the right side.  There were other mistakes as well.  My point in bringing this up is that Mr. Bowen is not convinced that knowledge relating to table etiquette was ever ubiquitous or well known throughout society.  If this knowledge was ever widespread, you would have thought that would be the case during the "silver age" of fine home dining from the 1940s to the 1960s.  Half Wits Holiday was filmed in 1947.

At least a handful of times during the year, Mr. Bowen attends luncheons at the finest private clubs in the very large city an hours drive or so from the seaside hamlet in which he resides.  The service and the food are always excellent at these establishments.  What is surprising to Mr. Bowen is the lack of continuity in the place setting.area.  The coffee cup does not belong placed above the dessert fork and spoon.  In addition, the napkin does not belong on the bread plate.

At the county fair near where Mr. Bowen resides, there is a Tablesetting contest.  'Tablesetting" contest is a  misnomer.  It really is a table decorating contest.  Mr. Bowen enters this contest to display his holloware collection.  The judges always place a commentary on the table after judging.  Mr. Bowen was very amused by the most recent installment by the judges.  The judges took off points because there was a bread plate, but bread was not mentioned on the menu.  Sitting right next to the menu was a bread tray.  They also took off points for having "four glasses on the table but only mentioning coffee on the menu".  One of the "glasses" was clearly a sterling water goblet.  As respects the three glasses that actually existed, Mr. Bowen listed the wine for each of the courses on the menu under each course.  Mr. Bowen gives the judges the same award as he received-Honorable Mention.

Buying Additional Flatware

With the exception of those who buy fully loaded flatware sets, most of us purchase our flatware by buying a basic flatware set.  This might be a four, six or eight place setting starter set.  With silver prices dipping, you might consider purchasing additional pieces as some online retailers have lowered prices.

If you purchased a basic four piece place setting with luncheon size fork and knife, you may wish to purchase the dinner size fork and knife to round out your set.  For example, in the Old Master pattern from Towle, the dinner fork (7 7/8") in recent years has been priced in the $125 range.  Mr. Bowen can find ones for $67 each from online retailers.  Luncheon forks are even cheaper.  These prices are for the gently used non monogram ones, not the new prices from the manufacturer.

The basic place setting contains a salad fork, a luncheon/dinner fork, knife and teaspoon.  For a more formal setting, you might also want to include adding any or all of the following to this basic setting: a dessert fork, a dessert spoon, soup spoon(s) (oval as well as cream soup spoon), a fish fork & knife, and/or a cocktail fork depending upon your typical menu.  Depending on the pattern, their are other varieties as well.  In many flatware patterns, the salad fork doubles as the dessert fork.  With prices depressed, this might be a good time to purchase some additional salad forks for dessert purposes.  Same thing applies for spoons.  Mr. Bowen prefers the oval soup spoon for the dessert spoon rather than a tea spoon.  Salad forks are a plentiful item as opposed to a dinner fork.  One major online dealer lists salad forks in the Old Master pattern for $45 each.  The pricing for oval soup spoons has held firmer relative to the salad forks due to their less than ubiquitous nature.  Tea spoons can be had in the $35 range.

Prices in the online auction arena are even lower.  Salad forks can be obtained in the $30 range in the Old Master pattern.  Other pieces are priced accordingly as well.  These are prices for monogram free pieces.  Unlike holloware pieces, you are not as likely to have pitting or other hidden issues.  Flatware pieces by their nature (thickness, design etc.) tend to be in better condition than holloware pieces over time.  As always with on the online auction arena, buyer beware.

Considerations In Connection with Insuring your Sterling Silver, China & Crystal

One area a Tablemaster may not think too much about is the insuring of their valuable sterling silver flatware & holloware (including china and crystal).  Typically, this is covered by one's homeowners or renter's insurance policy.  One might think that is the end of the discussion.  For most individuals, that is probably the case.

However, if one has remotely any sizable collection, there are additional considerations to merely being covered by a "typical" homeowners policy.  For starters, there is no typical homeowners policy.  Years ago, many policies followed what might be termed, "an ISO" or Insurance Services Office form.  This form was adopted by many of the major insurance carriers.  It enabled many of the carrier to have a fairly uniform or somewhat standardized form.  This was useful to the consumer as it allowed them to compare policies between carriers and prices.

This practice was stopped when the ISO was sued by consumers organizations for "collusionary" practices.  As a result, every carrier now potentially uses very different forms and pricing.  Thus, one homeowners policy form might have a silverware sublimit of $2,500 and another $5,000.  A sublimit is a stop gap limit a carrier places on certain types of personal property under the personal property limit of insurance.  If a sublimit of $2,500 is not adequate, you may ask your agent for a higher sublimit for silverware, china & crystal.  Most policies will have a per item sublimit as well.   You may need to schedule coverage for one or more of your best pieces under an Inland Marine policy (sometimes this form is broader in scope than the homeowners policy) to obtain adequate coverage.  Talk to your insurance agent specifically about covering your individual pieces with valuations above the per item limitations.

Make sure that your policy is on Special Form which will cover you for all causes of loss except those that are specifically excluded.  It is a lot easier to prove to your carrier that a loss is covered on Special Form than having your policy on a on a named perils basis which only covers those causes of loss specifically listed.
 
Another area to keep in mind is that all policies have exclusions.  The typical exclusions on a homeowners policy will be germaine to the region in which the homeowner lives.  If you live in Texas, you will probably have a wind exclusion unless you buy additional coverage.  If you live in California, you will have an earthquake exclusion unless you buy additional coverage.  You may even have a policy with a THEFT exclusion on it.  Flood is almost always universally excluded.  You need to talk to your agent about the exclusions on your policy.

Make sure that your policy covers your silverware, china & crystal on a replacement cost basis and not actual cash value.  Once you purchase your flatware or holloware, you will need to keep your receipts in a fire resistant box or have your agent store them digitally.  The insurance carrier is only going to "put you in the same position" before the loss.  They won't do that if you can't prove to them what you had before the loss occurred.  Pictures are a good idea as well.  Talk to your insurance agent about how your policy will make you whole in case of loss.

Determining whether a loss is covered under any insurance policy is subject to many factors including but not limited to: the deductible, cause of loss, coverage forms & limits, any applicable sublimits, and exclusions.  The time to talk to your agent about your coverage is before you have a loss.  Your agent can help you determine the correct amount and type of coverage to carry.  Unlike a video game, there is no "reset coverage" button to push after a loss has occurred.  This post is not intended to be specific advice, but rather an overview to start a discussion with your insurance professional.

There's going to come a time...

Mr. Bowen has no doubt that at some time in the future, popular sterling flatware and holloware pieces will be duplicated by modern day counterfeiters.  Mr. Bowen has been thinking about this matter for some time.  Our particular obsession is not on the general radar.  However, if and when a significant spike occurs again in the price of precious metals, ours will be a possible area for exploiting by counterfeiters.

How does one determine whether one has the real McCoy?  You could purchase some rather expensive electronic equipment to test it.  One could also use a specially made acid to test silver.  The acid turns into a reddish brown with real silver and a green color with a fake silver item.  This of course will damage your sterling.

Although Mr. Bowen has not seen a counterfeit piece in flatware or holloware, he suspects that there may be fakes produced in popular flatware patterns.  Here are a couple of simple no cost indicators:

1.) The magnet test-put a magnet to the questionable item.  If a magnet adheres to the item, you can rest assure that the item is not sterling.

2.) Ice cube test-place the item on a metal surface.  Put an ice cube on the item and on the metal surface.  If the item is silver, the ice cube will demonstratively melt faster on the genuine sterling item versus the metal surface.  Silver is a great conductor of thermal energy.

Mr. Bowen is definitely not an expert in the area of detecting fake sterling items and makes no claims as to the efficacy or suitability of the above mentioned testing methods.  There are other tests out there in addition to the ones mentioned above.  He has written this post in the hopes of bringing attention to this matter.

Flatware for Youth

Mr. Bowen's thoughts of late have been of the recent birth of his first grandchild.  This in turn has him thinking of flatware for the newest member of the family.  As you might expect, Mr. Bowen was in fact born with a sterling silver spoon in his mouth or at least shortly thereafter.  He received a sterling baby fork and spoon set in the Grande Baroque pattern by Wallace. 

Slightly worse for the wear, this set now resides in the possession of his nephew.  In addition, Mr. Bowen received a sterling baby cup as well.  While still serviceable, this piece has been inundated with dents on the bottom.  This piece will go to his new grandson who will put in dents of his own to the cup. 

While sterling silver baby forks, spoons and cups are great gifts, Mr. Bowen feels that the money spent on these items might be better spent on a youth set of flatware.   Typically, a youth set of flatware consists of a 3 piece set of a knife, fork and spoon.  The lengths of the flatware are shorter and smaller in size than a typical setting.  They are designed for ages 3 - 8.

A youth knife is about 7-1/2'' in length, the fork about 6-3/4'' and the spoon about 5-3/4'' long.  This compares with the smallest size adult flatware (luncheon) which typically has a 8-7/8'' knife, a 7-1/4" fork and a 6'' teaspoon.  Mr. Bowen is not aware of any manufacturer who makes youth flatware with additional pieces such as soup spoons or salad forks.  Apparently, the manufacturers have taken pity on the wee lads and lasses.  Learning to eat Continental style is difficult enough at that age, let alone mastering the rest of the table.

Odds & Ends of the Table Not Seen Recently

There are several pieces of sterling holloware that now exist primarily in collectors' hands.  These are pieces that were seen on the tables of the wealthy in the mid 16th century through the mid 20th century.  Mr. Bowen supposes that someone, somewhere may use these pieces on special occasions, but for the most part have gone extinct.

The first such piece for discussion is the epergne.  This is an often ornate tiered centerpiece consisting typically of a frame of wrought metal bearing bowls, vases (for flowers), or candle holders or a combination of these.  Typically though, there is usually one large bowl at the top on a pedestal with between 3-6 smaller bowls on branches or arms.  Sometimes the smaller bowls are movable from side to side.

The purpose of the epergne was several fold in addition to being centerpiece of the table.  It was also used to serve dessert, nuts, fruits and other items meant to be served sparingly.  Georgian examples of an epergne in sterling silver are rather expensive in the range of $30,000 & up.

Another holloware piece not seen recently is the tureen.  This is a large covered dish from which soup is served.  These are sometimes seen today in materials other than sterling silver.  Examples in sterling are relatively hard to find except at specialized dealers.

Sandwich plates were rather ubiquitous in the era of the high tea.  As you may expect, these are plates from which sandwiches are eaten or served (depending on the formality of the meal).  These are similar in size to a dinner/service plate, but are distinguishable in that they have a very shallow well of about 5-6 inches in the center.  They are often sold as dinner plates in the online auctions.  The dealers in sterling silver know better.

What ties these types of holloware together is they are the type of pieces that one can center (no pun intended) a meal or fraction of a meal.  

 

Dining with the Wagners

The suavest American actor in Mr. Bowen's mind in the 1960s, 1970s and beyond is Robert Wagner.     Although in recent days, his reverse mortgage commercials have diminished his stock in the mind of Mr. Bowen.  He is the American personality whose image Mr. Bowen most closely aligns with the word "Continental".  Perhaps you thought I was going to say it was Christopher Walken. That would be understandable given a certain series of skits on Saturday Night Live. 

Mr. Bowen first became exposed to the Continental style of eating while living abroad.  At that time, he did not immediately adopt this style of eating, but it did leave an impression upon him.

Simply stated, the Continental style of eating demands that the knife is held in the right hand and the fork in the left at all times during the meal with the knife being used as a pusher.  Fork tines are facing down at all times.  A small bit of meat is speared with the fork and food is piled on top of it (in small amounts) by pushing it on with the knife.  It is then transported to the mouth.  This style of eating is now Mr. Bowen's adopted preferred style of eating.

If you are not familiar with this eating style, you may want to practise at home first before that couples night out with the Wagners.  If you gain efficiency with this style of eating, you will look like Rico Suave.  Just don't hold your utensils like a pen.

Why Americans Eat So Strangely

When Mr. Bowen was a wee lad, his mother attempted to show him how to eat properly.  The American style of eating did not suit the young Mr. Bowen at all.  It was a lot of work.  The traditional American eating style is rather cumbersome.

The traditional American style of eating demands that the fork be held in the right hand at all times except when cutting.  Food is eaten with the fork tines facing upward.  When cutting, the fork is transferred to the left hand with tines down.  The index finger is extended down the back of the fork with the remaining three fingers and thumb are curled around the handle.   

The knife when cutting is held in the right hand with the index finger extended down the back of the knife.  The remaining three fingers and thumb are curled around the handle. 

After cutting one bite only, the knife is set down on the plate, with the sharp edge facing the center of the plate.  The fork is then transferred to the right hand.  Food is speared with the fork and carried to the mouth with the fork tines facing upward.  This process is repeated over and over again in a zig-zag pattern.

The American style of eating had its' roots in the 17th century.  Forks for personal eating purposes were a relative rarity in British Colonial America until the mid 18th century.  Meat, a mainstay of meals, was cut by a knife, then conveyed to the mouth on the tip of the knife.  In the latter part of the 17th century, the king of France banned pointed knives at the table. The blunted knives imported from Europe were not as easy to eat with as pointed ones.  As a result, Americans started using their spoons to steady food as they cut and then switched the spoon to the opposite hand in order to scoop up food to eat.  The rest is history.

 

The French Style Table Setting

The generic French place setting has the water goblet and wine glasses placed on a diagonal on the right of the plate.  The last wine glass of the diagonal is placed above the fish knife.  The dessert fork and spoon are placed directly above the top of the plate.  Then come the individual salt and pepper shakers with the place card at the twelve o'clock position at the top.  It is important to note that the dessert fork tines face to the right while the spoon above it faces in the opposite direction.  Like the American setting, this arrangement makes it possible for the waiter or butler to slide the fork and spoon to the left and right respectively after the other flatware has been removed.  The dessert is then served.  

The French style place setting typically has no bread plate.  Any bread that is served is placed on the service plate.

As mentioned previously, the flatware on the table reflects the various courses to be served.  To the left of the plate, the forks are placed in order of the courses served, starting from the left to the right.  That usually means the fish fork, then the main course fork and finally the salad fork.  Typically, the right side starts with a soup spoon, fish knife and then the main course knife.  Notice that here again, there is no salad knife.     


Although the cutlery is laid out the same way as in American and British settings, the forks and spoons are turned over.  The reason for this is typically the French family monograms are engraved on the back of the cutlery.

The Generic European Place Setting

The generic European place setting has the water goblet and wine glasses placed on a diagonal on the right of the plate.  The last wine glass of the diagonal is placed above the fish knife.  The dessert fork and spoon might not be found on the table at all and may arrive with the dessert itself. 

The European style place setting has the bread plate placed to the upper left with the butter knife placed on the top side perpendicular to the forks below it.  Here again, some European cultures don't typically use a bread plate.  The individual salt and pepper shakers are placed in the area between the plate and the place card at the twelve o'clock position.  If you are using individual butter pats, they would be placed to the right of the bread plate. 

As mentioned previously, the flatware on the table reflects the various courses to be served.  To the left of the plate, the forks are placed in order of the courses served, starting from the left to the right.  That usually means the fish fork, then the main course fork and finally the salad fork.  Typically, the right side starts with a soup spoon, fish knife and then the main course knife.  Notice that there is no mention of a salad knife.     

Mr. Bowen is not very confident about his knowledge of what constitutes a "traditional" European table setting.  Europe consists of many countries and even more subcultures.  Typical sources for information of this type are not particularly helpful and vary depending upon the source.

Mr. Bowen suspects that anyone coming up with an exact European place setting guide is likely to be influenced by a particular subculture or be many pages in length.  The French have their own version of a place setting which differs from the generic European place setting.  That will be discussed next time.

Being Conversent In Other Tablesetting Languages

One way to bring some variety to your table on special occasions is to adopt the tablesetting customs one of another country.  Mr. Bowen is not suggesting that you fore go the flatware entirely and replace them with chopsticks.  But there are subtle ways of rearranging your tablesetting to give it a traditional American,  European or French flair.  For a point of reference, we will discuss the traditional American placesetting.  Subsequent posts will cover the European and French settings.

The traditional American place setting has the water goblet and wine glasses forming a diamond above the knives with the bottom glass of the diamond placed directly above the main course dinner knife.  The dessert fork and spoon are placed directly above the top of the plate.  It is important to note that the dessert fork tines face to the right while the spoon above it faces in the opposite direction.  This arrangement makes it possible for the waiter or butler to slide the fork and spoon to the left and right respectively after the other flatware has been removed.  The dessert is then served.

The American style place setting has the bread plate placed to the upper left with the butter knife placed on the right side parallel to the forks below it.  The individual salt and pepper shakers are placed to the upper left of the plate, in the middle area between the plate, forks, butter plate and dessert fork and spoon.  Place cards go above the dessert fork and spoon.  In days gone by, the individual ashtray would have been between the dessert spoon and the place card.  If you are using individual butter pats, they would be placed to the right of the bread plate.  As the flatware gets used up with each course, the place setting gets less crowded.

The flatware on the table reflects the various courses to be served.  To the left of the plate, the forks are placed in order of the courses served, starting from the left to the right.  That usually means the salad fork, then the fish fork and finally the main course fork.  Typically, the right side starts with a soup spoon, then salad knife, fish knife and then the main course knife.  There are no unnecessary flatware on the table-all flatware must have an actual purpose.  That means no teaspoons unless you are actually going to be serving coffee or tea during the course of the meal.     


 

Table Symmetry: Put Some Stick Into It

The world of finance uses the Rule of 72 to estimate the time needed to double an investor's money.  Likewise, the tablemaster uses the Rule of 24 to bring symmetry to their table.  Table space is very limited "real estate" indeed.  Maximizing the available space on your table while at the same time not crowding your guests is critical.  In addition, making sure that the various items on the table are proportional and symmetrical is all important for your table to have eye appeal.

Simply put, the Rule of 24 is making sure the distance from the center of each place setting (i.e. the center of the dinner plate) are 24 inches apart.  In addition, the back of the chair should be 24 inches from the table.

The best way to determine whether the various pieces on the table are where they should be is to use a yard stick..  The centerpiece should be in the center of the table.  Use a measuring stick to make sure that the centerpiece is truly in the center of the table.  Likewise, measure the proportions of each place setting.  That includes the flatware, the plates, the water goblet, the wine goblets and anything else.

Take the extra time to make sure every piece on the table is where it should be before the meal starts.  It will be pleasing to the eye and add to the enjoyment of the meal.  Put some stick into it.

Silverplated Holloware-Not that there's anything wrong with that

Silverplated holloware is sterling silver holloware's under appreciated little sibling.  It was sold right along side sterling silver holloware in the department stores.  At first, the two looked completely identical.  The resemblance is amazing.  Even the patterns and names of the patterns manufactured by the Towles, Gorhams and Reed & Bartons were almost identical.  For example, Reed & Barton had Francis 1st. for their sterling silver holloware and King Francis for their silverplated holloware.

Prices at the time differed as you might imagine.  A 12" Francis 1st sterling bread tray retailed for $200 in 1976.  The King Francis 13" silverplated bread tray sold for $39.50.  Since that time, the prices for each have gone in opposite directions.  A Francis 1st sterling silver bread tray now goes for hundreds of dollars more than the $200 in 1976.  The King Francis silverplated bread tray can be obtained from an online auction for around $20 or so.  The prices for used silverplated holloware are roughly the same as for used pewter holloware from the same period-rather inexpensive.

Does Mr. Bowen have any objections to using silverplated holloware on the table?  Not really.  Restaurants and catering companies use silverplated items all the time.  They use it for the same reason you might want to use silverplated holloware.  You may have some guests who might be a little rough on the sterling silver holloware.  Mr. Bowen is of course thinking of children.  Silverplated holloware is a great way to introduce children to the fine dining table giving the look of sterling silver, but at the same time eliminating the risk of damaging your sterling holloware.  Based on my experience purchasing pewter holloware, I would say the primary risk here comes from dropping or scratching the sterling.

One of the chief reasons the secondary market is so inexpensive for silverplated holloware is the fact that the prices are driven by the intrinsic value of the silver in the pieces themselves.  A large silverplated vegetable bowl might barely have a troy ounce of silver attached to it.  Not to mention, there really isn't an economical method to extract the silver from the piece.  There are some exceptions to be sure.  Not all silverplated holloware is common or inexpensive.

The biggest problem with silverplated holloware is the wearing through of the silverplate.  If you have a family heirloom piece with a wear spot, you may want to talk to your trusted jeweler to find a someone to have your family heirloom replated.

Holloware Catalogues-The Tablemaster's Bible

One of the most difficult to obtain, and most useful items for any tablemaster is a holloware catalogue of their favorite holloware pattern.  Mr. Bowen owns a complete 1976-1978 Reed & Barton Holloware Catalogue.  It includes sections for sterling, silver plate, and pewter.  He obtained it from an online auction.  Most vintage catalogues are owned by the professional second hand dealers.  This was the type of individual that sold Mr. Bowen his catalogue.

What "catalogues" that are found for sale generally are sections of the total catalogue.  The prices are fairly high as well for each section.  The holloware catalogues that are readily available are reprints of catalogues in which the copyright has expired-early 20th century.  The catalogues from the mid 20th century are perhaps the most desirable in the mind of Mr. Bowen as the 1950s were the 'heyday' for sterling with many manufacturers turning out product for a growing post war American middle class.

The great benefit of having such a catalogue is the long lost information for the collector.  For example, in addition to sterling holloware, Mr. Bowen collects pewter holloware as well.  Having the catalogue gives the collector the knowledge as to what is actually out there.  For instance, one piece that Mr. Bowen was looking for was a reproduction Nantucket Chamberstick.  Reed & Barton used to make them as late as the 1970s.  Mr. Bowen has only seen one for sale on an online auction.  He now owns it.  Vintage pewter from the 1970s is increasingly getting more difficult to obtain since so many pieces were easily damaged and were consequently discarded.

What is also interesting is to see the original prices the various items sold for.  When inflation is taken into  account, you realize how expensive these items were at the time.  That goes for sterling as well as pewter.  It helps one to realize what relative bargains they are now in the secondary market.  

Superfulous Sterling

One of the cardinal rules with respect to table setting is that every item on the table should have a real purpose.  Over the years, manufacturers of sterling flatware and holloware have come up with items for the table, that in the mind of Mr. Bowen, don't really need to be there.  The following list is not exhaustive, but it is indicative of the type of items that should be banished from the table.

At the top of my list of superfluous tableware items is the misuse of a charger.  A charger is a plate slightly larger than a dinner plate, whose use in some circles is as a fill in plate on the table.  Apparently, some people are horrified at the prospect of a space between the flatware before dinner.  Mr. Bowen has seen this misuse happen at some of the best dining places that should know better.  The type of chargers used in this manner aren't the ones originally manufactured in sterling.  They are made of either plastic or cheap base metal.  Ostensibly, they are also put under the dinner plate to protect the tablecloth.  If one needs to protect the tablecloth, then buy one that is stain resistant.  Traditionally, a charger is a serving plate dating back to the 17th century.

 Although rarely seen, there is such an invention as knife rests.  When in use, a knife should rest on a plate with the blade facing inward.  That goes for the dinner as well as the bread knife.  This keeps anything dripping off of the knife onto the tablecloth.  If your plate is so full that there is no room for the knife, you have other problems.  A knife rest is totally unnecessary.

Another item that doesn't belong on the table are napkin rings.  A napkin ring says to the guests that you are not sure how to fold a napkin.  Once the ring itself has been removed from the napkin, it takes up valuable space on the table and gets in the way of other things.

Some holloware items are appropriate for some things and inappropriate for others.  An example of this is a coaster.  A bottle of wine should have a coaster underneath it.  The water or wine goblet does not need a coaster.

Napkin clips are another example of a totally unnecessary item.  The napkin belongs in the lap, not clipped onto the shirt.

The last item on Mr. Bowen's list of pet peeves is the place mat. A place mat should only be used in informal dining.  It doesn't belong on a formal dining table.

China Plates aren't your only Mates

Ever since ceramic materials were developed for use as plates and holloware in the mid 19th century, they have taken over the dining table.  Prior to this time, pewter and sterling silver (as well as wood) were the primary materials for many of the items found on a dining table including plates.  Pewter has long been used for tableware going back many centuries.  Its' low melting point was ideal for ease of manufacturing.  Sterling silver was used for dinner and bread plates from the Georgian era to the mid 20th century by those who could afford it's very expensive cost..

Pewter plates were manufactured by Gorham, Towle, Reed and Barton and others until the 1970s.  They are still manufactured by small boutique and bespoke makers.  They are fairly easily obtainable from online auctions and directly from the pewter smiths themselves.  Used pewter plates from online auctions are fairly inexpensive.  New pewter items can be pricey.  Pewter is an alloy of 92% tin, and 8% antimony/bismuth.  This alloy is known as Britannia.  Notice that there is no lead included.  Pewter's bad rap comes from American pewter smiths adding a small amount of lead to their pewter alloys during the colonial era.  Unless you are eating off of a genuine American colonial antique pewter piece, lead is not an issue.

Sterling silver plates are no longer being manufactured to any great extend except by bespoke manufacturers.  Prices are expensive.  An eight plate dinner set on the secondary market found online starts at $5-6K with silver selling for $20 a troy ounce.  A 12 piece Tiffany dinner plate set can go for between $10-15K.  Bread plates are fairly common and sell for roughly $150 a piece online in the secondary market.

There is another plate that needs mentioning-the sandwich plate.  As the name implies, this is a plate used for lunch and afternoon tea.  It is similar in size to a dinner plate.  The most consistent distinguishing characteristic between a dinner and a sandwich plate is the well of the plate.  Typically, the well of a dinner plate is deeper and wider than a sandwich plate.  The well of a dinner plate extends across the plate except for the border.  The well of a sandwich plate is very shallow and centered in the middle of the plate, extending perhaps 4-5 inches or so in diameter.  There are many more sterling silver sandwich plates available than sterling silver dinner plates on the secondary market.  The problem is most sellers don't know the difference.

Salt & Pepper-Shaken or Spooned?

One of the ways to bring variety to the table is to display holloware pieces reminiscent of a particular period.  An example is the way butter is distributed on the table.  If you want to display a post WWII American table (1950s & later), you would have a covered butter dish rather than butter pats on the table.

The same can be said for salt & pepper holloware.  Prior to the mid 20th century, tables commonly used salt cellars and pepper shakers rather than salt & pepper shakers as used today.  A salt cellar is a small open bowl containing salt with a small spoon to spread the salt on the food.  The companion pepper shaker to the salt cellar is exactly like those used today albeit the design was contemporary for the time.

Thus, changing out a few of the holloware pieces on the table is one way to give variety to the table and bring a historical perspective as well.

One advantage to using a sterling silver salt cellar vs. a salt shaker is that you don't have to be concerned with corrosion as much.  Sterling silver salt shakers (and pepper as well) need to be taken apart after each use and cleaned.  Otherwise, you end up with a top that becomes pitted over time.  The inside of the screw top is especially prone to tarnish and eventually becoming stuck.  Periodic attention will remedy this problem.

A Tablemaster should be a person of the cloth

Silver has the greatest reflective properties of any medal.  However, when it undergoes a chemical reaction with sulfur containing substances in the air, it tarnishes.  As the chemical reaction starts to take place, silver exhibits a cloudy dullness.  In this case, one could polish their silver with a liquid or paste silver cleaner.  However, this is a bit of an overkill.  The easiest way to remove this dullness before it fully turns to tarnish is to use silversmith's cloth.  Silversmith's cloth is a cloth made of a soft material which contains a minute amount of a polishing agent.  Consequently, it should not be washed in order to retain its' polishing abilities.  The advantage with using silversmith's cloth is that it's not nearly as abrasive as a liquid or paste polish.

If one uses silversmith cloth to lightly touch up their silver on a regular basis, not only will it take only a few seconds to clean it, but without mess of a paste or polish.  Silver has a much maligned reputation with respect to tarnish.  This reputation is the result of people leaving a silver piece unprotected for a long period of time resulting in a thick layer of tarnish on the silver piece.  Cleaning a silver piece in this situation is a lot of work.  Those in the know protect their silver properly and touch it up with silversmith cloth before the tarnish fully manifests itself.  Protecting one's silver is easily accomplished by enclosing the piece in a tarnish resistant cloth and enclosing the piece(s) in a plastic bag or silver chest.  Keeping a piece of sterling silver in only a plastic bag is not advisable.  Silver is a very soft medal.  Repeated contact with plastic can actually scratch the surface of the silver over time.

Crystal or glassware offer a different challenge with respect to keeping them clear and shiny.  After glassware is washed, a minute amount of minerals will build up on the surface from the water.  Over time, you won't be able to simply wash it off.  The solution is to wet the glassware with water and polish the glass with a microfiber cloth made especially for glass.  Here again, the process is not time consuming and very much worth the effort.

A Connoisseur's Considerations in Selecting a Sterling Silver Flatware Pattern

The selection of a sterling silver flatware pattern would at first seem to hinge entirely on the design of the pattern itself.  However, if one only considers this single aspect, you may find that you are limited in several ways down the road.  Typically, when one thinks about a flatware setting, we tend to think about it in its simplest terms.  That is-a salad fork, dinner fork, knife, oval dessert/soup spoon and tea spoon.  Most sterling flatware patterns would meet this expectation.

However, if you typically serve fish with bones, creamy type soups or other particular foods, you may want to have specialized flatware pieces from which to eat or serve these foods.  Not all sterling flatware patterns have these specialized pieces.  One must consider what dishes one will be typically serving and decide which pieces one will need outside of the standard five flatware pieces.  All sterling flatware patterns are different in terms of what they offer.

Another consideration is the size of the flatware.  Sterling flatware can come in four sizes-Continental, Dinner, Place and Luncheon.  If your dining table is large enough to fit in the great hall of a castle, you may want to go with the larger Continental size due to size of scale considerations.  Some connoisseurs prefer to have both luncheon and dinner fork & knife sizes in their flatware sets.  However, most guests won't even notice unless they are acquainted with the various dimensions available in flatware.

Every sterling flatware pattern also have a different weight and feel to them.  You may actually want to inspect a piece up close and personal before you invest.

A final consideration is how easily obtainable are the pieces in your pattern.  Some sterling patterns from such notable sources as Tiffany may only have a few dealers that specialize in them.  A popular pattern such as Gorham's Chantilly on the other hand, will be carried by nearly every dealer as well as having a variety of pieces from which to choose.

Bon Bon Dishes-What "good" are they?

Bon Bon bowls for sale are rather ubiquitous in the online auction arena.  People are selling them, but what exactly are they used for? When are they used in a formal dining setting?  As you may have guessed from its' name in French, these bowls are for candy and in particular chocolate covered candy.  They typically range in size from 7'' X 5'' to 3'' X 2'' if they are rectangular in shape or 6'' across if they are round shaped.

They could easily be used in conjunction with a punch bowl at a party. However, with respect to a formal dinner setting, these seldom seen today staples of yesteryear, usually made their appearance after the meal had concluded.  Their arrival came after the table had been cleared, the used napkins had made their appearance on the table to each diner's left and coffee had been served.

This was typically the time for light informal conversation at the table before the guests would leave.  In this situation, one would imagine that there would be more than one Bon Bon dish present and that they would be of different sizes.

The closest one sees a Bon Bon bowl in use at a formal dinner today are the mints one receives with the check at a restaurant.  Mr. Bowen, who is a voracious consumer of chocolate, strongly petitions the reader for the return of this seldom seen piece of holloware.

Holloware For Butter: You Can Stay Pat or Pass it Around

How one offers butter on the table depends upon the general configuration of the other holloware pieces on the table.  For example, if there are individual salt & pepper shakers for each setting, continuity would suggest that there be other holloware pieces of an individual nature as well.  In the case of a table with specific individual holloware pieces, butter should be offered on a butter pat with a butter pick to transfer the pre sliced butter squares to the bread plate or dinner plate.  The advantage of having the butter precubed and transferred with a butter pick is the lack of marring on the butter pat.  The repeated strokes downward on the butter pat from the butter knife will scratch the sterling. 

In the finest dining establishments, Mr. Bowen has seen butter sliced in cubes piled in a custard bowl with a seafood fork to transfer the cubes.  This is then passed around the table (hopefully in a counter clockwise fashion) with the bread basket.  Sometimes the butter is served as prepackaged individual cubes in a bowl or a couple of cubes are laid on the bread plate.  This results in a pile of wrappers.  Mr. Bowen has yet to see a waste bowl offered anywhere on the table these days.  Not very tidy indeed.  The advantage of having an individual orientation is that there is less traffic around the table.

If the table is set up for the various holloware pieces (bread tray, salt & pepper shaker, vegetable bowl etc.) to be passed around, than a covered butter dish with a master butter knife would fit in well with this mode of operation.  Covered butter dishes come with a glass or ceramic insert to prevent marring from the knife. 

Mr. Bowen only mentions all this to do about butter to remind the reader when one is constructing their table to be aware that some holloware pieces are specifically sized for the individual and others for the whole table.  Constructing a table properly requires forethought and correct use of the holloware pieces.

Valuation of Holloware by Weight

When purchasing sterling silver holloware on line, it is useful to know the value of the silver in the piece one is purchasing.  Reputable sellers always give the buyer the weight of the piece.  However, one does have to know and understand what the seller is telling them.  Some sellers give the weight in ounces, but neglect to tell the potential buyer that the weight is actually "postal" ounces not Troy ounces.  Troy ounces are how precious metals and gemstones are traditionally measured.  This is important as there are 16 "postal" (avoirdupois) ounces in a pound and 12 troy ounces in a pound of precious metals.  

If a piece is weighed in "postal" ounces, it will actually weigh less than a piece priced in troy ounces.  The price per ounce quoted for silver in the marketplace is per troy ounce of pure silver.  Thus, there is another factor to consider-sterling silver is not pure silver, but contains other metals to strengthen it.  Sterling silver is actually 92 percent silver.

There is a way to estimate how many troy ounces of pure silver are in the holloware piece you are considering to buy.  There are roughly 31.1035 grams in a troy ounce vs. 28.3493 grams in an avoirdupois ounce.  Thus, if one divides 31.1035 by .92, you get a little under 34 grams of sterling silver which equate to about 1 troy ounce of pure silver.

Mr. Bowen has found several bargains online using this method.  For example, Mr. Bowen purchased a Reed & Barton Windsor Bon Bon bowl weighing 130 grams for $47 including postage.  At the time, a troy ounce of silver was going for about $16.  If we do the math:  130 grams of sterling silver divided by 34 grams per troy ounce of pure silver gives us 3.82 troy ounces of pure silver.  3.82 times $16/ounce equals $61.17.  Not a bad deal for $47.

Generic Holloware Patterns: Why I Like Windsor

If you happen to own a popular sterling flatware pattern from the 20th century, you may be aware that there is a corresponding holloware pattern to match it. Gorham, Towle, and Reed & Barton to name a few all manufactured holloware to match their most popular flatware patterns.

Unfortunately, there is more preowned flatware in existence than matching holloware. Prices for the surviving holloware can be pricey as well. For example, a water pitcher in Gorham Chantilly can run over $4,000. Fortunately, many manufacturers made "generic" holloware to match most flatware patterns. My favorite example of this is the Reed & Barton Windsor pattern.

Windsor offers many of the key holloware pieces: gravy boat(X958G), vegetable bowl(X959), bread tray(X959R), centerpiece bowl(X959F), meat trays, salad dishes, waiter trays, bon bon bowls and even an individual ashtray(X958A). The later frequently gets mislabeled as a nut dish or butter pat. Windsor is often described as a "Chippendale" design. This pattern is probably the most easily obtainable holloware series and typically sells for a lower price than a holloware pattern specifically designed to match a particular flatware pattern.

The primary disadvantage is that many of these generic patterns don't offer a complete holloware selection. For example, there are no salt & pepper shakers in the Windsor pattern or bread plates. Reed & Barton does have generic salt & pepper shakers and bread plates as well as other items in sterling to round out the table. If you don't require everything to match perfectly, generic holloware patterns may be the way to go.

Building Your Table: Buying Sterling Silver Holloware

Many considerations need to be made regarding constructing your dining table with holloware.  Fifty years ago, fine holloware of many styles was easily procured at a local department store.  We are of course talking about sterling silver.  As late as the 1970s, one could obtain a holloware pattern that matched one's flatware in many instances.

When the price of silver skyrocketed to $50 a troy ounce in the late 1970s, most domestic manufactures stopped making sterling silver holloware altogether.  As a result, the only place one can find a domestic holloware pattern to match their domestic sterling flatware is the secondary marketplace.  One can still purchase foreign made holloware from high end stores in New York, Palm Beach and Beverly Hills.  Also, there are bespoke makers of sterling silver holloware here in the US.  The point is that all the large traditional domestic manufacturers have either gone out of business or sharply curtailed their offerings of sterling holloware.  In a way, this is good news.

Mr. Bowen like most individuals is on a budget.  This budget does not allow him to buy brand new sterling holloware on Rodeo Drive.  Instead, he uses the secondary markets.  There are many reputable firms.  Mr. Bowen has dealt with many of them.  None of them have disappointed him.  The advantage in purchasing preowned sterling holloware from one of these establishments is that you get first rate used holloware.  For example, there is not likely to be alot of pitting in a bowl for instance that one can't see often in pictures.  Or the general polishing of the piece has been done correctly-no circular patterns.  Another advantage is these dealers generally know what they are talking about with respect for which a piece was originally intended.  Is it a butterpat or an ashtray?  Sometimes only the catalogue knows for sure.  Prices are moderate with the professional dealers, but generally very reasonable in that one pays about twice the value of the silver in many instances (depending on rarity).  This leads us to online auctions.

The chief disadvantage in buying from an online auction, is that you don't really know what you are getting until it arrives at your doorstep.  Sometimes the seller is ignorant of what they are selliing.  Other times they may not disclose or may disguise flaws by not polishing the item.  Heavy tarnish can hide pitting and other issues.  Prices can be downright bargains if you know the value of the item you are viewing.  We'll deal with some of the issues touched upon here in upcoming posts.   

The Lost Art of Setting and Furnishng a Table

Over the past fifty years, what was once ubiquitous knowledge relating to the components, pieces, and layout of a table for dining purposes, has been largely forgotten.  Ignorance is bow rampant throughout society regarding this subject matter.  This ignorance is found even at the finest dining facilities, who quite frankly should know better.

What is disheartening is the mocking and blatant disregard for table manners and manners in general in popular media.  Civility is portrayed as a weakness.  This blog endeavors to enlighten, entertain and bring about greater enthusiasm for the dining table and its' proper operation.