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.
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Sunday, August 28, 2016
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.
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.
Saturday, August 20, 2016
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
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.
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.
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