OT: Old silver

Until real help comes, Maureen, you might wander around over at ebay and see what you might learn. Hurricane Katrina washed away all of our DD's tableware and I managed to replace it through ebay. Her 'good' stuff was not sterling - that takes a full-time staff to keep pretty in this salt air - but was a discontinued (naturally) old Oneida stainless pattern. While searching there, I came upon lots of interesting old silver. Polly

"Maureen Wozniak" David is selling his late Mom's property after many years, so we're getting

You should get a pretty good idea of whether plate or sterling by the weight. Plate or stainless I don't really know - though good stainless is quite heavy. The tiny writing on the back might well be 'EPNS' if it is fairly light in weight. Try looking at it with the idea of those letters and see if it could be (stands for electro-plated nickel silver, in case you haven't investigated before). The letters could also be 'stainless steel'. If the knife blades have rusted, they might have started to erode with the rust (rather than just stain) and so not be worth cleaning. The handles on the other hand - if the knives are in two pieces, as they usually are, might be silver or plated. If silver, they would be worth their weight in whatever silver is selling for these days.

I'm no expert, just what I have picked up along the way! . In message , Maureen Wozniak writes

I checked my old household management books to see how to clean your knives. The simplest least toxic or dangerous method appears to be making a paste of rotten stone and rubbing the blades with that.

Another recommendation was a bath brick. I have been trying to think what the closest modern equivalent is. Probably plain, fine grade steel wool. Most of the easily available fine abrasives you can get for home use have stuff mixed in with them, and who knows what that would do.

So far as identifying the silver, do you have a digital camera with zoom? You could take a picture of the writing on the pieces, upload it to your computer, and then enhance it. Or maybe just a zoom of it would be enough when it is looked at through your photo program.

Most of my flatware comes from thrift shops and flea markets, so I have a wild mix of very nice, very cheap, and everything in between. I do sympathize with trying to make out the backs of worn pieces. Matter of fact almost all my tableware and such is a mad mingling of centuries, styles, and materials.

NightMist at my table you might get a corelle d> David is selling his late Mom's property after many years, so we're

Before you do any cleaning with anything other than a very good silver polish and rags -- NO TARN-X!!!! EVER!!!! -- please take the silver to a reputable antique dealer or auction house who handles a lot of silver! They have books with all the markings, and will be able to tell you exactly what you have! There is sterling silver, coin silver, silverplate, etc. Some silverplate (Georgian) is actually more valuable than lots of sterling. Do NOT use anything abrasive under and circumstances, and do NOT use Tarn-X! And don't make any decisions about what you should do with anything until you know for sure exactly what you have and at least a ballpark idea of value! I am not a silver expert, but two members of my family are, and they cringe when they see what well-meaning people do to silver sometimes!

On Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:55:59 -0500, Polly Esther wrote (in article ):

I definitely will. I love looking around eBay. There is always such pretty old chin and glassware too. If I had my druthers, and a lot more money, but David always thinks things are too girly and flowery.

Maureen

On Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:40:39 -0500, Pat S wrote (in article ):

Interesting. I don't think they have EPNS, but who knows. I'll take a crack at them latter again today.

I've managed to decipher what looks to be a V in a circle, the word Rotterdam, and another word that appears to be GERO.

Maureen

On Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:23:36 -0500, NightMist wrote (in article ):

That probably is the easiest, so I'll try that. I should be able to find some at the hardware store.

Hadn't thought of that. I did decide it might be easier make out some of the markings after I've polished. In the meantime, I'm looking through the library's catalog for something to help me identify at least the patterns. David unfortunately doesn't know much about it other than that his mother was estranged from her family, but at the time of his grandmother's death flew half way across the country to retrieve this because it meant so much to her. I asked him if he had any idea how old this is. He thinks maybe from the '20s. His mom was born in '24 so it might be a little older than that.

But I bet it looks fabulous. I love so much of the older stuff, but Dave finds it fussy. I'm trying to persuade him to let me us some of this silver some of the time, though he leans right now toward selling it.

On Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:32:58 -0500, Mary wrote (in article ):

David and I have been arguing over the TarnX. He keeps offering to TarnX the whole lot and I keep telling him no! Right now I'm using some Wright's silver polish and yes, a little elbow grease. It's working great on the spoons at least, though I suspect the forks are going to be a lot harder.

I doubt there is anything there that is as old and valuable as Georgian silverplate. David says it's probably from the '20s. Certainly probably no older than the 19-teens.

Maureen

When you're doing the forks Maureen, I suggest using an old toothbrush.

(I save all mine and use them for loads of things!!) . In message , Maureen Wozniak writes

Yeeeek! Not Pumice - scratches to glory!!

Old fashioned Silver polish on a soft cloth and lots of patience is much safer. Scratches take away both the value and the silver!

Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~uk

Roberta wrote:

It would be a classy touch if you would use the full-color glossy newspaper inserts for J C Penny as placemats on top of double damask. You would enjoy the Louisiana manner of a crawfish boil extravaganza. First we cover the tables with newspapers. Then we cover the guests with bibs and arm them with dishcloths for napkins. It all goes downhill from there. Polly

What's in Tarn-X? The website for it doesn't state its composition.

A friend of ours is a jeweller (makes high-end stuff that gets collected by contemporary art museums all over the UK). He uses Brasso to clean silver - he used it on my alto flute when I showed it to him, did a brilliant job.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- e m a i l : j a c k @ c a m p i n . m e . u k Jack Campin, 11 Third Street, Newtongrange, Midlothian EH22 4PU, Scotland mobile: 07800 739 557 Twitter: JackCampin

On Thu, 22 Jul 2010 09:33:21 -0500, Pat S wrote (in article ):

Perfect! I need to get some new toothbrushes any way.

Maureen

On Thu, 22 Jul 2010 23:41:57 -0500, Polly Esther wrote (in article ):

You really know how to do things in the swamp, Polly!

Maureen

Maureen, I saw Martha Stewart or read in her "Living" magazine, that she uses mismatched pieces all the time. So just because you have different patterns, go ahead and use them! And especially if you enjoy them, use them! Life is too short to 'save the good stuff'; as my GM used to say "if you save things and don't use them, you're just saving them for your husband's next wife and she will use them" or something to that effect. Anyway, here's a link to a website that deals in replacement china and flatware that might be helpful:

G.

On Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:25:09 -0500, Michelle G. wrote (in article ):

Thanks for the link. I'm beginning to suspect we don't have with all that there is. No dinner forks at all in the pieces I have here.

We've been debating what happened. I'm hoping something just got overlooked and they are hiding somewhere in the mess in his Mom's condo. David is afraid that half the set was stolen.

Maureen