Silver Pieces - The Strange and Peculiar: Stieff

The Story Behind this Blog

Being from the South, Silver is a very big part of my life. It doesn't have anything to do with wealth. Although those with more money - old money, tend to have more of it. New money tend not to spend their money on Silver. They do not have the appreciation for the warmth of the metal, the beauty of the patina, the story it tells of the generations past who have used it. A true southern girl comes of age when she chooses her silver pattern, long before she chooses her mate. If she is smart, she chooses that of her mother, grandmother, or favorite great aunt who in their benevolence will pass their silver on to her. It is the pieces in those sets, the pieces on our tables, along with the pieces we find in the corners of the displays in antique stores that prompted me to start this blog. They are beautiful, they are odd, but what are they, and what in the hell do you do with them?

Showing posts with label Stieff. Show all posts

Monday, May 11, 2020

Royal Dynasty by Steiff

Stieff's Royal Dynasty pattern was designed by Jose Barata y Barrera in 1966.

Serving Spoon (8 5/8 inches)

Kirk Stieff Royal Dynasty (Sterling, 1966) Solid Serving Spoon

Kirk Stieff Royal Dynasty (Sterling, 1966) Solid Serving Spoon

Individual Steak Knife (HH) (9 1/4 inches)

Kirk Stieff Royal Dynasty (Sterling, 1966) Individual Steak Knife Hollow Handle

Baby Fork (5 1/8 inches)

Kirk Stieff Royal Dynasty (Sterling, 1966) Baby Fork

Pie Server (10 5/8 inches)

Kirk Stieff Royal Dynasty (Sterling, 1966) Pie & Cake Server with Stainless Blade

Friday, March 22, 2019

Corsage by Stieff

Small Berry Spoon (8 1/4 inches)

Stieff introduced their Corsage pattern in 1935.

Large Chocolate Spoon (4 1/2 inches)

Bacon fork (8 1/4/inches)

Bon Bon Spoon (5 3/8 inches)

Friday, April 1, 2016

Hot Cake Server

Like the name says, the Hot Cake Server was designed to server Hot Cakes. There are solid and pierced designs.

Baltimore Rose by Schofield (7 3/8 inches)

Repousse by Jenkins and Jenkins (7 3/4 inches)

Mayflower by Kirk Stieff (7 7/8 inches)

View Details

Servern-Worthington by Kirk Stieff (7 5/8 inches)

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Forget-Me-Not by Stieff

A lovely repousse style, the Forget-Me-Not pattern was introduced by Stieff in 1910. The heavy design is of flowers and leaves working its way from the tip of the terminal down the stem.

Master Butter Knife (7 1/8 inches)

Large Sardine Serving Fork (6 inches)

Small Berry Spoon (8 1/8 inches)

Cheese Server (61/4 inches)

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Oyster Forks (Part 4)

As I have said before in my many posts on Oyster Forks, although they are small, to me these are beautiful delicate pieces in any pattern. And, personally as a lover of oysters, a most useful piece. And, unlike many "fork" place pieces in patterns, these tend to be a little "unique in each pattern. I have a friend who only collects sterling silver oyster forks.

Old Maryland by Stieff (5 3/4 inches)

Etruscan by Gorham (5 3/8 inches)

Old Colonial by Towle (6 1/4 inches)

Marlborough by Reed and Barton (5 1/2 inches)

Old Newbury by Towle (5 3/4 inches)

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Solid Nut Spoon

The Solid Nut Server is the same size as the regular sized Pierced Nut Server. Although some of the solid bowls have some beautiful detailing, as a whole the pieces lack the elaborate decoration of its fancy cousin the pierced cousin. Patterns generally have a either pierced style or a solid design., but not both.

Hibiscus by Whiting (4 1/8 inches)

Renaissance by Dominick and Haff (4 3/4 inches)

Roanoke by Baker Manchester (5 3/4 inches)

Corsage by Stieff ( 5 3/8 inches)

Decor by Gorham (4 3/4 inches)

Duke of York by Whiting (4 1/2 inches)

Monday, May 9, 2011

Chrysanthemum Patterns

Chrysanthemum was a common name and design in sterling flatware patterns. I could find nine different Chrysanthemum patterns - all very unique.

(Chocolate Spoon in Durgin 1893 designed by George Muller) (4 1/8 inches)

(2 Tine Strawberry Fork in Stieff -1904) (4 3/4 inches)

(Gravy Ladle in Tiffany 1880 designed by Charles Grosjean) (7 5/8 inches)

(Ice Cream Serving Spoon in Gorham - 1885) (5 1/8 inches)

(Master Butter Knife in Shiebler - 1886) (7 1/4 inches)

(Bon Bon Spoon in Fessenden - 1950) (5 1/2 inches)

(Demitasse Spoon in Imperial Chrysanthemum by Gorham - 1894 designed by William C. Codman) (4 inches)

Friday, December 10, 2010

Pastry Servers

In an earlier post, I touched on pastry pieces. Here are more Pastry Servers. Be careful with these pieces. These are all sterling, however a majority of what I found were silverplated. Some Pastry Servers have oval shapes, some leaf shapes.

American Victorian by Lunt (10 1/8 inches)

Olympian by Tiffany (10 3/4 inches)
Pastry Server, Solid Piece

Berry by Whiting (9 inches)

Chrysanthemum by Tiffany (11 3/8 inches)
Pastry Server, Solid Piece

Betsy Patterson by Stieff ( 8 5/8 inches)

Clune by Whiting (9 1/4 inches)

Vine by Tiffany (10 3/4 inches)

Repousse by Kirk Stieff (10 inches)
Pastry Server With Stainless Blade

Wave Edge by Tiffany (11 inches)

Server-Pastry/solid Piece

Friday, August 6, 2010

Stieff Rose by Stieff

Stieff Rose debuted in 1892, the first year Charles Stieff established his silver factory in Baltimore. Stieff Rose is very similar to a pattern made by then-rival Kirk, known as Repousse (which was introduced in 1828). Though very similar in design, the two patterns are different.The two companies merged in 1979, and the company is now known as Kirk Stieff.

Stieff Rose by Stieff (1892)