Silver Fruit Knives A Golden Age

[FRJ]

I can't imagine manipulating Mother of Pearl to get that effect.
That's really neat!

[Miller Bro's]

Thanks Joe

Here's a close-up picture.

[kazuma78]

I have this silver fruit knife and can't identify the hallmarks for the correct maker and year. Can anyone provide any help? I know I'm reviving an old thread. Thanks!

[danno50]

Here is a link to Silver Maker's marks:
http://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/index.htm

I believe the anchor indicates Birmingham made?

Dan

[kazuma78]

I saw that page but couldn't figure out what the top hallmark is, so I wasn't sure it was birmingham

[danno50]

Yeah, I couldn't find the top mark anywhere either.
Dan

[kazuma78]

Thanks for the help. I was trying to figure out more about it before I made the owner an offer on it.

[Miller Bro's]

This is a beautiful old knife!

[BWT]

Very nice Dimitri

[Miller Bro's]

Thanks Bill

[Miller Bro's]

I guess no one collects fruit knives........................


All the more for me!


Here's another one, small size for a girl or young lady.

[BWT]

Nice one Dimitri, I only have two, won't be home tomorrow maybe I can post them Sunday.

[KAW]

I guess no one collects fruit knives........................
All the more for me!

Just never came across one before this....
Thanks for posting & bumping up the thread...
its my new discovery for today...

They are cool looking... so much neat stuff just goes out of fashion and disappears...

[Miller Bro's]

Nice one Dimitri, I only have two, won't be home tomorrow maybe I can post them Sunday.

Thank you Bill, can't wait to see the ones you have!

[Miller Bro's]

Ken, glad you enjoyed the thread

In time I am sure you will come across one, they made a ton of them during their hey day.

[LongBlade]

That is a nice small fruit knife Dimitri ... Despite some being quite fancy in terms of carved MOP etc and many were quite nice I have to say I only have one - a Gorham from RI but not sure I ever took photos... I'll do that when I can to add at least one more ...

[Miller Bro's]

Thanks Lee!

Yes they can be quite ornate, they were a status symbol of the time. The English went all out making these many of which came in their own velvet lined storage box. The problem with collecting them is many have little to no snap, why? because the sterling blade tang wears easily again a steel spring, given the fact few people oil the joint it's not surprising so many have worn tangs and will not snap open or closed

The American version of these are less ornate in that they rarely used carved MOP handles fancy bolsters and shields, however they did make some pretty eloborate sterling and plated silver handles and decorated blades

I like all of them, and don't really care if the blade has snap

[LongBlade]

Good info and points Dimitri ... Originally one of the reasons I kept passing on many fruit knives is because they had no snap until I learned that the silver tangs wore out from use - I can' tell you how many I passed on at Brimfield one year - it seemed like everyone had some but mostly silver and not fancy MOP handles... No doubt Sheffield went all out on the fruit knives and reminds me of the Sheffield quill knives as well compared to the American made quill knives - as you know Sheffield quill knives are also much more elaborate ... I once saw a gold plated fruit knife on a local hunt in a fancy case etc made by John Yeomans Cowlishaw Sheffield if I remember correctly but the price was abit much in my opinion approaching $500

[Miller Bro's]

wow gold plated or not that's a lot of money!

Here's another small English less ornate fruit knife.

[LongBlade]

Another nice one Dimitri ...

Yes $500 was way over the top... problem is many I have found were being sold by folks who were not knife knowledgeable including the gold plated one - and so all they see is that it is silver (sometimes solid) or gold plated and they think based on that commodity (some don’t realize they are only silver plated as well) that they are worth lots of cash - and so I think many are over-priced

[Miller Bro's]

Exactly, they see silver or gold and raise the price.

Several years ago when the gold and silver price was high a lot of these got scrapped I seen a lot locally and on eBay that were being bought just for the silver content, now that silver has gone way down again the prices have returned to normal.

Here's another rare fruit knife although it has no silver content it still belongs here. I have several all ivory and bone fruit knives but this is much more rare and unusual, Ivory wharncliffe master with a steel pen secondary blade. I cannot make out the name, but it is from England. Don't think this one has ever been used.

[LongBlade]

Now that fruit knife with an ivory wharncliffe is way cool Dimitri ... Just awesome and unique - now that one I would jump on in a second ...

[BWT]

Nice one Dimitri, I only have two, won't be home tomorrow maybe I can post them Sunday.

Thank you Bill, can't wait to see the ones you have!

Almost forgot to post these Dimitri. My only ones.

[Miller Bro's]

Very nice Bill!

Both American made both silver plated

[LongBlade]

Nice fruit knives Bill ...