Knives and spoons were among the first eating implements used in early settlements, and although the fork (from the Latin – furca) was used for agriculture, it took a surprisingly long time to be scaled down for culinary use in the middle of the first millennium AD. Even then, forks were used mainly for carving, and serving, rather than eating.
Sterling silver flatware (spoons and forks) or cutlery (the collective term for knives, forks and spoons together) is one of the most well known of all silver pieces in the home, and a service is a joy to use and to own. We have more than 50 years experience with cutlery, and can answer any questions you may have.
We provide and can source complete or part-services from the most prestigious silversmiths and cutlers of the last 200 years. In the meantime, please do browse through our selection and information on the patterns, to get an understanding of what may be right for you.
“Below is some introductory information on the variety of flatware patterns available in British silver. It’s worth noting that there are many variants on each of the standard patterns, and it would be confusing to explain them all here, so it is limited to the most well known and popular of the styles of each period.”
Amongst the oldest patterns in English flatware are Rattail, Hanoverian, and Old English. All appear similar, but there are subtle differences that distinguish the three. Rattail is so named because of the distinctive ‘spine’ that forms the front of the spoon, and the ‘tail’ on the back of the bowl. A little later, with the arrival of the German King George I to the English throne comes the plainer, and often 3-tine Hanoverian pattern (which soon modifies into 4 tines).
Then, in the George III period, from 1760 onwards, Old English emerges, reflecting the status of George III as the first English monarch of the Hanover line. Old English features 4 tines, an abbreviated spine on the front of the spoons and forks known as the ‘pip’, and no tail or ‘lug’ on the back. It is considered the most restrained and elegant of the antique British flatware designs. Old English is still manufactured today, but we usually have services that are either Georgian, or Edwardian, when the pattern had a resurgence in popularity.
FIDDLE
The earliest of all the Fiddle patterns is alleged to be a piece in the Esquiline Treasure of the late Roman period in the British Museum, although the inspiration for this piece is not known. The pattern emerges in 1739 in British silver, and becomes increasingly popular until 1800 when it becomes almost ubiquitous. Fiddle pattern always has 4 tines, a lug, and a pip, as well as ‘shoulders’ and the distinctive ‘fiddle body’ at the base. It also combines ‘French’ and ‘English’ contrasts in the spoon and fork, which turn up (forks) and down (spoons), which is a nod to the different ways French and English tables were laid. Fiddle pattern is the most influential of all English flatware patterns, and owing to its increased weight compared to most Old English services, was a good basis for developing the more elaborate styles that dominated the Victorian period.
FIDDLE & THREAD
Fiddle & Thread is a variant of the plain Fiddle pattern, that typically adds around 30% to the weight of a full service, compared to plain Fiddle. It developed in the 1790s, but became most popular around 1810 to 1815. Owing to its additional weight, it was a popular pattern in the military, although examples of regimental silver have usually seen very heavy wear and are less desirable for modern domestic use.
FIDDLE, THREAD & SHELL
Fiddle, Thread & Shell combines Fiddle & Thread, and Fiddle & Shell, adding again to the weight of a full service. It emerged in 1810 and is still produced today. It remains one of the most popular solid silver flatware patterns, and is elegant and formal, yet appropriate for everyday use.
KING’S SHAPE, QUEEN’S SHAPE AND VARIANT
As disposable incomes rose throughout the Regency period, as well as available bullion silver supplies, tastes in silver, as well as other decorative furnishings became more elaborate. King’s pattern is based on French designs of the eighteenth century, but remodelled in the British taste. Ideally, the pattern appears both on the front and on the back (double struck), and there are a large number of variant patterns, such as King’s Hourglass, Honeysuckle, Union Shell, Rosette and Husk.
Victoria and Albert, named after the British Queen and her Consort, are also King’s variants. Queen’s Shape and her variants are a rounded, softer version of King’s, slightly more feminine and a little more scarce, but also popular throughout the nineteenth century.