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a to z's of dinnerware

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a to z's of drinkware

a to z's of flatware

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Britannia metal: A silver-like alloy of tin, antimony and copper, first used in 1770. It is called EPBM when used as a base metal for electroplating.

Bronze casting: An Old World art in which hollow fittings are made by a caster pouring molten metal into bronze mold fittings.

Butler finish: The name of this finish was coined as the result of hand rubbing by English butlers. Today, it refers to a mellow surface luster produced by a revolving wire wheel.

Chasing: A decoration in high or low relief achieved by the use of punches, which push the surface of the metal into patterns.

Coin silver: In the United States, up until the Civil War, much holloware was made from melted coins. These coins were made of silver assayed at 900 parts pure silver to every 1000 parts, 25 parts lower than the sterling standard.

Die-cutting: A process by which a master pattern is reproduced in steel to form a die from which an identical article of a softer metal can be stamped out.

Embossing: A decorating process of working on the back of a piece in relief.

Electroplate: A technique where base metals are coated with pure silver, then electrical currents pass through a plating bath which deposits the silver on the base metal.

Engraving: Designs achieved by cutting the surface of metal by using sharp tools, known as gravers, which remove small amounts of metals.

Final finish: A hand-polishing step that is very precise and affords a smooth satin finish or a bright mirror finish to the metal. All final polishing is stroked in the direction of the metal's grain.

Hammered finish: A hammered finish is a technique that appears to have small indentations.

Hand spinning: A process where spinners pull metal over a form by exerting up to 900 pounds of leverage per square inch into precise curves and contours.

Nickel silver: A composition of copper, nickel and zinc.

Old Sheffield Plate: A process made by fusing silver to both sides of a base metal to create a silver sandwich. This method was widely used to produce holloware from 1765 to 1840.

Oxidizing: A process used to accentuate the beauty of ornamentation by applying an oxide, which darkens the metal. Eventually, a natural oxidization will form on all silver as oxygen in the air reacts to the metal.

Patina: The special soft sheen, color and feel that develops years after using silver.

Pressing: A process in which dies are used in hydraulic presses utilizing as much as 150 tons of pressure. The result is unusual designs that cannot be formed by hand spinning.

Repousse: The process of embossing metal from the back by hammering, then giving further definition to the relief by chasing up from the front. Samuel Kirk introduced this process in 1828.

Rubber mold casting: A process that utilizes a rubber blank in which a design is pressed to leave an impression in the rubber. Molten metal is then poured in the rubber mold, and while the mold is spinning, excess slag metal is removed.

Silver: A subtitle pink that is often incorrectly referred to as solid silver. Sterling silver is composed of 925 parts of pure silver and 75 parts alloy, usually copper. Continental silver varies from .800 to .833 from country to country. In England, 925 is always called silver, not sterling.

Soldering: A process of attaching bases, handles and fittings by fusing the metallic surfaces together with a soldering iron.

Tripoli: A form of hand-finishing metal. This form of polishing removes the coarse marks of sand polishing and makes a smoother finish.

Troy weight: The unit of weight employed by silversmiths, one pound equals 14.58 troy ounces and 1 ounce is .91 troy ounces.

Vermeil: A process in which silver has been guilded.

Silverplate: Silverplated wares have base metal usually composed of nickel, copper and zinc, then plated in silver. The silver is electrostatically applied or coated to the trimmed alloy base. It's a simple chemical reaction that has been approved upon over the years. The old Sheffield process of silverplate was discovered by accident in the mid-1700s. A cutler was repairing a knife blade and heated two metals-silver & copper. The two metals fused to create a silver sandwich around the copper. In the mid-1800s, the process of electroplating was discovered. The quality of silverplate is based on the amount of silver.

Acknowledgements: A to Z's of Flatware is reprinted with permission from Tableware Today.