Silverware question

12 years ago

The talk of china/silver and washing just got me thinking - is it OK to mix patterns?

I've been trying to complete my great-grandmothers' sets, 1 is a set for 12 (with 12 place spoons and 24 teaspoons) but no serving pieces (other than a butter knife and sugar spoon) or salad forks, but 1 grille fork. The other has only 10 grille (7.5" long) forks, 1 dinner and 1 salad left, I did just win an eBay auction with more grille forks (I'll probably relist), the grille knives, soup spoons, teaspoons and a master butter and sugar spoon.

I've always just set 2 dinner forks at each place since most of the time there are only 6 of us (my family and parents) for Easter, Mother's Day, occasionally Thanksgiving.

But if/when I host more people, would it be acceptable to mix pieces, say if I use a grille fork and knife from the 1 set (the pattern of which I like better) with dinner knife and fork of the other set? Since I will now have teaspoons in both sets, which would I use? I don't often serve soup, but if I did, which soup spoon would I set - the larger place spoon that matches the dinner fork, or the round cream or gumbo spoon that matches the grille set?

The grille set is 1933 Art Deco (Rogers Fidelis), very sculptural, the more complete "regular" set is a floral 1939 pattern (Rogers Imperial). But my plates are stoneware, plain white Pfaltzgraff Filigree (or flowered Meadow Lane, for holidays Winterberry). I only have a set for 8 of real china (a Haviland floral) so any more than 8 people and I have to use the stoneware.

This post was edited by ajsmama on Thu, Oct 30, 14 at 23:19

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Comments (8)

Holly- Kay
12 years ago
I think it's perfectly fine to mix flatware. Play around with the mixture until you find the combo that is most pleasing to you. I have three complete services for eight (all three are a different pattern), I have another service for four and twelve teaspoons and twelve knives in yet another pattern that I plan on completing. I use a mixture of serving pieces. I am deciding on what I want to turn over to my two DDs.
marcolo
12 years ago
Choose the spoon it's appropriate to the food you're serving, regardless of the pattern. Don't use a cream spoon for bouillon.

Rogers Fidelis is very accessibly priced on eBay.
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2ajsmama
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks - I did buy more pieces of Fidelis on eBay, so I will have the grille knives and some spoons as well as WAAAYYY too many forks (since the set came with grille forks that I already had). I don't think I'll try to buy dinner or salad forks for that set - or not unless a set of 8 or more salad forks falls into my lap. I don't think it's necessary to have both dinner forks and grille forks. But I only have gumbo/cream spoons in Fidelis, the place spoons are Imperial so I will have to use that set if serving a bouillon (but as I said, I don't often serve a soup course). I'm a person who prefers to use a teaspoon to eat soup (my everyday stainless doesn't have cream spoons) just b/c place spoons are too big.

But this morning I won another auction for nearly a complete set of Imperial for $38 incl shipping so now I will have 8 salad forks (and 8 gumbo spoons) so don't have to mix patterns as long as there aren't more than 8 people (all my DR can comfortably hold, though I have more leaves for the table and can bring in 4 kitchen chairs to seat 12). Any more than 8 and we'd have to move the buffet server that's at one end, and the person at that end would be up against the wall and off the Oriental carpet that's under the table. So I'd probably do 8 adults in DR and 4 kids in kitchen and it doesn't matter if place settings match.

But now I will have 22 grille forks in Fidelis and 9 in Imperial (plus dinner forks in Imperial), 11 grille knives in Fidelis and 12 (8 modern, 4 French) in Imperial so unless I resell some, I'll have enough to set a huge buffet if I could ever fit that many people in my house LOL! Maybe we'll use them for DS's graduation party in 2016 - as long as people don't throw them in the trash!

I figured the Imperial, being a floral, would go to DD and the Fidelis to DS when I'm ready to pass them along.
Holly- Kay
12 years ago
AJSMAMA, it's amazing how much you can accumulate by winning those darn auctions. My BC Gorham for 8 also has 15 additional spoons that I got on EBay. I need a bigger silverware drawer.
juliekcmo
12 years ago
Yes perfectly acceptable. In fact I had been told that by mixing you are showing that these are family pieces that you may have inherited or have received, having been passed down.
2ajsmama
Original Author
12 years ago
What I like about the old sets (including my early 1980's stainless) is that they came with 2 teaspoons for each place setting. Very handy for cereal (for everyday) and coffee/dessert, no worry about not having enough b/c some had been used at breakfast and not washed yet (though I'm sure my GGMs washed theirs after every meal, with an automatic DW I don't ;-)). You don't see that in new sets. HK, so you have 23 teaspoons for 8 place settings? I will need a bigger silverware chest with a drawer underneath for the Imperial now, the Fidelis can fit in a drawer (not sure they will all fit in the tarnish-resistant insert) in the china cabinet.

Julie - NOW you tell me LOL! Though I always felt a little strange mixing the grille fork from the Fidelis with the rest of the place setting in Imperial - not only is it a much more severe (architectural) style, it was the only piece. I'd feel better having a couple pieces of each pattern in a setting.
Fun2BHere
12 years ago
While the eclectic look is popular and interesting, I tend not to mix patterns on the table setting. However, I'm perfectly comfortable using a different pattern for the dessert service as the other silverware has been removed from the table.
Holly- Kay
12 years ago
Yes, my Buttercup pattern has 8 teaspoons but I purchased three additional on EBay and then found another dozen on EBay. There is an antique Buttercup set now that I have my eye on all with the old mark. I swear if I buy it I am done with my flatware or I will have enough to open a shop.