Here are some terms that might be helpful to you:
Flatware includes
the Knives, forks and spoons.
Hollow ware is tableware that is hollow inside. It includes most everything that isn’t
flatware. Perhaps it is easier to think of it as serving pieces such as trays and bowls.
Open stock means that you can
purchase individual pieces separately
Place settings are preassembled sets. They usually come in sets of
5 pieces but can be larger. Often you get a serving set included if you buy multiple place settings. This can be helpful as
it usually includes a slotted spoon, meat fork, large serving spoon and sometimes a ladle for soups. You will need all of
these eventually and they can be expensive purchased separately.
The Basic 5 piece Place setting:
Teaspoon
Place Fork
Place Knife
Salad or pastry fork
Place Spoon or Soupspoon
You will always need extra
teaspoons and salad size forks, as you will use that size for many different uses.
Coin silver. This is a
confusing term with varying interpretations. .925 sterling in England and .900 in the United States
Sheffield
A technique of fusing two or more different metals together that was developed in Sheffield England.
Silver Plate
describes the result of putting a silver finish over a less valuable base metal. Developed in the 1920
Pewter
originally made from tin and lead, which is why old pewter should not be used for food or beverage. Modern pewter is
made of tin, copper and antimony.
Sterling silver an alloy of silver and copper. In England .925 parts silver
in the United States it is .921 parts silver.
Stainless Steel is a steel alloy mixed with chromium to resist
corrosion.
Types of utensils found on a Victorian table:
FORKS:
Seafood fork
Oyster
fork
Snail fork
Lobster for
Pastry fork
Desert fork
Salad fork
Fish fork
Luncheon fork
Dinner fork
SPOONS:
Dessert Spoon
Tablespoon
Iced beverage (more modern than Victorian)
Sauce
spoon
Clear soupspoon
Cream soupspoon
Citrus spoon
Coffee spoon
Teaspoon
Ice cream spoon (sometimes
an ice cream fork)
Demitasse Spoon
KNIVES:
Dinner knife
Luncheon knife
Salad knife
Butter
knife
Cheese knife
Fish knife
Steak knife
Fruit knife
SERVING PIECES
Butter server
Jelly server
Lettuce fork
Olive fork
Hot meat fork
Cold meat fork
Pickle fork
Sardine fork
Fish serving fork
Asparagus server
Cake server
Pie server
Soft cheese server
Hard cheese server
Tongs of all shapes and sizes
Sugar shell
Sugar tongs
Slotted spoon
Carving set
Steak set
Ladles
of various sizes and shapes
Tomato server
Sauce server
Marrow fork and scoop (ugh)
crumber
Candle
snifter
Wick trimmers
Place card holders
Caviar servers
Bon bon or nut server
Salad servers
Tea
strainers
