About Michelle Lieberman Expertise My expertise is in the area of American sterling silver and coin silver flatware and holloware, including identifying silversmiths and makers, types and patterns of flatware and their usage. I am unable to answer questions pertaining to silverplate or foreign silver.
Experience With over 25 years experience in selling vintage silver, I now devote much of my time educating others in this field.
Education/Credentials BA California State University Los Angeles
I would like your professional opinion regarding Wallace sterling silver flatware.
I was researching Wallace sterling on the Net, and came across an article claiming that since 1986 , when Syratech Corp.took over the Wallace sterling silver company, the quality of Wallace sterling has diminished.
Basically, the article claimed that since Syratech took over, they are using less silver in the manufacture of their Wallace flatware pieces, and the pieces are not as heavy as pre-1986.
Is there any truth in this ?
I would like to buy the Grand Baroque pattern, but now feel quite vulnerable not knowing whom to believe.
Your assistance would be much appreciated,
Lucas
Answer Hello Lucas, interesting question.
I'm sure silver aficionados around the world let out a big groan when Syratech and other mega conglomerates swallowed up the majority of major silver manufacturers.
As flatware dies continued to be used and duplicated over the years, the patterns themselves can lose the crispness they originally had, highly detailed areas have a tendency to be more flattened out from their original counterparts. Now I'm going to tell you that the difference between vintage and new pieces is minute, and certain patterns show this difference more than others. For some people, this difference matters, for others it doesn't.
As far as weights go, I cannot specifically answer your question. What I recommend you do to figure this out is to specifically ask both new and vintage sellers about the weights of certain pieces (such as a teaspoon and a fork). Ask for the weight in grams, and make sure the pieces you're inquiring about are the same length. For older pieces, contact the folks at replacements.com. For new, I suggest you contact westernsilver.com or gearys.com. Do let me know what you find out.
