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
Question Hello Michelle, I have recently purchased two butter knives with the engraving 1835 R. Wallace. They are approx 17cm long with lovely hollow handles deeply engraved. They appear quite old. The knife blade is sharp on the bottom side and curves nicely to a point. Quite elegant to look at. Would they be part of a set or used on the butter dish, rather than a setting for each person. Also how old do you think they may be.
Answer Hello Cherry. Wallace began making silverplated patterned flatware in 1878. You can narrow the date down if you can identify the pattern. You could either post a picture of it here and I can do it for you, or you could go to a good flatware replacement website such as replacements.com and scroll through the pattern photos.
From your description of the knives, they may be either master butter knives (for serving, not at the place setting) or something else. Does the blade have a bend in it? If you set it on the table, is one end raised quite a bit off the table? If so, they're master butter knives. If not, they're probably something else such as fruit or fish knives.
