Basic Place Settings

The basic place setting consists of a knife, fork, salad fork and teaspoon. These come in three basic sizes:

• dinner - the largest size
• place - the most popular size
• luncheon - the smallest size

Below are examples of all three sizes in Chantilly:

Dinner Size

This is the size used often for the most formal of occasions. The pieces from left to right are:

• large salad fork (6 3/4") - can also be used for the fish course
• dinner fork (7 1/2") - While this is the same overal length as the place fork, the dinner fork has longer tines and a shorter handle
• dinner knife - (9 5/8") - The blade on the knife shown is a French blade
• Teaspoon - (5 7/8") - This piece is common to all place settings

Place Size

This is the most popular size and can be used for all occasions. The pieces from left to right are:

• place salad fork (6 3/8")
• place fork (7 1/2") - While this is the same overal length as the dinner fork, the place fork has shorter tines and a longer handle. Gorham marked these with a "P" in a diamond on the back. This size became popular in the 1950s and has become the standard size.
• place knife (9 1/4") - This knife had the Modern blade. This blade style is the one most often seen.
• Teaspoon

Luncheon Size

This is the size used most often for informal occasions. The pieces from left to right are:

• small salad fork (5 3/4") - can also be used for pastry or dessert
• luncheon fork (7")
• luncehon knife - (8 7/8") - The blade on the knife shown is a French blade
• Teaspoon - (5 7/8") - This piece is common to all place settings

While most flatware services contain 8 or 12 place settings, the number of place settings required is solely dependent upon your needs. If you have a large family or host dinner parties with many guests, you may need 12 or more place settings. You may also want to combine the different sizes to obtain the number of settings that match your requirements. This would provide greater flexibility for your entertaining needs.

Brief History of Chantilly

It all began with the issuance of patent number 24508 on July 30, 1895. This patent was for a pattern designed by William Christmas Codman. This design wasn't well received at first so in 1904 it was given a slight re-design and from there it took off to become the best-selling sterling flatware pattern ever.

The design is pure French Rococo with its S-curves yet subtle American attention to detail. It is a contradiction in terms that apply equally - simple yet ornate. It looks as beautiful with the most fanciful of china patterns as it does with the plainest. It can grace a formal dinner table setting as easily as it can a breakfast for two.

The original design had an applied scroll edge to many pieces and this feature was removed in the re-design. I have divided the Chantilly pattern into three time periods: (1) 1895-1903, the original design with approximately 103 different pieces (2) 1904 to 1949 - redesigned line with over 300 pieces and (3) 1950 to present with approximately 188 pieces. In addition there are many variations which will be future topics.

Here is a copy of the original patent (click on picture to enlarge):

What I Collect - and More Importantly WHY?!!

I collect Gorham Silversmith's Chantilly pattern. Not just the flatware but the holloware as well. I also collect other pieces of older Gorham silver and silverplate but Chantilly is my true passion.

Why? That is a questions I am always asked. Well my parents chose it as their wedding silver and it was gifted to me by my mother. That is the simple answer. The second simple answer is its beauty - it is a study in true simplicity and elegance in design. The more complex answer is that it offers a fasicinating glimpse into the past. With a myriad of pieces both functional and obscure, the collecting possibilities are endless.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog. I have created this blog to detail my adventures in collecting silver and to help others with their collecting as well.

Let me start by telling you how I began my collection. It seems like I have been collecting one thing or another (like Fostoria glassware or Russel Wright designs) for most of my adult life but it wasn't until I borrowed my mother's set of silver for a dinner party that I really connected with one thing. When I went to return it, she said to just keep it as she hardly ever used it and I would use it more than she would have. This was the beginning of a long, enlightening, entertaining and ongoing project. I have learned a great deal, met many interesting people and have had a wonderful time in adding to my mother's initial gift. So please join me in my further adventures as I continue on my quest to complete my collection.