Chantilly Waffle Knife

A recent addition to my collection is a waffle knife. This is not a common piece but it can be found. The original purpose was, of course, to serve waffles or pancakes. However it is a pretty versatile piece that can be used for a multitude of other serving needs. This piece measures 7 ¾” long.

Fun Piece - Part 1

Here is a fun piece that Gorham created in order to promote their various flatware patterns. It is a salt spoon that has a pinback attached to it to make a lapel pin.


The one shown above is still attached to its original card. Gorham made these for many of their flatware patterns such as Strasbourg, Greenbriar, Buttercup, Lily of the Valley, Rondo and Melrose.

A Note on Hallmarks

On the underside of most pieces, you will find Gorham’s hallmarks as well as other markings that may seem a little cryptic at first. On pieces made prior to approximately 1950, you will see the familiar “Lion – Anchor - G”, which was Gorham’s hallmark. The Lion is a variation of the British hallmark for sterling, the anchor is representative of Rhode Island (where Gorham was founded) and the G stands for Gorham.

You may also see a weight mark. These marks stand for the weight of a dozen of the items and not for the weight of an individual piece. The weight marks (from lightest to heaviest) are:


T - Trade - 9 troy ounces per dozen teaspoons
E - Extra - 10 Troy oz. per 12 teaspoons
No Mark - Regular - 12 Troy oz. per 12 teaspoons
H - Heavy - 14 Troy oz. per 12 teaspoons
M - Massive - 15 Troy oz. per 12 teaspoons

Jewlers were also known to impress their name onto the back of pieces, so if you see a name stamped on the back, it is most likely the jewler who sold the piece.

Starting around 1950, Gorham changed their hallmarks to just "Gorham Sterling". In order for customers to more easily distinguish the sizes, Gorham added a P in a diamond to represent a place size piece.

Soup, Soup and More Soup

Gorham made several varieties of soup spoons in their flatware patterns. As shown from left to right in the picture below are the bouillon (5”), cream soup (6 ¼”), gumbo (6 5/8”) and oval soup (6 ¾”) spoons. Bouillon spoons are used for clear thin broths. Cream soup spoons are for thickened soups while gumbo spoons are used for very thick and hearty gumbos. Neither the bouillon nor the gumbo spoons are currently in production. These seem to have been discontinued at sometime in the 1950s. The oval soup spoon is a versatile piece which can be used for any type of soup or stew and can also serve as a dessert spoon.