Article by Rod Low
The most extreme case for a large sterling flatware collection might look something like the two lists below for a placesetting and for serving pieces. The pieces in an individual place setting would be something like the list below:
One Complete Place Setting
1 Dinner-size knife1 Dinner-size fork1 Luncheon-size knife1 Luncheon-size fork1 Dinner-size steak knife1 Luncheon-size steak knife1 Teaspoon1 Salad Fork1 Cream Soup Spoon1 Butter Knife1 Boullion Spoon1 Fish Fork (part of what is called a Fish Set with the Fish Knife below)1 Fish Knife1 Oval Soup or Dessert Spoon1 Ice Cream Fork (these are extremely rare in some patterns)1 Five O'Clock Spoon1 Demitasse Spoon1 Iced Tea Spoon1 Cocktail Fork1 Grapefruit Spoon (with small serrated teeth on the end of the spoon)1 Fruit Spoon (perhaps the same as a Grapefruit spoon)1 Fruit Knife
22 Total Pieces
Complete Serving Piece Package
Suggestions for a fairly complete collection of serving pieces (some items would include multiple copies) would include most of the items below, but keep in mind there are dozens of unusual pieces such as the pasta server, asparagus server, food pusher, etc. out there in some patterns:
Solid Table SpoonsPierced Table SpoonsGravy LadlesSugar Shell SpoonMaster Butter Knife (FH)Oyster or Small Sauce LadleMustard LadleCheese KnifeCake ServerPie ServerSugar TongsJelly Server SpoonCold Meat ForkCarving KnifeCarving ForkPickle Fork (3 tine)Picke Fork (2 tine)Bon-Bon Spoon (Pierced)Tomato Server (HH or FH)Buffet Forks (2 tine)Baked Potato Fork (a twisted-tine Buffet Fork)Caviar Spoon (an actual sea shell attached to a sterling handle as the touch of silver ruins caviar)Wooden Salad Fork with Sterling HandleWooden Salad Spoon with Sterling HandleButter PickHorseradish SpoonCheese SpoonPate ForkDinner BellCandle Snuffer
Have fun collecting them all.
About the Author
The Sterling Silver Flatware is an online store that offers many different brand of sterling silver including Towle, Reed & Barton, Wallace etc. Browse the catalog of sterling silver flatware and find the pattern you are looking for at The Sterling Silver Flatware.