Sterling Silver Flatware for Dining Elegance (Schiffer Book for Collectors) [Hardcover]

Richard Osterberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1999 | Series: Schiffer Book for Collectors

In this richly illustrated book, Richard Osterberg provides a thorough look at the sterling silver utensils which have entranced collectors throughout the years. The perfect complement to the crisp linen, fine china, and elegant crystal of a well-set dining table, sterling silver flatware by many of the most renowned makers and in the loveliest of patterns is pictured here. While sterling silver patterns can be simple or elaborate, this book makes clear that all of them are beautiful. From delicate berry spoons to poultry shears, bouillon ladles, and carving sets, individual place settings and serving pieces are organized in chapters to make matching your pieces an easy task. A newly updated price guide and helpful research charts are included for use with your own collection.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Richard Osterberg is a professor of education at California State University, Fresno. An avid collector, he has had an abiding love of sterling silver flatware since his own college days.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Schiffer Publishing; 2 Rev Exp edition (October 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764308904
• ISBN-13: 978-0764308901
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,259,613 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sterling Silver Flatware for Dining Elegance, 2nd Edition, September 11, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Sterling Silver Flatware for Dining Elegance (Schiffer Book for Collectors) (Hardcover)

I could not be more pleased with this book. It is 204 pages of excellent photographs and descriptions of many patterns, along with a history of the unusual pieces and their original uses. The price guide is just *one* page in this book and is meant only to provide a range. Such a guide would be out of date as soon as published, and it is not realistic to expect it to be current or definitive. (It may have been better left out!) This is the finest book I have seen for a serious silver flatware collector.

32 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars STERLING SILVER FLATWARE For Dining Elegance, 2nd Edition, January 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sterling Silver Flatware for Dining Elegance (Schiffer Book for Collectors) (Hardcover)

Lovely pictures and good descriptions for use of various pieces of flatware.

The "Price Guide" is totally useless! Examples: "Dinner Forks $45-110" "Teaspoons $30-85" "Macaroni Servers $295-1250"

All pieces are priced and listed just this way. Listing such a dollar range with no patterns or manufacturers mentioned, makes the price guide of no value.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous "coffee table" book, August 28, 2005

By 

D. Miller (Saratoga, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sterling Silver Flatware for Dining Elegance (Schiffer Book for Collectors) (Hardcover)

This book is full of absolutely beautiful photos of (mostly old) American sterling place and serving pieces. Its strength is to help identify unusual pieces that people today don't have a clue about. Not very useful for identifying patterns, unless you happen to stumble across a photo of a pattern whose name you are seeking. Patterns are not indexed, but types of pieces are. The price guide (e.g., $30 to $85 for a teaspoon) is absolutely useless. Interesting form to photocopy to use to keep track of pieces you acquire.