This set of antique butter knives measure 6.5 inches long. There are 6 knives housed in the original hard leather padded storage box.
Since I'm not very knowledgeable about this type of product, I took it to one of the local auction houses in Phoenix during their free appraisal section. Once I returned home, I researched the information that they gave me and of what I could find, their info matched in most cases. The following is what I've gathered:
The following symbols are on the blade:
-There are initials of C.W.F. That designates that the maker was the famous silversmith Charles William Fletcher. In 1891 he opened his business and became C.W. Fletcher and Sons. They became the premier supplier to all the leading silversmiths in the U.K.. In 1908 they changed direction and started to produce finished silver cutlery. In 1939 production of silverware wound down due to workers being called for the war effort.
-Also on the blade is the letter S. I can find no information on what a single letter S stands for. Possibly "Silver" but that's just a guess on my part.
-Lastly on the blade are the letters EP. The only definition for the letters that I could find is "Electro Plate", but the auction house told me that C.W. Fletcher and Sons only supplied and only made their items out of Silver.
The following symbols are on the bolster (the area between the handle and the blade):
- The initials J.Y. That designates Yates Brothers of Sheffield. They were in business 1910 - 1920.
- Next is a crown which designates the location of Sheffield England.
- Next is the passant lion which stands for 92.5% silver.
- Lastly, there is some type of symbol that I can't determine what it is.
The handle portion counts for 3 of the 6.5 inch length. I'm told the handle is made of Bakelite. I would call the color a light butterscotch.
That's all I know about the set, and I really don't know how much of it is correct since it came from a couple of different sources. The condition, in my opinion, is that the set was taken care of very well. There are some faint scratches on the blades, but I'd expect that on a set that's 100 years old.
Shipping will be via USPS Insured Flat Rate Packaging. Buyer to pay $8.55 delivery charges. Shipping is from Nevada.
SHIPPING COST INFO:
I do combine shipping on multiple items purchased as long as all items can safely fit into a single box. However, my web host is not set up to calculate multiple item shipping costs. At checkout, you will be charged full shipping price on each item purchased and I will refund the appropriate amount of overpayment. If you are uncomfortable with that, you can send me an email with your zip code and stating which items you'll be purchasing and I'll calculate the correct combined shipping charges and send you a custom invoice.
Also, every January the postal service increases shipping charges. This year, many price increases were a bit steep with some package categories adding as much as a dollar on to an already high shipping charge. I try to absorb some of the new charges but that's getting harder with each increase.
International shipping charges also took a tremendous leap. International shipping will now depend on the country. Buyer must contact seller for international shipping charges before making a purchase. Seller reserves the right to void any international transactions where contact has not been made prior to purchasing.
All items in my listings come from either estate or garage sales. I do not know if they came from homes where smoking or pets were present. All items are sold in the same condition as when I received them.
