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Found these folding fork and spoons on a flea market. Please help on the maker "FS".

Thank you in advance!

Jack

Dear Jack!
It's not easy to answer your question, because there was several master at this time in Wien with FS maker mark. But compare the marks at the book to yours, I think it's probably the mark of Franz Starke. (Neuwirth: Wiener silber; page 158.)
Best regards!
Krisztián

Thank you very much Krisztian!

That was very quick and competent. Have you encountered such "folding" cutlery before? I find the technique with a sliding "holder" very nice.



Best regards,

Jack

Hello!
Yes, I've seen before this expediant at cutleries from Wien, Pest, and some other cities at the empire. It was a rare expediant, but not uncommon, as I see. But Nice find.
Best regards!
Krisztián

Köszönöm for your help!

Jack

Hi Jack,

Welcome to the Forum.

It is indeed a great find. Well done.

Trev.

Hi,

Wiener Silber page 157 (not page 158) shows maker "FS" in a retangular field from this period. But there are more makers with FS. More photo's of mark FS on the other objects could probably clear the question.

Regards,

Zilverik

Hello Zilverik,

sorry for the late answer - had a short holiday.

Here the requested picture - this stamp is from the small spoon.

Thank you, Jack

Still difficult. According to Neuwirth there are 32 marks "FS" between 1781 and 1866 of witch 6 with a dot. Is there a dot between the "F" and "S"? Or is that the light that it looks like a dot? Without the dot I guess marknr. P840 Franz Simmerl (B 1843) or marknr. P847 Franz Schubert (M 1840).

Regards,

Zilverik

Hello Zilverik,

thank you for your help. There are no dots between the letters.

Jack

Hello Jack,

I had a better look.
My best guesses before can't be correct. Franz Simmerl worked from 1843 till 1868. J.C. Klinkosch started his own company in 1869 (before he worked with Mayerhofen). So, the period differs.
Franz Schubert worked till 1862. Franz Schnepf (Lexicon part II, page 192 Wiener Gold- und Silberschmiede und hire punzen 1867-1922, Waltraud Neuwirth) is a better guess. He started 1862. That could fit.


Regards,

Zilverik

I just found out that I mixed the information up. The cutleries are from 1847. That is a fact. So FS had to work in 1847.
Sorry for the confusion.

Regards,

Zilverik

Hello Jack!
First of all last time I made a mistake, i wrote wrong with the page number, and Zilverik the right, the information was from the page number 157.
I think, the best I can do, is to show the marks with rectangular field from the book, and you compare to your marks, and you select one! :)


Best regards!
Krisztián

Thank you Krisztian! That ist fantastic. It also shows that a 100% identification is not possible as the marks are very close to each other. But now I have a fine reference...!

All the best,

Jack

This is part of what one would call Reisebesteck - i.e. travelling cutlery. It would fit into a case and might include several other pieces. Almost every one I have knowledge of contains a marrow spoon - interesting because since mad cow disease not many people are daring enough to eat any marrow. But it was always a great delicacy.

My own set is actually somewhat more elaborate than a Reisebesteck - it is a Mundzeug and includes serving utensils and spice box among others. Eating is serious business and having one's own cutlery guarantees that one won't get a waterstained spoon or a fork with cheese remains..