Replacing blades on sterling flatware

12 years ago

I have a set of Wallace Carmel sterling flatware. The original blades on the knives are silverplate and have corroded badly. Can anyone recommend someone to replace these blades with stainless ones? Several places advertise this service, but I'm a bit hesitant to ship the knives off to persons unknown.

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Deborah Vaders

3 years ago

Replacements.com does blade replacement but i imagine it will only be pursued by those in possession of high value sets or family heirlooms as the cost is $40 per blade. I should think that those of us with regular silver patterns/brands can buy the whole knife for less on the secondary market. it is a shame as knives have been so heavily melted in the last 15 years and the cost to replace blades means more will suffer the same fate.

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Comments (9)

lindac
12 years ago
Let me know when you find someone....I have some too.
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antiquesilver
12 years ago
I've never had any done for the same reason.

I experimented on a few of my worst ones when I bought a couple of premium antique knives for pennies on the dollar because of the corroded blades & I didn't think I could hurt the blades. I cleaned the blades with 0000 steel wool (primarily the cutting edge) to remove the rust/corrosion/bubbled plate & then lightly coated with mineral oil. Much improved - the blades aren't silvery but they don't disgrace the table, either. Since then I haven't thought about having them replaced. Also, I find the carbon steel blades to be much sharper than the stainless replacements.
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To paige 16 Yes it is true that most of those items really have no place on current tables for most of us. I think that collecting is so important rather than just melting the stuff down. I have bought items in my set because they were available for purchase. I did not expect to have the number of place pieces or serving pieces that I have. That is why I am thankful that Ebay does exist. I am sure that it it did not, I would not have had the set that I was abel to put together. The writes of the silver books said it was a hard pattern to collect. It really would have been had it not been for Ebay. This is our history and heritage. It is beautiful art as well. Just remember that some companies have given up trying to reproduce some of the "vintage patterns". Its because those men that created those early pieces were craftsmen. Just think, the silver companies as we knew them vitrually don't exist any more. They have been sucked up into holes and are no more than another part of a holding company. The people that own them at this point really don't understand or appreciate good American Silver. The younger people are there just because it is a job. Replacements does think it is doing the customer a favor by buying their silver. They are not all that honest either. I have tried selling there and found that they do try to take advantage of the original owner but make pretty good profits off of what you have sold to them. Be careful when you negotiate value with some of the folks out there.
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I have been putting my sterling into the dishwasher, daily for about 40 years....whatever....since I first got a dishwasher about 1970. When we were first married, I chose not to register for stainless....and not to buy any....all $$ would be spent on Sterling. Well, in the first year I realized I had to have some stainless to take on picnics and to pot lucks...so I bought 2 knives, 2 forks, 2 spoons and 2 salad forks at Woolworths for about $2. I turned bacon with sterling...I stirred a pot of cereal with sterling... And it's still there....including 2 spoons and a fork that have "disposer damage", before I made the rule that no silverware ever EVER goes into the sink with the disposer. Go for it....I love using my sterling every day!! Linda C
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Ah! Ha!...you used one of those dips....that's not silver polish...that works by a chemical reaction. I have been preaching for years both on this forum and to about everyone I see.....don't ever ever use that stuff!! Try "real silver polish" on your knives....like Wrights or International Silver polish...the kind you have to rub...see if that helps. If that doesn't work, try Simichrome....only on the blades of the knives. Taking them to a jeweler is definitly a hassle but considering you have ruined knives worth about $50 each...or more, it seems like the only thing to do if the other methods don't work. I am afraid that no polishing will really help, that the black is caused by a chemical reaction and the only thing to do will be to replace the blades on the knives. Please....never EVER use any of those dip methods on your silverware. Linda C
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When my *now* 5 adult children were growing up, I always felt dinnertime was extra special as it was the one time we were all together. Sometimes we would eat later if there were after school activities, but I would say 95% of the time we ate together. Placemats were always used, an everyday Noritake china, stainless flatware, and glasses ALL matched-i've never had mis-matched glasses, hate that. I used the nicer Chinette napkins, since 7 cloth napkins at least 5 nights a week was too much ironing, even for a perfectionist like myself. As for paper plates, Friday was always pizza night, so it was very casual, but still used plcemats. Now it's just oldest DD who moved in with me 3 years ago and myself, and we continue the ritual. When I visit my kids it's good to see they must have 'taken note' and learned something since their set tables are a repeat performance of mine, but usually a folded paper towel rather than the Chinette napkin. I feel it's important to set a precedent, not done often enough these days, and at least *try* to bring back a lost 'art' that has been thrown by the wayside in most homes. Imo, it just makes dinner time a bit more enjoyable.
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lindac
12 years ago
Please post a picture of your "fixed blades"...Did you remove all the silver plate? And is it carbon steel underneath?
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antiquesilver
12 years ago
Linda, I'll charge my camera & try to get a photo posted on Sunday. As I recall I removed as little silver plate as possible but corrosion & wear had already done a pretty good job before I got to it. The blades are steel although perhaps I mispoke about the carbon part; actually, I thought carbon steel was what all old blades were made of.
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antiquesilver
12 years ago
Reed & Barton's Les Cinq Fleurs, patented 1900

4 dinner knives The one on the left was purchased separately from a different seller & has an acceptable blade.

The 3 'bad' blades

The worst blade has a chewed up cutting edge as well as severe pitting that would take something more aggressive than 0000 steel wool to fix; mostly, it lives at the bottom of the silver chest. The 2nd one still has one spot of deep corrosion but is much smoother than it used to be. The 3rd one doesn't look too bad but you can still feel some slight bumpiness to the surface where there is underlying light corrosion. No matter how bad they look now, they're a lot better than they were when I got them.

These blades were heavily plated to begin with & I think the plate loss due to steel wool was minimal although the sheen is now more of a satin finish than before.
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Eve Breckenridge
3 years ago
I want to replace my blades myself Why cant I find the replacement blades. I have removed the old blades no problem using a heat gun
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patriciae_gw
3 years ago
Have you considered liquid silver plate? You rub your knives smooth and then replate the with liquid silver plate. I have done that with other silver plate items. Wouldn't it work on knives?
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lindac92
3 years ago
I an sure it would....but would wear off at the first use.
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Replacing blades on sterling flatware

Deborah Vaders

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