According to silversmith Randy Stromsoe, the word, “silverware,” is too often misused in the place of “flatware,” the generic term for eating utensils made from any material. “Silverware,” on the other hand, should be reserved only for those fashioned from actual silver. To Randy, it’s much more than that—his designs are “high-end jewelry [meant] for your table.”
Randy’s lifelong infatuation with this precious metal began at age 19, apprenticing alongside the renowned master Porter Blanchard and Lewis Wise, who handcrafted fine hollowware and silverware for the Hollywood elite of the 1930s. Upon their passing, Randy inherited their original tools and templates, some of which had been passed down through generations of the Blanchard family silversmiths.
Silversmithing no longer has quite the professional draw that it once did. But for Randy, there is nothing more seductive than the tactile, responsive nature of silver and the beauty of a handworked surface. Properly cared for, silverware will last you generations. To maintain that same “butler finish” at home, simply wipe your own pieces with a soft cloth, following in the same direction as the original polish lines run.
So the next time someone asks you to set the table with “silverware,” you just might find yourself thinking twice.
Watch Randy Stromsoe work his silver magic.
Metal Spinning Demonstration from Stromsoe Studios on Vimeo.