On Vintage Silverware: Why Plated Still Matters

Silver has always carried meaning.

For centuries, it marked moments of importance—gatherings, celebrations, everyday rituals made a little more deliberate. But not all silver was meant to live behind glass. Much of it was made to be used, passed down, worn smooth by hands and time.

That’s the silver I’m drawn to.

Most of the vintage flatware I work with is silverplate, not sterling. That choice is intentional—not just practical, but philosophical.

The dignity of silverplate

Silverplate often gets dismissed as “less than,” especially when compared to sterling. But that misses the point entirely.

Silverplate was created to bring beauty into ordinary homes. It was designed for daily meals, family tables, and decades of use. These pieces were not disposable. They were made well, meant to last, and meant to be handled.

When I work with plated flatware, I’m working with objects that were already part of someone’s everyday life. Forks and spoons that served thousands of meals. Handles that carry subtle wear from real hands doing real living.

That history matters.

Silverplate also carries an honesty I admire. It doesn’t pretend to be precious—it earns its value through service. Through endurance. Through time.

Pattern, before material

In my work, pattern always comes first.

Vintage flatware patterns were designed with extraordinary care. Flow, balance, ornamentation—these weren’t afterthoughts. They were the result of skilled designers working within traditions that valued proportion and longevity.

Some patterns feel bold. Others quiet. Some carry floral softness, others architectural strength. Each one has a voice.

When I choose a piece, I’m listening for that voice before anything else.

The material supports the story—but the design tells it.

A word about sterling

Sterling silver is, quite simply, extraordinary.

I love it. The weight of it. The way it moves under the tools. The depth and refinement of the patterns. Sterling carries a presence that is difficult to replicate — a combination of beauty, strength, and responsiveness that metalsmiths have valued for generations.

If circumstances allowed, I would happily work with sterling every day.

The reality, of course, is that vintage sterling is increasingly scarce and often prohibitively expensive. Because of this, sterling pieces will appear in my work only occasionally and in limited quantities.

When those pieces do find their way into David Koonce By Hand, they represent something truly special — both materially and historically.

If you encounter one, I encourage you to treat it accordingly.

Not everything needs to be remade.

There is value in knowing when to intervene, and when to leave something whole.

Silverplate provides the freedom to create thoughtfully, sustainably, and accessibly — without sacrificing integrity, craftsmanship, or design.

Wearing history forward

When vintage flatware becomes jewelry or a functional object again, it doesn’t lose its past. It gains a future.

A bracelet made from a spoon handle still carries the curve intended for a hand. A ring formed from a fork tine still remembers its original purpose. These aren’t erased histories—they’re continued ones.

That continuity is what matters most to me.

Silverware was never meant to be disposable. Neither is the work I make from it.