posted 03-06-2004 06:02 AM            

Is Fairfax made in dinner and place settings? If so what are the sizes of the various pieces.

Thanks for your help.

posted 03-07-2004 10:00 AM            

The answer to your question is actually a lot more complicated than one would think. Fairfax was originally offered in dinner and luncheon sizes, and the place size was introduced later. So, there are actually three different sizes available. The difference in sizes is normally only apparent in the service knife and fork, with the salad fork, soup spoons, etc remaining the same size. With the knives, though, one must take into account the blade style as well. The earliest knives will have blunt silverplated blades. Later knives will have blunt stainless blades, sometimes called "Old French", and more modern knives will have either modern or "New French" blades. Each variation will be slightly different in length. The key is to measure the length of the handle, which will be consistent regardless on the blade type. There are also rebladed knives, which are a wild card when trying to match an existing service.

Modern Gorham place-size knives and forks SHOULD be marked with a P in a diamond. This will be on the blade of the knife and the handle of the fork. NOTE: Gorham also made place-size salad forks in Fairfax. These are also marked with the P in a diamond. They are hard to find, but they do exist.

Note also that the Durgin and Gorham versions of the same piece can vary slightly in size. Also, teaspoons can be found in at least three different lengths.

I will see if I can get some precise sizes for you later this week. Welcome to the wonderful world of pattern matching!