I can’t believe I have waited this long to blog about one of my absolute favorite treasures…my collection of vintage flatware pins.  The history on these pins is fascinating, and their semi-rarity makes them fun to collect.

Flatware pins, most notably “spoon pins”, became popular in the 1940s and 50s.  The pins appealed to new mothers and brides-to-be, and represented an era of celebrated female domesticity.  Spoon pins were given to future brides when they registered for wedding gifts at a department store.  And many of these brides gave spoon pins as gifts to their bridesmaids.  Knives and forks made their jewelry debut once the spoon pins were well-established in popularity.

I first found out about flatware pins in Bust Magazine, in an article about girly collectibles.  When I saw the pins, I knew that I HAD to have them.

My parents found me a set on ebay (shown above) and surprised me at Christmas.  I later found three more spoon pins at antique shows and estate sales. 

You can come across these pins at sales, although ebay is a sure bet if you are looking for one quickly.  Sometimes, you will be lucky enough to find a pin that is stamped with a flatware company’s name on the back.  These pins were made by flatware companies and given to purchasers of their sets.  I have one pin stamped “Towle” and it is all sterling silver.  Definitely one of my favorites.  I also found this rare horsehead pin and paid a mere $10 for it:

-Erin