Mid-Century Modern Stainless Flatware Design

Few of us today think of revolutionary design with regard to flatware, particularly with stainless steel. Nevertheless, designers of the 1950s revolutionized flatware design with elegant and precise forms using stainless steel. Prior to this time, silver flatware manufacturers played no role in the new development of eating utensils. Consumers were provided with new patterns to collect but the forms were unchanged. Through experimentation of basic forms, production technique and analyzing the eating process, craftsmen redefined tabletop.

Many designers recognized that eating utensils had been made to hold in only one way so they designed different shapes to allow one to hold it in more comfortable and functional ways. Some designers saw no need to shape the knife handle in the same form as the other pieces of a pattern. After all, the knife is held in a different manner when in use. The shapes have a visual effect of light reflections giving life and warmth to the otherwise cold steel. These designers proved that stainless flatware could be beautiful as well as useful.

At age 35, Jens H. Quistgaard won a design competition in Copenhagen with a hand-forged knife, fork and spoon. The design was simple yet elegant with teakwood handles. Despite its simplicity, manufacturers told Quistgaard that his design was too difficult to manufacture.

While visiting Denmark, New York entrepreneur Ted Nieremberg saw the design and convinced Quistgaard to let him try with manufacturing sources he knew. Nieremberg contacted Dansk and the Fjord pattern was born.

Nieremberg encountered no difficulty with selling the pattern as retailers were eager to place orders for Fjord. The pattern was a huge success and manufactured for 30 years. Prior to its discontinuation in 1984, Fjord retailed for $100 per place setting.

Quistgaard designed a number of patterns for Dansk and many examples are in permanent collections at the Louvre, the Smithsonian and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In addition to the desirable pure elegance of the forms, combined with artistic innovation, Dansk designs are easily mixed and matched making them among the favorites with collectors.

Quistgaard Flatware Patterns at SilverCollect

Fjord Pattern Flatware

Kobenhavn Pattern Flatware

Parallel Diamond Pattern Flatware

Variation IV Pattern Flatware

Variation VI Pattern Flatware

Other Dansk Designs at SilverCollect

Basketweave Pattern Flatware by Ron Pearson

Elsinore Pattern Flatware by Torun Bulow-Hube

Gunnar Cyren designs Thebe and Ensemble