Silverware

Vintage dinner knife with red and yellow Bakelite handle — 760,500 ppm Lead in the join point

July 19, 2021December 26, 2023

For those new to this website: Tamara Rubin is a multiple-federal-award-winning independent advocate for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children (two of her sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005). Since 2009, Tamara has been using XRF technology (a scientific method used…

Iridescent stainless silverware from Target: Room Essentials Annika Flatware Set

February 1, 2021August 29, 2023

20 Comments

The silverware set pictured here was purchased at Target. Full XRF Test results are below. “Pretty” doesn’t have to mean “Toxic!” These are a terrific choice! This is the silverware set I bought my son for his college apartment. He LOVES them and his roomies love them too, apparently! (I recently asked him if he was…

Click to see all the links to pieces I’ve written about silverware & utensils: Spoons, knives, forks, etc. (with XRF test results)

May 13, 2020October 16, 2023

13 Comments

#Flatware | #Silverware | Flatware | Silverware | Summary Article by Theme 2020

For those new to this website: Tamara Rubin is a multiple-federal-award-winning independent advocate for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety, and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children (two of her sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005). Since 2009, Tamara has been using XRF technology (a scientific method used…

Vintage Winthrop silver plate Gerber Baby spoon: Lead-Free, 14.7% silver! This is safe for babies to use! Do you have one?

March 6, 2020December 3, 2023

9 Comments

This was purchased at an antique store (for $12) and I don’t know how old it is. If you happen to have one of these at home (from your childhood) and know the year made, please let me know and I will update the post accordingly! Thank you. Gerber baby spoon – handle Zinc (Zn):…

Sterling silver Wendell Manufacturing Co. baby spoon, c. 1895-1900: 1,677 ppm Lead in the handle. 90 is unsafe.

March 1, 2020March 1, 2020

4 Comments

First I just want to say that I LOVE finding resources like this (link here) online! I was looking to identify the back mark of the little antique sterling silver spoon pictured here on this post and this “Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks” had not only a photo of the mark with the name of…

Tiny dark-blue enamel decorated spoon: 388,800 ppm Lead (90 ppm is unsafe for kids] & 1,117 ppm Cadmium (causes cancer.)

February 18, 2020May 13, 2020

When tested with a high-precision XRF instrument, this spoon had the following readings: Blue enamel of the handle: Lead (Pb): 388,800 +/- 48,000 ppm Barium (Ba): 16,200 +/- 3,300 ppm Selenium (Se): 721 +/- 337 ppm Bromine (Br): 217 +/- 90 ppm Tin (Sn): 10,300 +/- 2,000 ppm Copper (Cu): 28,400 +/- 4,100 ppm Vanadium…

Vintage Tiny Collectable Rolex Bucherer of Switzerland Spoon: 975,000 ppm Silver (more pure than 925), no LEAD!

June 18, 2019

6 Comments

When tested with an XRF instrument this tiny vintage “Rolex” spoon by Bucherer of Switzerland turned out to actually be fine silver! This was a surprise to me as I have found Lead in a LOT of different collectable miniature spoons like this. Here’s the full XRF reading set for this Rolex spoon (when tested…

Ikea Solid Stainless Steel 430-40 Knife With Ridges: Lead Free

December 15, 2018November 5, 2021

11 Comments

These knives are VERY LOW Nickel! Note: I generally never have a concern about stainless steel items containing any lead (unless they are not a single component item.) See this post for more about that. Below are the XRF test results for the stainless steel knife from Ikea pictured in this post. What I like…

Ikea Stainless Steel 430-40 Spoon 224 22, c.2014: Lead Free

November 24, 2018November 24, 2018

6 Comments

These spoons are VERY LOW Nickel! Note: I generally never have a concern about stainless steel items containing any lead (unless they are not a single component item.) See this post for more about that. Below are the XRF test results for a stainless steel spoon from Ikea. Note: The light in these images make…

Stainless Steel Restaurant Supply Chopsticks, c.2016: Lead Free

November 24, 2018November 24, 2018

Below are the XRF test results for some unbranded stainless steel chopsticks. While the XRF does not recognize this metal combination as a specific type or grade of stainless steel, and while these are not expressly marked “stainless steel” (in fact there is no mark on them) I would still put them in the stainless…

18-10 Stainless Steel Fork, c. 2003 – Borromeo Pattern by Calderoni, Italy: Lead Free

November 24, 2018November 24, 2018

4 Comments

Please scroll down for the XRF test results for an 18/10 stainless steel fork in the Borromeo pattern by Calderoni (Made in Italy) c. 2001 through 2003. This was the silverware my husband and I got for our wedding flatware when we merged our households. Purchased c. 2003. Related: #AskTamara: What do you use to…

Stainless Steel 430-40 Ikea Fork, c.2014: Lead Free

November 24, 2018November 24, 2018

5 Comments

Below are the XRF test results for a stainless steel fork from Ikea. Related: #AskTamara: What do you use to test for lead? Related: #AskTamara: What is stainless steel? Please start by understanding the following takeaways: Stainless steel by itself (undecorated, solid stainless steel) IF it is truly stainless steel should not have any lead….

#LeadFree: SMI Stainless Spoon / Flatware

December 3, 2017December 3, 2017

3 Comments

Stainless Steel Spoon, marked “SMI”on the back: Non-detect/negative for Lead (Pb). Also non-detect for mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As.) Tested with an XRF instrument. The SMI mark appears to be that of Liberty Tabletop products a division of Sherrill MFG. Inc. “America’s Flatware Company.” These are Made in the USA and seem to…

Vintage 1950s Silverware, Blossom Time: Lead-free! Vintage (but not antique!) sterling silver is generally a safe choice.

March 28, 2017March 4, 2020

12 Comments

Originally written: March 28, 2017 Updated: March 3, 2020 A little personal story about the silverware pictured here. My husband’s mother died of a very aggressive form of lung cancer when he was just 18 years old (c. 1976.). As a result, I never met my mother-in-law – and my children never had her as…

#XRFTesting: Stainless Flatware for Children

March 4, 2017March 20, 2017

4 Comments

Children’s Stainless Steel Silverware / Flatware sets: Non-Detect for Lead, Mercury, Cadmium and Arsenic. Exact items tested are in photo below. Stainless Steel is primarily composed of chromium, nickel, and iron. Iron in stainless is usually in the 750,000 to 850,000 ppm range. Chromium in stainless is usually in the 120,000 to 182,000 ppm range….

Stainless Steel Knife by Wallace: Lead Free

March 3, 2017November 24, 2018

8 Comments

Stainless Flatware from “Wallace”: Lead Free Modern one-piece / single metal (seamless) flatware marked “stainless steel” and manufactured in recent years (regardless of country of origin) should all be lead free. As always, please feel free to ask questions. Here are some good choices to look at: Oneida IKEA Henckles Lenox Stainless Steel is primarily composed of chromium,…

#LeadFree: Smart Planet Plastic Spork

March 1, 2017March 1, 2017

Smart Planet Green Plastic Spork: Lead Free! Modern hard plastic flatware designed and sold as intended for children (manufactured today) should all be lead free. Hello! These are some of the results of our recent testing parties. I will be updating each of these posts with more details very soon. Thank you everyone for participating….

Stainless SS #304 Flatware Spoon by Wallace: Lead Free

March 1, 2017November 24, 2018

Stainless Spoon by Wallace: Lead Free, SS #304 Modern stainless seamless (one-piece items) flatware should all be lead free. Click here to see other similar flatware. Hello! These are some of the results of our recent testing parties. I will be updating each of these posts with more details very soon. Thank you everyone for…