THE STIEFF COMPANY, S. Kirk & Son and Schofield all cease to exist as companies.

This site is published and curated by a lover of Baltimore Silver and Stieff Silver in particular.

I do this not for profit, but to help others who want to know more about old family silver and pewter,

and those looking for better information on silver when preparing to sell on sites like Ebay and Ruby Lane, etc.

Donations to the site help with costs and purchasing of research materials.Use button below to donate.

Where did all of this information come from?

When I started this site, the only real information about Stieff silver was in books. Very little was on-line, and I found that much of what I read was conflicting information... making it even more confusing. So in 2009 I started THESTIEFFCOMPANY.COM

As my research progressed I learned about Schofield silver and about Kirk Silver. Again, like Stieff... there was very little out there, so I expanded my researched into both companies. Now THESTIEFFCOMPANY.COM is the number one resource for information on Stieff, Kirk and Schofield.

I have spent literally thousands of hours doing on-line research of Stieff Silver. Additional hours in libraries, museums, dusty and dirty warehouses looking at Stieff materials. I live a day and a half drive away from Baltimore, so it is a major undertaking to visit Baltimore for research. The Stieff family has been very generous in suppling information, personal family photos, documents and time. I am not related to the Stieff’s, nor was I ever a part of the company.

Enjoy the site, and let me know your thoughts!

Your questions and comments are welcome at

Scottinelmgrove@yahoo.com

Please know... I am not an appraiser of silver and can not make suggestions of appraisers in your area.

There is a section on appraisers on this site, please read that section for how to find an appraiser.

Photo an enhancement of an original by Thibeaux Lincecum   www.lincecumphoto.com

If you have a piece of STIEFF, Schofield or Kirk silver that you can not identify, please feel free to email me at scottinelmgrove@yahoo.com  Include a photo of the piece as well as a measurement.  I try to respond in under 24 hours.

Circa later 1950’s Glass placard for Stieff Dealer 6.25x 3”

From my personal collection

I am not an appraiser of silver. Silver prices go up and down.  Values can vary greatly with regions of the country. On-line auctions SOLD prices and independent appraisers in your area are the best method of determining the value of your silver on a particular day. Prices will change with the price of pure silver.

I can not recommend or suggest the names of appraisers in your specific area.

The phone book or an on-line search should  provide you with information on your local area. Be wary of people that will appraise your silver and then quickly offer to buy it. There is a section on this site that discusses appraisers and appraisals. Also, on the right side column in the advertising section there are often silver appraisers listed there.

Imprint from a Princess Pattern Cheese Knife

Content of this site is protected by copyright law

(United states and international)

Contact the site publisher for details

RESEARCH SUGGESTIONS

If you are looking for your silver pattern, look in the Flatware Pattern Section.  The 1937 and 1939 catalogs

are best for flatware identification as measurements are given. The rare oldest patterns appear only in The 1910 Stieff Catalog and in the patterns section of the site.

Clinton A & B  are only in the 1920 catalog.

Please know that Stieff Sterling Silver flatware does not have date marks on it, but can be dated by small changes to the dies that were used to make the flatware and in the patterns themselves. The section on Date Marks and Year Differences will explain more on this subject. Marks like H or T are NOT date marks on silver flatware.

Hollow ware and other pieces are best researched in the catalogs too. The 1937 and 1939 books good starts. Some earlier styles only appear in the 1910 -1920’s catalogs. Modern designs are in the later catalogs. STIEFF PEWTER has it’s own section and subsections. Date codes are marked on most Hollow Ware, (silver and pewter) and the date marks chart is in the DATE MARKS section. Also in the date marks section is information on how to date the subtle changes in the Rose pattern over the years.

I am continually adding to the site. If you have any information, photos, catalogs, pamphlets or price guides and can scan or loan them to me, they will be added to the site. I am also wanting to hear from former employees of Stieff and hear their stories. I thank those that have already shared their histories and documents with me.

Some of the dates that I reference at this site will differ from some found in various books on silver and some web sites.  The dates given here will be the true dates. Years ago, several silver books printed incorrect dating... and those have been reprinted over and over almost becoming conventional wisdom.  Where my dating is different from “conventional wisdom” I have noted these differences and have provided the background to support the correct date*

*An example of this is Lady Claire, shown as 1925 in some books.  This site shows Lady Claire being introduced in the 1920 Catalog, proving the correct date. Another erroneous example is the often printed and re-printed introduction date for

Forget-Me-Not as 1910, but 1919 is the correct year.

Additional information on the silver of S. Kirk & Son  and  The Schofield Company is also available on this site.

Today, The Stieff Company no longer exists. The brand KIRK-STIEFF is owned by Lifetime Brands trading as

None of the STIEFF patterns are being made and it appears that only available KIRK stock on hand is currently being sold.

Find Lifetime Sterling at lifetimesterling.com

(Above logos from the 1996 Lenox Kirk Stieff Catalog)

Gideon N. Stieff Jr.

Vice President -Retail

1930-2018

The Stieff Building in 1942

The 50th Anniversary of The Stieff Company

(postcard from my collection)

In 2014, I met with Richard Cain, former Head Silversmith, Pewterer, Production Supervisor and in his words... “what ever else needed to be done”. Rich was at Stieff 1961-1999. It was during those years Stieff expanded the pewter operations and bought Schofield and S. Kirk & Son.

Rich provided me with wonderful in-house work materials, blueprints, photos, the pattern book, catalogs and memories of working at Stieff. Some of the materials are old KIRK documents used by Stieff to make the Kirk silver after 1979. Those papers and internal documents have helped me assist dozens of others in their research projects of family silver, as well as those looking to sell silver on sites like eBay. 

We lost Rich Cain in 2016. I will be always grateful for him

entrusting me with his Baltimore Silver library.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

PRODUCING THIS SITE IS COSTLY. IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME AND TO BE HONEST... MONEY, TO HOST THE SITE AND TO BUY THE CATALOGS, PAMPHLETS, PRICE LISTS AND MORE THAT ARE REPRODUCED HERE AS AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL.

I DO NOT CHARGE ANYONE FOR THE SITE. ABOUT A DOZEN EMAILS A WEEK COME IN ASKING FOR HELP IDENTIFYING A PARTICULAR PATTERN OR IN AREAS WHERE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NEEDED.

I HAVE A LOT OF OTHER MATERIALS THAT ARE NOT YET PUBLISHED THAT I CAN GO TO FIND THE ANSWERS ABOUT READERS SILVER OR PEWTER. AGAIN, THIS CAN TAKE A LOT OF TIME... BUT I DO NOT CHARGE FOR THIS SERVICE.

YOU WILL NOT FIND ANY OTHER SITE OUT THERE LIKE THIS ONE... FOR ANY OTHER BRAND OF SILVER. THIS SITE HONORS THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT WORKED AT STIEFF... EITHER AS CLERKS, SILVERSMITHS, DESIGNERS OR WAREHOUSE PEOPLE. THEY ALL ADDED TO THE VALUE AND QUALITY OF THE SILVER AND PEWTER.

YOU CAN HELP ME DEFRAY THE COST OF PRODUCING THIS SITE WITH A SMALL CONTRIBUTION. PLEASE, FEEL FREE TO ADD TO MY PAYPAL ACCOUNT TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT.

MY PAYPAL ACCOUNT NAME IS SIMPLE,

SCOTTINELMGROVE@YAHOO.COM

THANK YOU

1930’s

1964

2011

RODNEY STIEFF

1925-2012

PRESIDENT, CEO, CHAIRMAN

1924

1964

Mrs. Claire Stieff

(wife of Gideon N. Stieff Sr.)

1900-2003