Introduction


The Stieff Company building  in 1930

The stieff museum

The stieff museum is an on-line museum, there is not a brick & mortar museum building

THESTIEFFCOMPANY.com

INcluding Kirk-stieff, Schofield and S. Kirk & Son


Please note that the stieff company is long gone... and that This site is published by a collector of stieff silver as a public service to other collectors and interested parties


this page has suggestions on where to find specific information on this site and researching flatware patterns and dating your sterling silver and pewter hollow ware


Please use the gallery sections below to guide you through the site. I suggest starting with the Historic overview to get a better understanding of

The Stieff Company


Content of this site is protected by copyright law

(United states and international)

Contact the site publisher for details

 
 



This is The Historical Record of THE STIEFF COMPANY

One of America’s greatest Silversmiths and Pewterers



Hand chased detail from a 1951 14 inch Tray (#200)


THE STIEFF COMPANY

The vast majority of the Stieff’s  history involves

Sterling Silver. Later ventures evolved into Jewelry and Pewter. Additionally, some silver plate products were produced by Stieff and the later Kirk-Stieff.


This site is the most complete and accurate record of

The Stieff Company that you will find anywhere. The Stieff family has provided invaluable information, records and family documents so that the story of

The Stieff Company can be told.





From Stieff stationary, circa 1929

 

A point of reference:


I am not related to the Stieff family, nor was I ever a part of the company.

(I am a collector of Stieff Silver) I have the support and confidence of the Stieff family in creating and maintaining this site. This is a not for profit endeavor, and I receive minimal ad money for providing this site to the public. I am available to give answers not found in this site, but with limited resources for post 1980 Kirk-Stieff products that are not sterling silver.


The ads on the right hand side of this page are selected by google and are not chosen and are

not an  endorsement by me. Maintaining THESTIEFFCOMPANY.COM is not free, and the

revenue from the google ads helps defray the cost of producing it.


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 silver that you can not identify, please feel free to email me at the address above with a photo of the piece. I will do my best to respond within 24 hours.


Silver prices go up and down. I am not an appraiser of silver. 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

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 very oldest patterns appear only in The 1910 Stieff Catalog. Clinton A & B 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)




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 1960 catalog. STIEFF PEWTER has it’s own section and subsections. Dates 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*


*A classic 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.


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

Of the Stieff patterns, Only the Stieff Rose pattern is still made* *As of July 2010, Stieff Rose is no longer an “in stock” item, now on a “Made to Order” basis. Orders placed with Lifetime Sterling may take up to 12 months to deliver

Several of the Kirk patterns are still being produced.

Find Lifetime Sterling at lifetimesterling.com




(Above logos from the 1996 Lenox Kirk Stieff Catalog)