Can anyone recommend a shop or person in New York City who can fix a
set of antique silverplate dinner knives? I was asked for a
recommendation but don’t know of a place myself. The blades do not
need to be replaced, but they’re wobbly now in the handle and the
knife owner would like them to be made secure again. (When he asked
I was thinking hey, I’m just getting started… but then took it as
a good sign that I’m already being asked about how to fix stuff and
if I can’t, who can?)
I searched the Orchid archives, and found a 2003 recommendation for
a place in Kansas City: http://www.silverwarehouse.com/repair.htm and
will pass this website address on to the knife owner. He’s
concerned, though, about sending the knives away for repair and
would much rather be able to take them to someone in NYC. It always
comes down to the personal, yes?
Any and all recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
While it’s been almost a decade since I left the NY area, I seem to
recall that there was a guy in Scott’s Corners, NY (near the junction
of Pound Ridge, NY and Stamford, CT) who did just such repairwork. I
think he might even have gone under the name of Scott’s Corners
Jewelers, back then. If you can’t find him under that moniker, you
might try reaching out to either Katonah Jewelers or Ila Manner
Jewelers, two of the better stores in the Bedford/Katonah/South
Salem/Pound Ridge area, who might know more about him. If that
fails, try getting in touch with Patrick Gill & Sons, in Woburn, MA.
Gill’s at least used to handle a good deal of the silverplating for
Gorham, Towle, Reed & Barton, and Wallace, and if they don’t know who
to call, I can’t think of anyone who would! Their number is (781)
933-3275, and I seem to recall that it’s Joe Gill who ran the plating
room, but I could be mistaken. As for the other places, I’m sorry but
I don’t know their numbers, anymore; chances are good that a call to
411 will fill in the blanks, though. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Doug
Douglas Turet, G.J.,
Turet Design
P.O. Box 242
Avon, MA 02322-0242
(508) 586-5690
doug (at) turetdesign.com
When I worked at a silver repair shop in Chicago, most of our work
came to us from Marshall Field’s department store. You might want to
try finding a sliver repair place that is used by Macy’s or Tiffany’s
or some other store in NYC that sells silver flatware. Customers
bring their items needing repair to the store, and the store jobs it
out to a repair shop to do the work.