5 Good reasons to buy EPNS (Electro-plated Nickel Silver)

 

EPNS is a bling thing! Antiques for fun, if you like. And pretty well indispensable if you're doing a retro makeover.

1. It looks classy. This is all EPNS except for the toothpick holder which is solid silver. Can you spot the difference?

2. It comes in various styles: from the chintzy Victorian up to 1901; then a simpler style evolved, influenced by the Arts & Craft and Art Noveau movements; and finally the more angular, offbeat Art Deco of the mid twenties to 1930s came through. Choose your style!

3. It’s durable. Obviously. It still looks good after 100 years.

4. It’s affordable. A modern manufactured tea pot, milk jug and sugar bowl in stainless steel will set you back about £30. The same set, made 100 years ago, is also about £30 and you get the lovely silver finish, and an antique to boot.

5. It’s recycling. Why encourage needless manufacturing when an item already exists?

Early 20th Century style tea set

What is it? (The technical bit)

It is a process of coating a metal object with a nickel alloy to which a layer of silver is then overlaid using electrolysis. This compares with silver plating which is simply coating a metal object with a layer of silver. The advantage of EPNS is that the silver doesn’t rub off after a lot of polishing. Silver Plate, on the other hand, refers to an object that is made entirely of a silver alloy (of various degrees of fineness, depending upon the percentage of silver in the alloy). Solid Silver has to be 90% pure as a minimum for silver bullion, 92.5% pure for Sterling Silver (1852-1920), 95.8% pure for Britannia Silver and 99% pure to be described as Pure or Solid Silver.

Is it valuable?

Not yet. EPNS was developed in the 1840s, so anything between then and 1922 would be classified as an antique. There is still a lot of it around but, as it was often melted down as scrap, then certain items may well become collectable in the future. The things to look for, as with any ‘collectable’ will be a makers name or mark.

This mark, for instance, belongs to George Cutts & Sons of Sheffield who were active from 1882 to 1889. Prior to that the mark was just GC (George Cutts) and in 1889 they went bankrupt. Seems the sons didn't have a head for business.

So, if you're giving your dining room or kitchen a retro makeover, don't forget the tableware and go for EPNS! They make stylish wedding presents, too!

10% Off all EPNS items, exclusively for readers of this blog. Use this link

 https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SVCwithEtsy?coupon=SVCBLOG 

Find loads more great stuff at Steve's Vintage Collectables

Arran Special - 1. Arrival

 

The Isle of Arran lies off Scotland's west coast, nestling securely in the Firth of Clyde, and it's to be our home for the next six days. Described as 'Scotland in Miniature', it boasts a wealth of wildlife including Arran's big 5: Red Deer, Seals, Golden Eagles, Red Squirrels and Eurasian Otter. So, join Ishbel, Mattie and me as we pitch up on the island's south coast, at the encouragingly named Seal Shore Campsite, and we'll see how many of the big 5 we can find.

The ferry from Ardrossan on the mainland takes an hour and there are plenty of opportunities for a spot of bird watching from the top deck. As our sister ship steams past, with the islands of Padda and Ailsa Craig in the background, we have a couple of Greats: Black-backed Gull and Cormorant; Guillemots, both Common and Black as well as Common Gulls and Common Eider. And look! There's a Porpoise – he was there, honest.

Here we are at the campsite and what a glorious view. There's a story behind those black rocks out there. Once upon a time, a very long time ago, about 200 million years ago in fact, the supercontinent of Pangea began to break apart. As the continental plate was stretched ever thinner, cracks began to appear, and boiling hot magma erupted, flaming, through the surface. These black rocks are the remains of that monumental event. The continents of North America and Eurasia were born here. That's a pretty awesome way to start a holiday. Maybe someone should put up a blue plaque or something.

The other good thing about this site is that it's on the Arran Coastal Way which encircles the island in a 65 mile (105km) loop. I don't propose that we attempt the whole lot tonight, but we could all do with stretching our legs after the long journey, so let's explore a bit of it. I make no claims to be a coastal botanist, but most of the shoreline seems to be bounded by Common Silverweed and some sort of Orache, interspersed with Giant Rhubarb (with stalks and leaves above head height) and Sea Rocket. There are a fair number of Bumble Bees about, doing the pollinating. Buff-tailed, by the looks of it, and the evening birds include Pied Wagtails, some Hooded Crows prodding about in the seaweed and a few Swallows pretending that it's summer. In truth, it's getting a bit chilly, so let us repair to the local hostelry, conveniently situated next door, and see what's on the menu.

If you're into camping this summer, here are a few things on offer that you may like:

Pair of Padded Chairs

Fire Pit and Gloves Was £21.99 Now £15.79

Solar Charger Was £19.99 Now £18.99

Pair of Padded Chairs Was £79.99 Now £67.99

Until tomorrow,

All the best,

Steve

Arran Special 2 – In Search of Seals https://bit.ly/snb17-1-2

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