Is there a way to date mess kit utensils?

[bellasilva]

Aside from treating them nice and buying them lots of jewelry of course.

 

Just looking to see if someone can approximately date this spoon. I would imagine these things remained identical for quite some time. The only other marking besides the US is SILCO STAINLESS on the back. Thanks!

[PriorityOne]

As far as I know you can only date the knives, the fork and spoon was basically the same from WW2 to 1982.

[bellasilva]

Thank you!

[Garandomatic]

I think WWI forks and/or spoons were dated. Been a while since I looked at them though. My gut tells me stainless was a post-WWII thing, but I could totally be wrong.

[sgtpeter]

While the M-1926 utensils was adopted in 1926, it appears that production didn't really start until 1941 due to overstock of the M-1910 utensils. The 1941 specification called for the fork and spoon to be tin plated. The 1943 specification called for a change from tin plate to silver plate and in 1944 it changed to corrosion resistant steel. In 1950 the nomenclature changed to Fork, Field Mess and Spoon, Field Mess and the final specification called for corrosion resistant steel. These were produced until 2002 when the specification for Field Mess was cancelled. SILCO is a known manufacturer from 1941 until the end. It looks like the WW2 era corrosion resistant spoon may have been marked SILCO 1945. Based on that information, my best guess is that your spoon is probably post 1950. However, it certainly could be used for a 1945 impression onward.

 

Peter

[bellasilva]

That's better information than I could have hoped for gents, I appreciate it! It came in a 1944 dated mess kit but that amounts to a hill of beans as it could've been thrown in there at any point. For now I'll be using it for lunch at work. I'm tired of stockpiling plastic utensils that go missing.

[oldabewla]

The tin plating is what I always looked for and figured is WWII era spoons & forks as stainless steel was not used in WWII until late and it's seen use in 1944 in the mess kit and cups. The stamped fonts of the (US) is also another thing to look for as after the war it was change to a simple font as shown in your photo.

 

 

Craig

[med-dept]

It is my understanding (although I don't have any documentation to support it) that utensils stamped with a serif "U.S." are WW2 produced, and those with sans-serif fonts (as shown in your example) are later production.

 

Regards,

Ben.

[phantomfixer]

The earliest I have seen the utensil without the hole in the handle is 1874...does anyone know when the hole appeared...

Any idea of the stamped numbers...I am assuming the long one to be the vets SN number?

[jprostak]

This is who the spoon belonged to. He was with the Service Company of the 137th Infantry. He let New York on the SS Adriatic, April 25, 1918. The date and maker is on the back of the spoon handle.

[phantomfixer]

Wow! That is amazing...thank you !

[mikie]

The internet seems undecided if eating with the tin plated utensils is safe or not. Some sites say it's safe, others say not. I'd be cautious if the plating is flaking. But I'd be tempted to use one of I find one in good shape.

[phantomfixer]

Mikie,

Funny you say that...personally, I would not use this spoon...having said that...there are 4 forks in my kitchen utensil drawer that I do use often

a USN galley fork

a USA Med dept fork

and two mess kit forks, one WWII era, longer, and a shorter mess kit fork

 

the history that JP provided is amazing...and passed on to the owner...found in a cleanout...

[lucky52]

Well,if any body can help to I have a 1916 RIA spoon once owned by D1252. Can some body help id the soldier?thank you.

[armysoldierant1944]

Hi Folks,

 

Would it be correct to say:

 

WW2 Spoon & Fork - if tin-plated or silver plated AND US marked with serifs

WW2 Spoon & Fork - for stainless steel ,if US has serifs, then WW2; if US is sans serif (simple font), then post-WW2

WW2 Fork                - would have long tines versus short tines (post WW2)

 

Richard

 

 

 

 

[urbanminer]

Hi Folks,
 
Would it be correct to say:
 
WW2 Spoon & Fork - if tin-plated or silver plated AND US marked with serifs
WW2 Spoon & Fork - for stainless steel ,if US has serifs, then WW2; if US is sans serif (simple font), then post-WW2
WW2 Fork                - would have long tines versus short tines (post WW2)
 
Richard
 
 
 
 

Here’s a plated WWII fork and spoon sans serif. I have read that long tine SS forks were spec from 1944 until 1962.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[everforward]

Here is a spoon in my collection showing what was used in the thick of WW1, an example from a WW1 soldier— Corporal John Hershman of Company F, 116th US Infantry, 29th Division AEF. His service number is stamped into the handle of the spoon.

 

What is really interesting about this is that while the spoon is identified to Hershman, it came home from France in the belongings of another soldier from Co. F (!), a Private who was probably in the same squad of platoon as Hershman.

 

 

[armysoldierant1944]

8 hours ago, urbanminer said:

Here’s a plated WWII fork and spoon sans serif. I have read that long tine SS forks were spec from 1944 until 1962.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is very interesting - goes to show that tin-plated spoons and forks  (therefore WW2_ could have serif and sans serif! 

[armysoldierant1944]

2 hours ago, everforward said:

Here is a spoon in my collection showing what was used in the thick of WW1, an example from a WW1 soldier— Corporal John Hershman of Company F, 116th US Infantry, 29th Division AEF. His service number is stamped into the handle of the spoon.

 

What is really interesting about this is that while the spoon is identified to Hershman, it came home from France in the belongings of another soldier from Co. F (!), a Private who was probably in the same squad of platoon as Hershman.

 

 

Very nice grouping! Interesting story about the spoon!