Hotel Silver Dinner Knife Set of 4

Hotel Silver Dinner Knife Set of 4

• Vintage. 

• Found in a flea market in Alsace.

• Handles made of alloy silver and silver plated.
• Engraved with VVM
• Stainless blades. 
• Listing includes the four knives shown. 
• 9.75″ L

Editor’s notes

Hotel silver differs from domestic silver-plated flatware in both purpose and construction. Designed for professional use in hotels and restaurants, hotel silver was made to withstand heavy daily service, frequent polishing, and repeated handling. For this reason, it was most often produced in silver-plated metal over a durable base such as nickel silver, rather than solid silver.

While domestic silver-plated flatware was typically intended for private homes and occasional use, hotel silver prioritized strength, balance, and longevity over decorative detail. Handles tend to be thicker, forms more restrained, and finishes more utilitarian. Ownership monograms were commonly engraved to identify institutional sets and discourage loss.

Today, hotel silver is valued for its understated design, honest wear, and historical connection to European hospitality culture, offering a distinctly different character from traditional household silver-plated tableware.