Pavlovskaia 6th Artel Fish Knife

[marina_sherid]

Hello,

I'm very new to identifying silver and have spent the last week or so reading through the information on Russian artels. I have identified three pieces that I own as Russian 84 silver. All are marked 84. This post if focusing on what I believe is a fish knife. I translated the cyrillic and thinks it says Pavlovskaia Artel 6. There is also an 84 with a woman facing left. Based on this information, I'm dating this piece to between 1896 and 1908? Any confirmation or correction on what I believe I have discovered about this knife would be greatly appreciated!


Thanks,
Marina

[Zolotnik]

Hi marina -

welcome to the forum. Your knife looks more like a cheese knife ...If the marks are as you discribe than the time frame is correct.
The knife is not made by a Artel 6 (6th Artel), only the steel blade was made by the Pavlovskaja Artel, a cooperation (Artel) which produced steel.
In cyrillic the word "Artel" is written "АРТЕЛЪ", the last letter Ъ means the previous letter Л is spoken softly. No Number and no Artel. Sorry...
If the handle is in silver there must be a mark of the maker - please have a look - after cleaning :-)...

Regards
Zolotnik

[marina_sherid]

Thank you! That was very interesting and useful information. It also might help explain why a second knife I have has a blade that says cast-steel sheffield, but a russian handle. I will probably post photos of all three pieces at some point. You also answered another question that I had; I was worried about cleaning the silver, but it sounds like we should go ahead and give it a good polish. :-)

[Qrt.S]

Am I correct if I say that the kokoshnik hallmark (woman facing left mark) is on the handle and not on the blade. Is there any letters in this mark, should be? In addition, are they really no other marks on the handle? Should be as Zolotnik also anticipates, try to find another mark. A minor correction to the years i.e. 1898(99)-1908. And yes, it is a cheese knife.

I would appreciate if you showed some pictures of the other objects in your possession. Kindly pay special attention when photographing the marks. Sharp pictures, thank you.

[marina_sherid]

There are more markings, but they're covered under dirt. I was directed to a section on this site with cleaning tips. (I was very nervous about cleaning these without having some instruction first.) I will be sure to post crisp photos after they're cleaned (this evening or tomorrow). The kokoshnik hallmark is on the handle. It's too dirty to see the initials that should be next to it. They're is also a separate cyrillic mark above the kokoshnik. Thank you!

[marina_sherid]

Everything has gone through one round of silver polish. Unfortunately, most of the markings are not clear (other than the 84). There is one cyrillic mark on the fork that is readable. (I included a photo.) Thanks in advance for information!

[Zolotnik]

Hi marina -
you call that cleaning? Some toothpicks, silverpolish and cotton will bring your silver back to shine. Please do not polish the gilt surfaces with silver polish - only with cotton. Otherwise you polish the fragments away.

Sorry - one letter is not enough - maybe you can find more.

Regards
Zolotnik