www.925-1000.com

Hello

I bought this very beautiful gilded silver and MOP knife.



The "endpiece" (??? "virole" in French) is also gilt, and there is a solid rose gold escution on the mop handle





The hallmarks are incredibly well readable, wich suggests the knife was barely ever used ; it has the French rooster for .950 silver, Paris (19/6/1789 - 1/9/1809), the garanty mark and the maker



Can you please help me identify the maker, who's mark seems to be a chilipepper, ES and 2 dots?

Was he famous?

Thanks a lot in advance for your helps

Best regards
François
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Very nice! I've always loved this sort of (fruit?) knife, though I usually see them with ebony handles; the mother-of-pearl is beautiful!

And I've seen them by this maker. The mark is actually "SS", with a pen knife (canif de bureau) and two pellets. (The mark is upside-down in your photo!) It's the mark of Simon Salmon, 160 rue St. Honoré, Paris. His mark was registered in 1807 and used until 1825, when he was succeeded by Louis Mornard at the same address.

His specialty is listed as "coutellerie" - cutlery. The term then meant primarily a maker of bladed items (including, presumably, pen-knives - thus his mark) as opposed to spoons and forks (makers of which were more often listed as "cuilleriste"). There was considerable crossver between these terms, however. Although I wouldn't say he was famous, he certainly made some beautiful knives, and yours is one of the best of his I've seen.
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Thanks a lot for the information et the compliments : it is a beautiful knife !
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