Q: My wife says this is a pickle fork originally used at a hotel in California. The back of the spoon is marked “CM Co. EP Pat 1912” and “Santa Barbara Biltmore 1929.” The letter “B” is embossed on the front of the handle. Can you tell me anything about this and if it has any value?
A: Research on your fork brings up more questions than answers. The Santa Barbara Biltmore opened in 1927, so we don’t know the significance of the 1929 date. Several different American companies made silver flatware for the Biltmore hotel chain. Among them were International Silver, Oneida, and Reed & Barton. But the maker of your fork, “CM Co.,” is a mystery. The initials “EP” mean the silver was electroplated. The “B” on the front of the handles is obviously for “Biltmore.” We’ve seen a fork in the same pattern with four straight tines. A pickle fork normally has two tines and is smaller than a dinner fork. Your fork is an “artisan” piece made from a dinner fork, possibly as a joke. It has little value as a vintage fork because it has been reworked.
