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Thread: Letter Openers

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    Last edited by tytoalba; April 26th, 2013 at 07:33 PM.

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    Default Re: Letter Openers

    Quote Originally Posted by tytoalba View Post
    unedited phone shots of antique brass rat on feather openerhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/history...7633341935369/
    tried to load photos directly but they were to big, so here is a link to photo host.
    When you share the photos, there is a drop down where you can choose the size that gets displayed.

    Nice letter opener. Is it heavy? I just have a cheap office metal thing that bends easily. Or I use my Gerber muli-tool knife blade.
    Last edited by KrazyIvan; May 2nd, 2013 at 12:03 PM.
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    Default Re: Letter Openers

    yes, it's as heavy, or more, than the largest chef knife in my kitchen.
    (Miss Scarlet, in the library, with the letter opener

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    Default Re: Letter Openers

    yes, it's as heavy, or more, than the largest chef knife in my kitchen.
    (Miss Scarlet, in the library, with the letter opener

    Ivan, I retried to Insert Image, but could not find a place to resize.. where are you seeing this please?

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    Senior Member OakIris's Avatar
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    Default Re: Letter Openers

    I had ratties as pets for several years. Once I brought Dachshunds into my house I couldn't have rats anymore since rodents are their natural prey. Hard to have a rat on your shoulder and a mini-Dachshund in your lap - not a good combo! Anyway, I do like rats - the small, domesticated pet kind, not talking about city or swamp rats - so I really like your letter opener, pen2paper.

    I have 2 or 3 letter openers, including one that my mother used for as long as I can remember, but I don't have any pictures of them. I need to take some and post them here when I get a chance, though none of them are as interesting and detailed as yours.

    Holly

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    Default Re: Letter Openers

    Thanks Holly.. I beg to differ however.. they are interesting because they are yours, from your mother's era, and history. Please do share when you have the chance. My photos are just quick snaps on my phone. Because lighting here is poor I didn't even try for macro. I think the shots are clear enough to get the gist of the playfulness of some early openers.
    PS, I hear you about the smart and sweet ratties... I had a Westie once, plus I observe barn owls, the best rodentcide on the planet. So I have to separate my appreciation of rodentia.
    Last edited by tytoalba; April 26th, 2013 at 10:06 AM.

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    Default Re: Letter Openers

    Quote Originally Posted by tytoalba View Post
    yes, it's as heavy, or more, than the largest chef knife in my kitchen.
    (Miss Scarlet, in the library, with the letter opener

    Ivan, I retried to Insert Image, but could not find a place to resize.. where are you seeing this please?
    Here you go. Numbers are the order I clicked and where, Just make sure the BBcode radio button is selected. It is right under the number three drop down menu.:


    flickr size chooser by IvanRomero, on Flickr
    Last edited by KrazyIvan; May 2nd, 2013 at 12:03 PM.
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    Senior Member OakIris's Avatar
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    Default Re: Letter Openers

    Quote Originally Posted by tytoalba View Post
    Thanks Holly.. I beg to differ however.. they are interesting because they are yours, from your mother's era, and history. Please do share when you have the chance. My photos are just quick snaps on my phone. Because lighting here is poor I didn't even try for macro. I think the shots are clear enough to get the gist of the playfulness of some early openers.
    PS, I hear you about the smart and sweet ratties... I had a Westie once, plus I observe barn owls, the best rodentcide on the planet. So I have to separate my appreciation of rodentia.
    You have convinced me, tytoalba. I will have to wait until after work to take a picture or two, at least of my mother's letter opener.

    I like owls, too, though I don't want to watch them catching and eating a rat or mouse. (Squeamish, I probably wouldn't make a good hunter, either, like to have my meat unrecognizable as a fellow animal, all nicely wrapped in plastic....)

    Holly
    Last edited by OakIris; May 3rd, 2013 at 08:54 AM.

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    Senior Member OakIris's Avatar
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    Default Re: Letter Openers

    Here are a couple of shots of my mother's letter opener that I took during my lunch break; the quality is not stellar but hopefully you will overlook my lack of skills as a photographer:

    IMG_0901.JPG

    IMG_0902.JPG

    The handle is made out of sterling silver. The blade appears to be stainless steel and is unmarked. One side of the handle is marked "Sterling Denmark" and the other side is marked "Georg Jensen & Wendel A/S." (I think it says "&" anyway - can't really make it out so it might be a hallmark instead of an ampersand.) The pattern is their Cactus pattern. I do not know the exact date when it was made, but from what I have read, they didn't start using sterling silver exclusively until after 1933; I think this letter opener may be from the 1940's.

    The "Wendel" on the handle is partially worn off - my mother used this almost daily for probably at least 50 years; she lived during the time when letter writing was alive and well and the main source of communication. I wonder how many of my letters she opened with it, to say nothing of the many other letters she opened and read. I regret not having written to her more often because I know how she enjoyed receiving and reading letters from friends and family. The last year or so of her life our communication was primarily via telephone and, to be honest, I have written very few letters since she died.

    Holly
    Last edited by OakIris; April 27th, 2013 at 09:06 AM.

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    Default Re: Letter Openers

    OM! Georg Jensen!!! It's gorgeous Holly! You mother had fine taste.
    Love Jensen pieces.
    I even have a Jensen made button in my collection.
    Wish you knew how she came to select this fine piece, or if it was a gift... Do you recall any comments she made?

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    Senior Member OakIris's Avatar
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    Default Re: Letter Openers

    Quote Originally Posted by tytoalba View Post
    OM! Georg Jensen!!! It's gorgeous Holly! You mother had fine taste.
    Love Jensen pieces.
    I even have a Jensen made button in my collection.
    Wish you knew how she came to select this fine piece, or if it was a gift... Do you recall any comments she made?
    I think it is beautiful too, and would love to see more of his (or the company's) vintage work; this is the only piece that I have. And I did not know the company made buttons - that's pretty cool that you have one! The company is actually still in existence, as you probably know, but, like Bailey, Biddle & Banks, I don't think they are the same fine company they once were. (Although at least they didn't get bought out by Zales like B B & B did. )

    Sadly, I don't remember talking to my mother about the letter opener. I can not remember a time when she did not have it. She may well have had it before I was born, but I really can't be sure. That was a very long time ago! One of the many things I wish we had discussed, now that it is way too late.

    Holly
    Last edited by OakIris; May 3rd, 2013 at 08:08 AM.

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    Default Re: Letter Openers

    Hello OakIris. I can help by shedding some light on the origins of your beautiful letter opener.

    It is definitely from Georg Jensen & Wendel A/S, who made the Cactus cutlery and accessories, with design by Gundorph Albertus for Georg Jensens Sølvsmedie (silver smithy) in 1930.

    Gundorph Albertus (1887-1970) began working at Georg Jensen's silver smithy in 1911, while at the same time studying sculpting at The Royal Danish Academy of Arts in Copenhagen.
    Before this, he had worked as a silver smith in München and Paris for several years.

    Albertus belonged to a group of artists, who, during the first half of the 20th century, did their best to preserve Georg Jensen's ideals, at the same time updating said ideals and making them more modern.

    This was done by adding a new simplicity to the existing ideals, and this simplicity was partly inspired by the leading Art Déco movement.
    Through his entire career, Gundolph Albertus strived to give his work the greatest possible quality, and he was known to be a perfectionist.
    He was awarded a gold medal at the World Fair in Paris in 1925, and the honorary prize in 1937.

    Georg Jensen's Sølvsmedie was founded in 1904 by Georg Jensen (1866-1935), and in 1924 Georg Jensen himself retired as managing director, but he continued to work as artistic director from 1926 until his death in 1935.

    Georg Jensens Sølvsmedie was very succesful, they opened shops in the finest business streets in a number of big cities.
    In the 1930's, Georg Jensen had shops in London, Paris, Berlin, Bruxelles, Geneve, Barcelona, Stockholm, St. Thomas, Buenos Aires and New York.

    So if your mother have ever lived in or near New York - or knew someone, maybe worked there, then that might be how she either bought the letter opener, or received it as a gift.
    And it was a costly gift back then. Georg Jensen's silver works was definitely high end design.
    If you would like to find matching cutlery, please google "Georg Jensen cactus silverware", since the name of said design is "Cactus" - or "Kaktus" in danish.

    And take good care of your letter opener (- I bet that you already do... ), because I just managed to find one on a danish antique dealer's site
    The price is 1850 DKK, that's approx. 323 USD.

    http://www.antikringen.dk/stort.asp?selbinr=156430
    Last edited by BikerBabe; April 26th, 2013 at 03:00 PM. Reason: Correcting sple...selp...spe...words! XD

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    caribbean_skye (April 26th, 2013), OakIris (April 27th, 2013), ThriveToScribe (April 27th, 2013)

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    Default Re: Letter Openers

    Thank you Biker Babe for enriching this thread with your history of Jensen!
    I was secretly hoping you might know something and join in... wonderful information.

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    Default Re: Letter Openers

    Quote Originally Posted by tytoalba View Post
    Thank you Biker Babe for enriching this thread with your history of Jensen!
    I was secretly hoping you might know something and join in... wonderful information.
    You're certainly most welcome. This site gives me so much information about pens, the least I can do is try to help whenever something in the scandinavian region pops up.
    Last edited by BikerBabe; May 2nd, 2013 at 12:45 PM.

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    Default Re: Letter Openers

    thanks for the help Ivan, it finally clicked : )

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  18. #16
    Barbara
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    Default Re: Letter Openers

    Quote Originally Posted by OakIris View Post
    Here are a couple of shots of my mother's letter opener that I took during my lunch break; the quality is not stellar but hopefully you will overlook my lack of skills as a photographer:

    IMG_0901.JPG

    IMG_0902.JPG

    The handle is made out of sterling silver. The blade appears to be stainless steel and is unmarked. One side of the handle is marked "Sterling Denmark" and the other side is marked "Georg Jensen & Wendel A/S." (I think it says "&" anyway - can't really make it out so it might be a hallmark instead of an ampersand.) The pattern is their Cactus pattern. I do not know the exact date when it was made, but from what I have read, they didn't start using sterling silver exclusively until after 1933; I think this letter opener may be from the 1940's.

    The "Wendel" on the handle is partially worn off - my mother used this almost daily for probably at least 50 years; she lived during the time when letter writing was alive and well and the main source of communication. I wonder how many of my letters she opened with it, to say nothing of the many other letters she opened and read. I regret not having written to her more often because I know how she enjoyed receiving and reading letters from friends and family. The last year or so of her life our communication was primarily via telephone and, to be honest, I have written very few letters since she died.

    Holy
    What a lovely letter opener. I would love to find one as nice one of these days.

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    jbb (April 27th, 2013)

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    Senior Member OakIris's Avatar
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    Default Re: Letter Openers

    Quote Originally Posted by tytoalba View Post
    Thank you Biker Babe for enriching this thread with your history of Jensen!
    I was secretly hoping you might know something and join in... wonderful information.
    +1

    Wow, wonderful information, BikerBabe, more than I was able to find with a quick Google search. Thank you! My mother (and father) did indeed live in New York for a while; my brother was born there in 1950, and I think (why don't I know?!? ) that my mother lived there during WWII as well.

    And, yesterday I said the letter opener was all I had of Georg Jensen's but I have discovered I do in fact have more of his (or at least of his company's) work after all. I started to think about my parents' "good" silverware, which I now have. Lovely stuff, quite art deco in design, and I took a look at it this morning suspecting that it might indeed have been made and designed by the company. Sure enough, "Georg Jensen Silversmith" and "Sterling Denmark" is stamped on all of it. Not the Cactus pattern, but still:

    IMG_0904.JPG

    Whether they got a start on this set as a wedding present or chose and purchased this themselves, I do not know; there is no paperwork in the storage box and though I remember cleaning it and using it while growing up, I never discussed the silverware with my parents. Sorry to go more than a bit off topic, but I am honored to have these lovely things in my possession. I will indeed take good care of all of it.

    I hope you are able to find a letter opener you like and will enjoy using, Barbara. My letter opener was stored in the Gerstner tool chest where I keep all of my pen repair tools, etc., but now I am going to start using it again, even though it will be mostly for mundane things like opening up bills!

    Holly
    Last edited by OakIris; May 3rd, 2013 at 08:09 AM.

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    Default Re: Letter Openers

    Thanks for getting this started tytoalba. I love the rat. My daily letter opener is a good one to use but plain this agate one is prettier but not as sturdy.

    Last edited by jbb; May 2nd, 2013 at 12:38 PM.
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    Default Re: Letter Openers

    Your agate opener with details on the metal are beautiful jbb!
    It was a pleasure to start the ball rolling. Thank You for suggesting the Pen Related Objects subforum, and FPG's Dan for responding so quickly!

    Holly, am Thrilled for you! What discoveries you've made!!! The pattern screams Deco, and is just lovely. I hope you will now put these objects into service and thoroughly enjoy them. I love the shape of Jensen silverware, and in fact, looked for a similar shape for my everyday ware. So happy for you!

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    Default Re: Letter Openers

    Quote Originally Posted by tytoalba View Post
    Your agate opener with details on the metal are beautiful jbb!
    It was a pleasure to start the ball rolling. Thank You for suggesting the Pen Related Objects subforum, and FPG's Dan for responding so quickly!
    Actually those thanks go to OakIris... so I'll add my thanks to her too... and to Dan of course.

    A letter opener is pretty handy. I use mine just about every day. Do most people have one?
    Last edited by jbb; May 2nd, 2013 at 12:38 PM.
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