INTRODUCTION

The information within this guide is targeted primarily at the most common and yet unjustified complaints. It does not cover every possible complaint whether justified or otherwise.

SILVER PLATED CUTLERY

Discoloration of Fork Prongs:
The ends of fork prongs have gone a light gold, brown or blue/black colour with little or no evidence of this happening on any other pieces. This is silver tarnish caused by contamination of the silver with sulphides so forming a superficial film of siver sulphide. Initially the film is light gold in colour but with prolonged exposure will progress to a blue/black discoloration. The standard test for tarnish is to clean the elected area if tarnishing is suspected with a silver cleaning agent such as Goddard's Silver Polish. A silver cloth may not be severe enough to remove more advanced tarnish. Sulphides are always present to some extent in the atmosphere and in many foods (eggs being the most potent), and because table fork prongs actually enter the main course foods they do become tarnished more than other items.

Surface Marking of Silver:
Surface scuffing, scratches and indentation has occured on items after little use. Silver is a very soft metal and from the very first time items of silver or silver plated cutlery are put into service the characteristic white platina of silver will begin to develop. Marking takes place at different rates due to (a) the different uses that items are put to, and (b) variances in piece contact throughout washing, cleaning and usage.
Surface scratches forming straight lines along a product or circular marking indicate that too abrasive a medium has been used during cleaning such as a grit contaminated cleaning cloth or a scourer.

STAINLESS STEEL CUTLERY

Staining: Rainbow coloured stains have appeared on items
Firstly it should be pointed out that stainless steel is not stain free steel. The term stainless steel originated when stainless steel was first invented because it was soon realised that it had two distinctly different properties from carbon steels.
These being that:
(a) it was less prone to stining, and
(b) it was more corrosive resistant
Rainbow staining of stainless steel can be caused by i) detergents, especially unnecessarily strong solutions that will leave an indelible stain if allowed to dry out on its surface; ii) very hot grease, fat or meat juices will sometimes leave stubborn rainbow stains on the surface of stainless steel; iii) heat by itself will also cause rainbow banded colour stains on the surface of stainless steel. This is of particular concern when it occurs on knife blades as it may result in decreasing the metal's resistance to corrosion in the affected area; iv) contamination of the surface with one of the propriety silver dip type of cleaning solutions may cause staining and/or etching of the surface of the stainless steel.
Stains which are not removed by rubbing with a soapy cloth can normally be removed with Solvol's Autosol (available from motor car accessory shops). When etching of the steel has occured then it may be necessary for items to be returned to the factory for repolishing.

Surface Marking of Stainless Steel: Surface scratches, scuffing and indetations have occured on the surface of items after little use. Although stainless steel is harder than silver, where the surface is of a high polish it will naturally begin to take on a patina from the initial usage. The patina build up may take longer than that for silver on a like for like basis but nevertheless it will happen. Differences in the surface markings from piece to piece will vary because of the same reason as given previously for silver.