Our visit to

Old Newbury Crafters

Amesbury, Massachusetts
April 22, 2002
page 2

In 1965, the company began a practice to underscore the handwrought nature of all of its flatware. Each piece began to be marked by the silversmith who made it, each smith having a unique maker's mark.

We had the distinct pleasure of being given a tour of the Old Newbury Crafters' facility by silversmith, Geoffrey T. Blake, whose mark is the unicorn. Mr. Blake began his career with Old Newbury Crafters thirty one years ago and so he was able to give us a historical perspective that we found especially fascinating.

Geoffrey Blake

Geoffrey Blake's smiths mark die stamp

We began with a walking tour of the various stations that a piece of silver must go through to final production. One wall of the facility is filled with flatware templates. These templates are used to ensure that each piece in a pattern conforms to appropriate dimensions.

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