This set of knife rests belong to the cutlery set Zilmeta, type 581 from Gero.

The Amsterdam silversmith J.A.A. Gerritsen started a new company in 1903 in an old bicycle factory in Zeist. In 1909 the company was named after his son: M.J. Gerritsen & Co, Gero, in short. The company specialized in cutlery. After the First World War, production increased, mass production made it possible to work cheaply and demand increased due to low prices. Gero, and its associated Sola brand, employed so many people that a housing estate was set up to house the staff.

On the website of the Van Eesterenmuseum in Amsterdam I read: “Gero owes its success to two important strategic choices. On the one hand, the company responded to a new type of material with the appearance of silver, but without the preciousness, fragility and maintenance. This material is called Pleet, derived from the English Silver Plated, and proved to be an attractive alternative thanks to the strong alloy of copper, zinc and nickel. Pleet cutlery was marketed by Gero in the 1920s under the name Gero-silvium. It looked like silver, but it was not. Developments with this material continued for several decades. From the 1930s, Gero introduced the material zilmeta, a newly adapted alloy consisting of chromium, nickel and steel, making it even easier to maintain was then the silver.”

The word “Zilmeta” thus originated from the combination of silver white and metal. This alloy consists of 18% Chromium, 8% Nickel & steel. The cutlery set to which these knife rests belong is known as the ‘herringbone’ set. The knife rests also show the bone motif. The box of the knife rests is also original, just like the flyer. The set was made between 1936 and 1962. Due to the relatively cheap production, objects for a beautifully set table became accessible to a wider audience.

39 €