Category: Enamelware

What exactly is End Of The Day enamelware?

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn EnamelwareLeave a comment

One of the areas of collectibles that I run into quite are piece made out of enamelware.  It could be tea kettles, plates and even pitchers.  You also never know what color you will run into—it could be white with red trim, blue swirl or even chrysolite!

One type of enamelware that you do not see a lot of is called “end of the day” enamelware.  This type of enamelware has several different colors on it, and it got its name for when it was made—it was made at the end of the workday.

The reason for the different colors on it were because the workers making the piece would take whatever colors they had leftover at the end of the day and make random designs on the piece.

A great example of “end of the day” enamelware is this dinner pail or bucket.  This example dates to the early 1900’s and it has chocolate brown, black, white and gray colors on it.

You can collect “end of the day” enamelware several different ways—two of the more popular ways is the pattern that’s on the item or by the colors on it.

What kind of “end of the day” enamelware items have you run across?

Enamelware parts and pieces for the beginning collector

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Beginning to collect, Enamelware, Kitchen Items, Tips for the beginner, Vocabulary WordsLeave a comment

When you are beginning to collect items, you will figure out pretty fast that each area has its own terminology for parts of the item and even what each item is called.  Here’s some of the parts and pieces of enamelware that you will run across:

Pie pan—this is a shallow dish that is made of either metal or glass.  The pan has sloping sides in which the pies are baked.

Double Boiler—this is a saucepan that has a detachable upper compartment.  The compartment is heated up by boiling water in the lower compartment.

Riveted handle—this is a handle that is held in place with Rivets (small pieces of metal that are crushed into position).  The resulting rivet holds the metal together, and you will also see rivets on other parts of enamelware (like the main body of a coffee boiler or even a tea pot).

Picture courtesy of Wikipedia.com

Bail handle—this is a handle that is typically made of metal.  It also consists of an open loop that moves freely within two fixed mounts, points or even ears.  This type of handle is also simply known as a “bail”.

This is only a small portion of what you will see.  What parts and pieces of enamelware have you seen or heard of?

A cross between a cigar humidor and a…FURNACE?!?

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Enamelware, Functional items, Vintage, Vintage, Vintage!Leave a comment

There are times when you actually stop and scratch your head when you run across an item, and this is definitely one of those times.  Have you ever seen a cross between a cigar humidor and a furnace?

Yep, you saw that right—this piece is a cross between a cigar humidor and a furnace.

0

1

This enamelware piece is made as a cigar humidor and is decorated as a furnace.  You could also say that this is a great salesman’s sample for L’ISLET FURNACE (the company that made the furnaces was based in Quebec, Canada).

2

3

4

The great thing about this item is the fact that you could use it a number of different ways—as a pencil holder, change holder, or even a container for the kitchen.  The uses can go on and on!

You can see the cigar humidor in my Etsy shop here.  Head on over and check it out!

What is a cross-collectible?

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Advertising, Enamelware, Vocabulary WordsLeave a comment

For many years now, I have heard the term “cross-collectible”.  The real question is this:  what exactly is a cross-collectible?

It actually is very simple.  A cross-collectible is an item that can fit into several different types of collections.  A good example of this is an enamel sign.  It is a perfect fit for any sign, enamel, and advertising collector.

A great example of an enamel sign is this one for CYCLONE FENCE.

cyclone-fence

The great thing about this sign is that it doesn’t take up a ton of room no matter where you display it.  You can see the sign in my Etsy shop here.

Another area that falls into cross-collecting is petroliana (or anything related to gas).  I have an item that is a gas related that fits the bill as a cross-collectible, and it’s this great EL RECO paperweight.

EL RECO Gas Stations Figural Paperweight

Not only is it advertising for a gas station, it also is perfect for a desk and even a cast iron collector.  You can see this great paperweight here.

There’s quite a few items that are cross-collectibles.  What items have you run across?

A variety of graniteware pieces

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Enamelware, My Background, Vintage, Vintage, Vintage!Leave a comment

Wither at an estate sale, a garage sale, or even at an auction, I run across quite a few pieces of graniteware in my neck of the woods.  There’s a pretty wide variety of pieces that I find when I’m out shopping.  It could be anything from a tea kettle to a creamer–you never know what you will run across.

When I was young, people in my area collected graniteware like crazy.  They still do, but not as much as they did when I was young.  Here lately, the prices have cooled off mainly because there is so much of it here.

Because of the fact that the prices have come down and people have lost a little interest in graniteware, some of the pieces in collections have even come up for sale.  Some of the pieces that I have run across lately really have surprised me when I ran across them.  One piece that did was this graniteware fireplace salesman’s sample.

Enamelware Graniteware Fireplace Salesmans Sample Ashtray Advertising The Cleveland Foundry Company

This even has a plaque on the front that reads, “The Cleveland Foundry Company.”  You can see it in my Etsy shop here.

Pie pans are pretty plentiful, but they are usually a solid color.  So when I ran across this brown swirl pie pan, I snatched it up pretty fast.

Brown And White Swirl Enamelware Graniteware Pie Pan Unmarked Made 1930s To 1940s

What struck me was that it’s in great condition, usually pie pans around here get knocked around pretty good.  You can see it in my Etsy shop here, and more graniteware examples here.

What’s great about graniteware is the fact that it gives a more urban area a splash of country.

What kinds of graniteware pieces have you run across?