Friday, January 9, 2009

vintage kitchen utensils



Granny Sue gave me a post idea with her blog quiz about her vintage kitchen utensils.

For show and tell Friday hosted by Kelli at There's no Place Like Home, I decided to show part of my collection of old kitchen utensils.

I love vintage kitchen items. I can't pass up any at a yard sale, road side sale or thrift store. They are so pretty and the wear on them makes them all the more attractive. It shows me that they were used by our apron wearing ancestors that cooked meals 3 times a day for their hungry, hard working families. The country wasn't filled with fast food places back then.

Here is an assortment of mashers. I love the wooden ones on the end. I was told they were potato mashers, tho one time on an episode of the Waltons, I saw the girls using one to stuff sausage through a grinder.



And here is my colorful assortment of jar and can openers.


I think my grandma baked bread at least once and maybe twice a day. I'm sure she used items like these until the paint was worn off of them. As a matter of fact she may have used that exact rolling pin, it is very old and hand made, my mother gave it to me to use after I was married. I have put a lot of wear on it.



Here is my collection of ice cream scoops. I'm not sure if the 3rd one from the left is an ice cream scoop or not, it is very heavy and I thought it looked like one, so I included it in my collection. The 3rd one from the right is the one we use all the time. Do you have one like it?
I love ice cream ( I eat the low fat vanilla yogurt ice cream sweetened with splenda -it is a Kroger brand and it is delicious)


Well as you can see by some of my collections, I can't pass up these neat things, especially since I usually only pay 25 - 50 cents a piece for them. I even get things when I don't know what they are.

Can you help me? I'm not sure what these are used for, I have an idea, but not sure. I think the people who made these old items were very ingenious.
Help! What are they?


Hope you enjoyed seeing some of my kitchen collectibles.
What's your favorite old kitchen items? Can you help me identify mine?

36 comments:

  1. That's quite a collection you have there.
    I have a few of my own. Including a chocolota spoon from Mexico.
    I can't help you with the items. I have no idea what they are.
    But I'll check back later to see if anyone else does.

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  2. What a great collection! I am headed to an estate sale today that lists vintage utensils. On your last photo, I think the one on the far right is to cut veggies and cheese decoratively.

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  3. Wow, Janet! I feel better now about having two or three of some items. You've collected an interesting bunch of stuff. Thank you for sharing it.

    As for what the things in the last photo are:

    the first is a four-way chopper like I had in my photo (I don't think you could see it clearly); it's used for chopping, but I think it was also used for cutting eggs into 4 even wedges.

    the second I have no idea!

    The third is a knife sharpener--you draw the knife through the wheels and it sharpens. I have one somewhere, but we like the whetstone better.

    The fourth is what LBP says--used to crinkle-cut veggies and eggs. Ladies liked to work with their food more than we do now; I think these old tools are so neat because they show the kind of work put into food preparation.

    BTW, I saw that middle potato masher of yours referred to in an antique book as a potato "muddler." Odd name, isn't it?

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  4. Great collection! Love how you think about who used them before you!! That's thought-provoking!
    Thanks for sharing
    Becky

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  5. Ok, so we think alike. I have always loved utensil and kitchen items from the 30's and 40's. Even in our new home, with Old world flair...I kept my kitchen "stuff". It reminds me so much of my family and all the wonderful times spent in the kitchen! Great post!

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  6. What a great collection! Do you display them?
    I've no idea what those items were used for...I'm a pretty modern gal when it comes to kitchen gadgetry (is that even a word?)

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  7. On the ice cream scoops: the third from the left looks like one used in an ice cream shoppe. Thanks for sharing.

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  8. I have a few of those old utensils and think they are neat. Reminds me of my grandma's house.

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  9. Janet,
    The 3rd one from the left is an antique noodle cutter. It is actually made by Acme, and its official name is Acme Mincer, chicken & noodle cutter. I have one exactly like it, bought it on Ebay (it was still in the box) and they work great. I love homemade noodles.

    Matthew

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  10. Too cool! thanks for sharing your collection:)

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  11. I think vintage kitchen tools are so cool looking. Even though I don't collect them I do have my grandma's rolling pin and sifter. I love them and keep them on display in my kitchen.

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  12. You have a terrific collection of vintage utensils...and I bet you have had such fun searching for them over the years. Neat! :-)

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  13. Those are cool tools. My grandparents and great aunts used to have many of those and used them. There are a couple I have that were my grandma's and I still use them. Nothing wrong with it if it still works and gets the job done. :-)

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  14. I have a few vintage tools too. Mine came from my grandmother and I'm really partial to them. I even still have my cheese grater that was a wedding gift over 44 years ago now - my very own vintage! blessings, marlene

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  15. Janet-your collection makes me jealous! I love old kitchen items-and like you I like thinking about all the ladies who used them to feed her family and friends. Also like you-I always search yard sales to see if they are selling Grandma's kitchen stuff!

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  16. Love your collection, Janet! I've spend so much time with that potato masher you picture it's not funny. I have my Mom's wooden rolling pin. In that next to the last picture you have up & don't know what they are? Well, I have an idea about the 2nd from the right. I'll bet it's some kind of pasta maker (homemade noodles). Those blades look pretty sharp & they're spaced out evenly. If it's not, I'll bet it can be used as one!
    I'm heading over to your new site now! See ya!

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  17. I love your old time kitchen utensils. Maybe because I am old time too! You are from West Virginia and that makes me think of a song... West Virginia, Blueridge Mountains, Country Roads take me home. Or something like that!!
    Roberta Anne

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  18. hi everyone, thanks for all your comments and help in figuring out what some of my utensils are. And yes, Raggedy Girl, the song is "Country Roads" by John Denver that you're reminded of. I love that song!

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  19. Hello I followed you over from Granny Sue. I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed this post. I love all the old kitchen gadgets you have. I have a few things I have collected over the years, but didn't get to far into the collecting because of lack of space to store things. Seeing yours and Granny Sue's makes me a tad bit jealous so I may have to find me an antique store soon ha ha.
    I will stop in again soon for another visit.

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  20. I want to add my thanks to the list. So, thanks for sharing your collection of kitchen utensils. I love vintage kitchen things. (My stove is a 1945 Chambers.)

    It's funny just a couple of weeks ago I decided to make mashed potatoes the old fashioned way. That is, without my KitchenAid, and I was amazed to discover I had no potato masher. I thought about finding a masher then, and your post has added lotsa fuel to that fire!

    BTW - Your music is great.

    (thanks also for your children's story post on my blog.)

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  21. A great collection. I have a collection too, but most are packed away in a box because there is just no place to display them. That is one problem in down-sizing a home.

    We use an ice cream scoop like the one on the far right.

    I enjoyed your post :-)

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  22. love your collection for the last photo I remember my father making krinkle french fries with the one they think is for vegetables

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  23. Do you have any hints for cleaning old utensils so that they can be used? I have just inherited some canning equipment and want to be sure the fruit mill is safe for use. Any suggestions would be helpful.

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  24. with this post,i got an idea to post my collections too.all my kitchen stuffs has no color other than black and white.it doesn't look dull,actually,it looks elegant.thanks for sharing your collectibles,very colorful,looks very sweet. :)

    i adore you for having vintage kitchen tools,i hope that i can do it to my tools.

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  25. thanks for this wonderful post

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  26. Brilliant!!! This time of year kitchen equipment is turning into an avalance. I'm certainly going to take your idea and run with it. Thank you.

    Cooking Equipment

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  27. I LOVED your pictures! You inspired me for a great idea for my kitchen decor`. I am selecting a few to print out to put in an antique frame :) Thank you

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  29. Wow..Such a nice info. please keep posting on vintage kitchen utensils for more knowledge.

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  31. BEST BLOG I EVER FOUND ON THIS TOPIC PLEASE DO MORE POSTS THANX BUDDY

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