Dansk Stainless Steel Flatware

Q: I bought some stainless steel flatware at a house sale and would like to know more about it. It has a flat finish and horizontal grooved lines on the handles. There is black inside the grooves, but it’s worn off on most pieces. The pieces are marked “Dansk Designs Germany” around an emblem that has four swimming ducks on it. When were these made?

A: Dansk is an American company started by Ted and Martha Nierenberg in 1954. The couple asked Danish designer Jens Quistgaard to design a line of flatware they could sell in the U.S. Your flatware is Variation VI, which was first made in 1957 and was made in Germany, Denmark and Finland. It was made both with and without black accents in the grooves. The black often wore off after long-term use. Quistgaard designed other flatware patterns as well dinnerware, serving pieces, and other items for Dansk. After several changes in ownership, Dansk became part of Lenox in 2009.