Kitchen Ice Cream Scoop

Q: I have a round ice cream scoop marked "Benedict Indestructo." It's also marked "pat. – 20 to a quart." What is it worth, who made it and how old is it?

A: Your ice cream scoop was one of several Indestructo brand scoops, all nickel-plated brass, made in the 1920s by the Benedict Manufacturing Co. of Syracuse, N.Y. Benedict, in business from 1894 to 1953, also manufactured cast, stamped and embossed metal novelties, hollowware, clock cases and desk sets. Your scoop is medium-sized-20 scoops total a quart of ice cream. Indestructo scoops ranged from the large eight-scoop size (just eight scoops filled a quart) to the small 30-scoop size. Most Indestructo scoops sell for $75 to $100.