Imperial International

[Codger_64]

WHile researching ISC's international division, I kept coming across some really odd-sounding names. Then it clicked. I went to my trademark files, and lo and behold, Imperial International flatware. Mostly made in stainless, it was imported from Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. I traced some of the trademarks back to 1963, and up to 1984. This does not mean that this was the only period where Imperial made and sold flatware. It was made to many different pricepoints too. Some patterns were really fancy, looking like fine, expensive silverware, and some were "deco-styled" and would look at home in a picnic basket. Here are a few of the names of the patterns. You may recognize some.

Imperial International Flatware
AMERICAN LOOK, ASCONA, BANQUET, BRENTWOOD, BREWSTER ROSE, BRIGHT MEADOW, CANTIGNEY, CHALMETTE, CHARISMA, CLASSIC BAROQUE, COLONY HOUSE, COLONY INN, CORINTH, CORTINA, CORTINA ROSE, DAVOS, EARLY SPRING, ELYSEE, ENCANTO, ESPANA, FIESTA ROSE, FLEURETTE, FLORAL BAROQUE, FLORELLE, FLORENTINE BEAD, FLOWER DANCE, GOLDEN SEASWEPT, HAMMERED COLONIAL, KINGSTOWNE, LADY DUFF, MARCHIONESS, MARCHIONESS GOLD, MERIDA, MODERN SHELL, NEWFIELD, NORMANDY, OLD TOWNE, ONDINE, PAGEANT, PARISIENNE, PARLIAMENT, PAULA, QUIANA, RAMONA, ROCKINGHAM, ROSE IMAGE, ROSE SILHOUETTE, ROSEMERE, ROYAL RATTAN, SATINA, SEA SCULPTURE, SEASWEPT, SERTA, SHELL MOTIF, SILVER DAWN, SORCERY, SPRING BLOSSOM, STAMFORD, STAR TIME, STATUS, TAHITIAN, TWIN FLORAL, VERANO, WELLESLEY, WOODHUE, YOUNG ROSE.


Codger

 

[relodr36]

Looks like all fixed blades and no folders !

 

[BK420]

I believe at one point Imperial was the largest domestic producer of flatware.

 

[Codger_64]

I didn't get a lot of details on origins, just those three countries. Surely there were some from Europe too? And I noticed what appeared to be three or four variations of the Imperial name there too (stamped).