Sprue Mark   Wedge Mark   Gate Mark

Let's get started!

Click on the following links

to browse these current eBay trivet auctions:

Cast Iron Trivet Auctions
Brass Trivet Auctions

Antique trivet auctions abound on eBay. However, be careful in reading the Auction description, as the term Antique can be applied loosely. Harry Rinker (H&GTV's "Collector Inspector") has recently made the case for updating the definition of an American Antique to include anything made before 1963! So if age is important to you, be sure you know exactly how your eBay Seller defines an Antique.

Prior to bidding, be sure to email the seller if you still have questions after reading the Auction description. You should be clear about the following before bidding: dimensions,  length and number of legs, type of metal (a magnet sticks to cast iron),  markings on the reverse, and whether any casting marks are present. If not described as without defects, ask the Seller if there are any cracks or chips in the metal.

Cast Iron 

• Iron is the most common metal used for early American trivets. There were many shapes ... spade, rectangular, circular, oval, and freeform. The trivet featured above is Early American, circa 1800-1850, with a large sprue mark on the reverse.
  

• English cast iron trivets sometimes have what is called the Rd, or Registered Design number, imprinted on the reverse. The Rd number identifies the year the design was registered and gives a definite record as to age.

Brass or Bronze 

• Since brass is a softer metal,  casting marks were often removed during finishing and may not be evident. Legs often bend inward, and there should be a rubbied smoothness  to the upper surface detail commeasurate with age. Legs were often set into the cast trivet, with the circular impression evident on the top surface. Verdigris (green discoloration) will be evident as would be expected with age.

• When you hold a brass trivet by the handle and "ping" it with your finger it will make a flat, dull sound. However, doing the same to a bronze trivet will give you a nice,  melodious tone because of the tin included in the alloy ... one way to tell the difference! The trivet featured above is made of bronze with an elaborate design. Note the wonderful handle, in the shape of a young girl!
  

• Some brass trivets were also Registered Designs, and carry a Rd number as explained above.
  

• Beware of modern brass reproductions coming out of England! Some brass trivets have been weathered and/or chemically treated to mimic aged verdigris.

Vintage Trivets: Pre 1940 but < 100 Years Old

Foundries were active during the early Twentieth Century producing cast metal items needed by the American housewife. Trivets from this era sometimes reproduced older designs, especially in the spade and round shapes. Gate mark(s) will often be found along the trivet edge. It's not uncommon to find a lot number on the reverse, the numerals older looking in a formerly popular typeset such as Light Egyptian.

Did you know ... many trivets (and other household metal implements) were donated to the War Effort during World War II, melted and remanufactured as  battleships and weapons?

The following trivet was a souvenir cast iron casting from a veteran's reunion. On the face:  CSA (Confederate States of America), 1922, and Richmond, Va. It is unsigned on the reverse.

Contemporary Trivets: Reproduction & Original Designs

The first photograph shows my trivet wall of Contemporary Trivets. The trivet on the right depicts the state of Maine and is signed Portland Stove Fdry Portland ME (7.125 x 5.25").

After World War II, American foundries resumed full production. Many foundries began offering reproduction trivets to American housewives. The following companies sold trivets during the late 1940s through the 1970s, and most of those trivets can easily be identified as repros by the company name on the reverse:

• Brown Stove Works
• Cross Publishing Company
• EMIG
• General Machine Corporation /EFM *
  
• Iron Art
• Union Manufacturing Company/JZH
• Portland Stove Foundry
• Vermont Castings *
  
• Virginia Metalcrafters (closed in 2006)
  
• Wilton * (as Wilton Armetale)
  
• John Wright *
  

Wilton remains active today, producing pewter-like trivets under the company name Wilton-Armetale. EFM trivets continue to be released yearly, the company now known as the EFM Sales Company.

FYI- Trivets sold with rubber or plastic caps on the feet postdate 1945.

Keep in mind that many reproduction trivets are advertised as antique ... so, depending upon your own definition of antique ... Let the Buyer Beware!

Most Contemporary trivets are reproductions of earlier designs, but Virginia Metalcrafters produced quite a few trivets that were actually original designs. Those are identified by the "copyright" on the reverse.

Take a moment to browse these current eBay Auctions ... they will give you an idea of the variety of Reproduction Trivets available:

I hope this Guide has been helpful to you! 

But before you go ...