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Step 1
Consult the Pattern Identifier on the Oneida website if you you are not certain whether your flatware was made by Oneida, and are seeking confirmation. Use this resource to research any aspect of an Oneida flatware pattern that is documented. Find out the names and details of past or present flatware patterns by searching through website photographs and descriptions. Compare your flatware to see if you find a match. Consider using this resource not only to put names to patterns, but also to put patterns to names. Contact Oneida for further assistance, if necessary.
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Step 2
Some Oneida flatware bears the Community Silver back-stamp. Oneida's original name was Oneida Community Ltd., a joint-stock corporation formed in 1880. Browse antique and auction websites as sources for Community Silver patterns. An example of Community Silver is the "Fleur de Luce" pattern, sometimes called Flower de Luce, that was made in 1904. Other examples of Community Silver from the past include Bird of Paradise, Georgian, Grosvenor, Louis XVI, Patrician, and Sheraton. Names for patterns were often selected to convey a "grand" impression, such as Coronation (also called Hampton Court), an art deco design of flowers and hearts introduced in the 1930s.
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Step 3
Several Oneida flatware patterns were part of the Betty Crocker Catalog flatware program, from a partnership between Oneida and Betty Crocker. Find out if any of your flatware was part of the program by looking up the alphabetical list at the Oneida website. The names of the program's flatware range from "Adelphia" to "Whittier."
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Step 4
Oneida's Patterns Forever Collection features patterns that are available for a lifetime to customers who register their flatware with the company. Identify any flatware pattern in this Collection by looking on the back of teaspoons, which carry the pattern name. "Paul Revere" is an example.
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Step 5
Be ambitious as a flatware pattern "detective." Delve into history to learn how older flatware patterns evolved. For example, there is a story behind Oneida-Rogers flatware. This was a partnership of two silverware makers. Oneida Ltd. originated from the utopian Oneida Community (1848 to 1880). William A. Rogers, was a silversmith whose mark appeared as early as 1897. Around 1929, the William A. Rogers' mark became part of Oneida, where it was used until 1978. Look for both names imprinted on silverware manufactured during this partnership.
