Metal Ribbon

Name assigned based on exterior decoration

No example of this needle case has been found to date and it is unknown whether it was actually produced. If you have this needle case in your possession or know of someone who has it, please contact us so that photographs of it can be obtained and added to the this website.

Metal Ribbon needle
case
Design Representation

Design Details

Needle Case Type:	Flat-Names
Patent/Registered to:	Albert Fenton - Birmingham
Patent/Design Representation #:	Ornamental Class 1 – Metal: #301007
Patent/Design Registration Date:	June 2, 1876
Location of Patent/Design Registration:	The National Archives (TNA) - Kew, UK
Reference #:	TNA Representation - BT 43/40/301007 TNA Register - BT 44/3/301007
Dimensions:	Unknown
Material:	Unknown
Name Variations:	Unknown
Other Variations:	Unknown

Brass

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. Many properties make brass appealing, including its brilliant yellow color which resembles gold but without gold’s costliness; its strength, for brass is stronger and harder than copper; its malleability, which makes it easy to work; and its resistance to corrosion. The percentage of copper determines the quality of the brass. Blends of 80% copper and 20% zinc create the finest brass, the kind that wouldn’t crack, the kind most likely used to create brass needle cases. Some needle cases are, however reddish in color which indicates they had less zinc, perhaps only 15%. Occasionally 12-20% of nickel was added to give the brass a silver appearance - this was called ‘nickel silver’. Pictured below is a detail of a needle case made of brass. Click on the photo to visit the webpage for this needle case and see the same item made of nickel-silver.

Gilt

nickel-silver

Gilt was used during the Victoria Era to give objects the appearance of gold. Gold plating was not as popular because it was less durability since the thin layer of gold oxidized and wore off quickly. As a result, manufacturers preferred gilding which involved mixing gold powder with mercury to form a paste that was applied to the item. Heating then caused the mercury to evaporate leaving the gold powder adhered to the surface. Thickly applied gilt occasionaly conceals the fine detail of a design, and as an item ages, portions of the gilt deteriorates and oxidation causes parts of the brass to discolor leaving the item spotty and unattractive. The detailed photo above shows an item with heavy gilding, whereas the photo below shows the same detail after the heavy gilt was removed. Click on the photo to visit the webpage for this needle case.

Nickel-Silver

Nickel-silver is an alloy of copper, zinc and nickel. The most common formula is 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc. Nickel-silver was originally developed in China and the alloy was exported to Europe during the 17th century. German imitations began to appear around 1750 and in 1823 a competition was held in Germany to perfect the alloy which had the appearance of silver but was much less costly. The end result was a product known as “German silver” or nickel-silver. Nine years later in 1832 a form of nickel-silver was also developed in Birmingham, England where it became a popular metal used in manufacturing decorative items during the Victorian Period. When examining an item that appears to be made of silver but lacks the appropriate hallmarks, it is often difficult to tell whether it is made of nickel-silver or plated with nickel-silver. The photograph below is a detail of a needle case that appears to be made of nickel-silver. Click on the photo to visit the webpage for this needle case.