Georgian English green dining set of knife and fork by Gray

This is an original antique knife and fork set by the cutler Gray, made in England around 1750- 1780. The knife blade is made of carbon steel and stamped with the maker's name, GRAY. The handles are of bone and stained with verdigris, in a fashionable English Green colour of the period. The ferrules are not marked but tested as sterling silver and are all original to the set. They are intact, but the handles have some wear and very old splits from shrinkage that only add character and show no movement. 

OBJECT: knife and fork 

CULTURE: Georgian Britain

DATE: London c. 1750-1780 AD

MATERIAL: Sterling Silver, bone and steel

SIZE: knife 215mm x 17mm, fork 175mm x 15mm

WEIGHT: 79.50 grams combined 

PROVENANCE: Formerly in a private Collection in Cheshire