Text Box:   Premier Silver Restoration Company      Oexning Silversmiths was founded by Lars J. Oexning, a young man who started his apprenticeship as an errand boy for a silversmith in Norway.  In his early twenties Lars moved to the United States where he worked for well known silversmiths such as Josten's and the Tiffany Co. before moving to Minneapolis, Minnesota.  In March of 1947 he opened Lars J. Oexning Silversmiths in downtown Minneapolis.  Since then, Oexning Silversmiths has built a solid, nation-wide reputation for quality, old world craftsmanship and attention to detail        We specialize in the restoration, repair and refinishing of antique and contemporary sterling, silver plate, copper, pewter and brass.   Oexning Silversmiths is fully equipped in ....   Plating Silver Gold Resilver Mirrors   Repairs Soldering broken parts Dent removal Disposal damage removal Straightening   Refinishing Sterling Brass Pewter Copper Dirigold/Dirilyte We can also cast most missing parts, such as feet, finials, handles, and small pieces of ornate. Replacements Knife blades Carving sets Hinges Rivets New ivory insulators, finials, and handles New ebony insulators, finials, and handles New brushes Mirrors Combs   Miscellaneous Lacquering* Oxidation Refinishing of church pieces Baby shoe bronzing   *Due to the brittle nature of lacquer, it can't be guaranteed.       “Serving discriminating collectors from coast to coast.”   "Got my casket plate back today from you.  Thanks for the fine job - it looks great.  I would also like to compliment your staff on how pleasant they were the times I spoke to them.  It is a pleasure to do work with a company that you can depend upon and trust.  Hope you have a long career in the business and I would not hesitate at all to use your services again." - W.D. - collector - IA Tips on the Cleaning and storage of Fine Silver Here are a few tips on how to properly care for and store you fine sterling and silver plated items. Always use a gentle polish/cleaner made specifically for silver, not the multi-metal polishes or dips. Do not use fine silver to serve food containing eggs or mayonnaise. Since such foods can tarnish silver, use glass bowls or liners that may have accompanied such silver pieces. DO NOT wash your sterling or silver plate in the dishwasher! When washing with warm soapy water, make sure to use a NON-lemon based detergent, as it can spot the silver. Make sure to dry silver thoroughly using a 100% cotton cloth, such as flour-sack cloths. Tiny water spots may eventually turn into black spots which are very hard or impossible to polish off by hand. Do not use Brillo pads, steel wool or other abrasive materials that will scratch silver surfaces. Even tissue paper can scratch newly plated or polished silver if handled improperly. Occasionally, because of the porous nature of old silver plate, small white spots may appear on silver just after it has been replated. These spots are NEVER present when we wrap and ship an item, but they can appear days or weeks after plating as the base metal dries out. DO NOT rub the white spots with the tissue that the piece is wrapped in, use ordinary silver polish and a soft cloth to remove them. As soon as festivities come to an end, wash silver or let it soak temporarily in warm water. Using dips to clean silver can remove the oxidation or darkness from the ornate areas which is supposed to be there to accentuate the details of a given piece. Dips can also remove large amounts of silver from plated items so be very careful when using it! Always thoroughly remove salt and pepper from shakers to prevent pitting and corrosion while in storage. Once, clean and dry wrap silver items in silver cloth for storage. You can also store wrapped silver items in airtight plastic bags. The silver can be wrapped in plain cloth or silver cloth when stored in airtight bags. NEVER store unwrapped silver in plastic bags or wrap and make sure that rubber bands do not come in contact with the silver. Since these are petroleum based products, they break down over time and stain the silver, in fact, rubber bands can leave black imprints almost immediately! Silver that is stored when not in use is easy to maintain due to the fact that tarnish develops from exposure to the sulfides in the air. If silver items are stored on display in a china cabinet, use a few well-placed anti-tarnish strips to lengthen the life of the shine! They absorb the sulfides and really keep the silver from tarnishing for months! When silver kept on display starts to tarnish, the first stage is a gold-like tarnish which wipes away quite easily with silver polishing cloth or pair of polishing gloves! To remove built up silver polish from the crevices of ornate silver pieces, use a horsehair brush, NOT A TOOTHBRUSH, the plastic bristles will scratch the silver. If items are broken or damaged, DO NOT attempt to repair them yourself with glue or torches, we see many pieces that have been melted by the well-meaning “handy-man” who try to repair things at home. Make sure to send broken pieces to a skilled silversmith for repair. For silver items on display, try using Turtle Wax or non-lemon based Furniture Polish to seal the surface and prolong the life of your shine between polishings! (Yes, I mean the stuff you use on your car). Please see the complete listing of high-quality silver care products that we offer!   Please feel free to call or E-mail us for additional information or if you have any questions.   Please send any items needing estimates to us and we will contact you with an estimate before proceeding with any work.   We Offer Free Estimates!!!   We have been featured on HGTV's "Collectible Treasures." For more information, click here.   "My silver arrived today and as always your work is OUTSTANDING!  I wouldn't use anyone else.  Thanks again - I'll send another box soon."  Ruth - antique dealer - CA     320 NC Highway 197 South Bakersville, NC 28705 Tel: (828) 688-9998 Toll Free: (800) 332-6857 Fax: (828) 688-9976   oexning@aol.com