Vintage Kitchen Scales

The Fun Of Collecting Vintage Kitchen Scales

From the beginning of civilization there have been scales to measure and compare, and now the time for the collectible vintage kitchen scales is here.

The scales that Lady Justice holds up with one hand, called the equal arm balance, was used by the ancient Sumerians for precious metals and goods. Ancient Romans improved upon it from there with their steelyard scales. These were similar to the equal arm balance scales, but one end held the regulated weight and the other was used to weigh the items. A pan was used to move up and down a lever until it hung evenly, thus telling what the item weighed.

Grain mills soon saw a need for the weighing of their product, as did farmers for their crops. Butchers started using them also for weighing meats.

In Victorian days they used balance scales and mechanical scales, mostly in wealthier kitchens. As time went on, scales became more popular in kitchens, and in the 1950s they became commonplace.

Mechanical scales in kitchens had a weighing pan and a circular, rather large face in the front of it. This showed the weights of the objects. Nowadays, the scales are mostly digital or electric. But the vintage styles have also found a place in the kitchen decor. They are nostalgic pieces of history of perhaps a simpler time. They seem whimsical, as they are generally not used for anything but decoration. They add a certain appeal, however, and other items from the 1940s and 1950s may be placed in strategic places as accents to match or compliment the vintage scale.

Kitchen type scales are used in grocery stores today all over the world. They are needed in certain departments of the stores, like in the bakery and deli departments. They are used in the meat and seafood departments, as well, and also to weigh produce and candies. In the supermarket, their scales are able to print labels including the name of the item you are purchasing, the weight and the prices, including unit price and total prices. They may also include as RFD tag that keeps them from being tampered with for returns, and so on. These tags need to be accurate and are regulated by the government for approval.

The digital scales of today offer precise readings with the press of a button. Some scales even allow the weight of the inside of the container, without adding the weight of the container, and this is called the zero out feature. And for the international recipe enthusiast, one can switch from metric to standard systems of weighing. They are very convenient in the busy world of today for weighing all types of goods, such as fruits, meats, vegetables, spices, and baking and cooking ingredients.

Today scales come in various designs and sizes and shapes, such as bowl shaped or flat.

The vintage scales also offer a variety of designs. There are 1950s vintage scales with a fruit motif. Even with a bit of rust around the edges, it stands proud as it has survived over the years. And they are not very big, so they could fit comfortably on a counter top. It may be eight or nine inches tall and seven or eight inches wide and deep. There are also red cast iron Fairbanks scales. They are rather rare and measure up to six ounces. And there is the green metal American Family scale.

You may also find vintage scales and timer sets.

From the 1930s and 1940s you may be lucky enough to find the small metal litho Kitchen Master scale. If not, replicas are made in Connecticut, and it can weigh ounces and up to five pounds.

Because collecting these vintage scales is suddenly so popular, it opens up a world of new decorating skills and ideas. Because it is from another time, and indeed a time that some of us may remember, it is easy to get caught up in matching some period decor items with the scales and bringing back the past. You may have a red vintage scale and decide on purchasing a red retro fridge, as these can also be found, except they are new and functional. What fun that would be! Think of the possibilities.

Today many of these vintage scales are replicated for the nostalgia enthusiast. They may be made of enameled steel, plastic and glass. They are at least partially dishwasher safe and easy to clean. These replicas have been necessitated by the desire of these vintage kitchen scales as collectibles.