Samuel Kirk apprenticed as a silversmith in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, before opening his own shop in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1815. Kirk was known for his sterling silver repoussé work, in which shapes and designs are hammered into a flat piece of metal, such as silver, from behind rather than the front, which is a technique known as chasing. Samuel Kirk & Son or S. Kirk & Son, as the firm was known for much of its history, produced silverware, goblets, pitchers, tea services, and even postal scales. In 1979, Kirk was purchased by the Stieff Company, which renamed itself Kirk Stieff in order to capitalize on Kirk’s longer history. Today, Kirk Stieff, Whiting, Gorham, and other silver brands are owned by Lifetime Brands, which produces its silver products in Puerto Rico.