Budget Mid-Century Peppermills

Handcrafted, wood pepper mills were extremely popular in the middle part of the 20th century and today they are highly collectible. I spoke with Mark Perlson, author of Danish Pepper: Jens Quistgaard's Teak Pepper Mills, an avid collector himself, about collecting these mid-century designs.

Mark notes that these mills are so appealing because they exhibit hand craftsmanship. "If you have six of them, they make a great display," says Mark. "They're almost little sculptures." Plus, unlike some collectibles, peppermills have a practical purpose, and therefore an intrinsic value.

According to Mark, the mills created by Dansk and designed by Jens Quistgaard are the "crème de la crème" of peppermill collecting. There were about 70 Dansk designs in total. Some of them were only made for a year, making them very rare. (In fact, some of them are so hard to find that Mark has only seen photos of them in old Dansk catalogues!) Nissen is the other collectible manufacturer, and beyond that, there are a couple of other Danish companies that made mills.

Things to look for:
"One good thing about collecting Danish modern pieces, in general, is that they were very good about marking," notes Mark. Look for the word "Denmark" somewhere on the bottom of the mill. Many of the Dansk and Nissen pieces will also be labeled with the manufacturer's name somewhere, though earlier mills were less obviously marked. You can also look for a Peugeot mechanism (most of the good mills from that era used the Peugeot grinders). Quality mills will be made of either teak or rosewood.

Condition:
Because these pepper mills were generally used in the kitchen, the wood can get a little funky or sticky; burn marks are also common. Look for an unblemished, clean exterior. If you find a mill in good condition, they are exceptionally easy to care for: Simply rub them down with food-safe oil, like mineral oil, once a year.

Where to shop, and what you'll pay:
According to Mark, it's getting harder and harder to find mid-century pepper mills at garage sale prices -- you can find them, but you'll really have to keep your eye out. Most collectors find their mills on eBay, where they usually sell for $30 to $40 a piece, but for the super-rare ones Mark has seen a mill go for over $600. You can also try antique store that specialize in mid-century pieces. Hi+lomodern is an online source that frequently carries Dansk mills.

Mark's book is the definitive guide to peppermills. He also writes a blog about mid-century design, where he alerts readers to eBay finds.