Flatware thread
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Michi
I dislike attempts to rewrite history
There are thousands of cutlery designs, typically strongly reflective of their period and prevailing fashion trends at the time.
Rather than getting caught up in fashion, what I would look for is something that is ergonomic. Forks or knives that are too light don't work, just as forks or knives that are too heavy don't work. Wooden handles are beautiful and impractical. Same with bone handles or pretty much anything that isn't steel or plastic (such as G10).
Forget about silver or silver-plated, unless you enjoy washing all your cutlery by hand, and spending half a day polishing every piece individually only to watch them turn black again over the next few weeks. Sensible cutlery is made from stainless steel.
Pay attention to the handle shape. Width and thickness are important. If I have to hang onto my fork for dear life because the handle is so thin that I'm in constant danger of the fork slipping out of my hand and going "sproiiing" across the table, eating is no fun. The same is true with a handle that is the thickness of a carrot. Yes, I'm a man, and I can deal with a handle the size of a carrot. But not if that handle is on a fork and I'm trying to elegantly twirl some spaghetti around it…
The widened part near the butt end that you see on many cutlery designs is important. Find a knife and fork that don't have that and just taper down towards the butt end. Then try to eat something with that cutlery. It's a night-and-day difference when compared to something with a handle that widens towards the end.
Forks that are too straight are useless, as are spoons that are too flat. A flat fork makes it harder to keep the food on there, and a spoon that is too flat doesn't deliver enough food per spoonful. Spoons that are too deep are a pain, too, because the only way to eat soup with them is to go "slurp" (which other people at the table won't appreciate, at least not in Western cultures). Spoons that are too big are a no-no as well. If I can't fit the dang thing into my mouth without looking like a tyrannosaurus about to have dinner, it's useless.
Forget about sporks. They (maybe) make sense for some extreme outdoor sports person who literally has to watch every single gram of weight. Otherwise, they are useless fashion statements. (There is a reason why, for thousands of years, we have chosen to not cut tines into the front of spoons.)
Some of the best every-day and cheap cutlery I use is from Ikea. (I think it's their "Dragon" line.) I bought a 48-piece set many years ago for about $40. Yes. Really. Less than a dollar a piece. They are stainless steel, pretty much indestructible, and just work. Perfectly fine for everyday meals.
I also have a WMF set that I inherited from my parents. "Spatenform" in Cromargan (stainless steel), dozens of pieces all up, including salad servers, serving forks and spoons, fish knives, cake forks, coffee spoons, soup ladle, etc. That design is no longer made, and was sinfully expensive back in the seventies. It's nice cutlery. Ergonomic, nice to hold, and it works well. That cutlery was a prestige item for many years. ("Look at what kind of cutlery I can afford!") I really like it, partly because it is an heirloom.
But that cutlery works only marginally better (due to the wider handles) than the Ikea cutlery and most definitely is not worth 25 or 30 times the price.
Rather than getting caught up in fashion, what I would look for is something that is ergonomic. Forks or knives that are too light don't work, just as forks or knives that are too heavy don't work. Wooden handles are beautiful and impractical. Same with bone handles or pretty much anything that isn't steel or plastic (such as G10).
Forget about silver or silver-plated, unless you enjoy washing all your cutlery by hand, and spending half a day polishing every piece individually only to watch them turn black again over the next few weeks. Sensible cutlery is made from stainless steel.
Pay attention to the handle shape. Width and thickness are important. If I have to hang onto my fork for dear life because the handle is so thin that I'm in constant danger of the fork slipping out of my hand and going "sproiiing" across the table, eating is no fun. The same is true with a handle that is the thickness of a carrot. Yes, I'm a man, and I can deal with a handle the size of a carrot. But not if that handle is on a fork and I'm trying to elegantly twirl some spaghetti around it…
The widened part near the butt end that you see on many cutlery designs is important. Find a knife and fork that don't have that and just taper down towards the butt end. Then try to eat something with that cutlery. It's a night-and-day difference when compared to something with a handle that widens towards the end.
Forks that are too straight are useless, as are spoons that are too flat. A flat fork makes it harder to keep the food on there, and a spoon that is too flat doesn't deliver enough food per spoonful. Spoons that are too deep are a pain, too, because the only way to eat soup with them is to go "slurp" (which other people at the table won't appreciate, at least not in Western cultures). Spoons that are too big are a no-no as well. If I can't fit the dang thing into my mouth without looking like a tyrannosaurus about to have dinner, it's useless.
Forget about sporks. They (maybe) make sense for some extreme outdoor sports person who literally has to watch every single gram of weight. Otherwise, they are useless fashion statements. (There is a reason why, for thousands of years, we have chosen to not cut tines into the front of spoons.)
Some of the best every-day and cheap cutlery I use is from Ikea. (I think it's their "Dragon" line.) I bought a 48-piece set many years ago for about $40. Yes. Really. Less than a dollar a piece. They are stainless steel, pretty much indestructible, and just work. Perfectly fine for everyday meals.
I also have a WMF set that I inherited from my parents. "Spatenform" in Cromargan (stainless steel), dozens of pieces all up, including salad servers, serving forks and spoons, fish knives, cake forks, coffee spoons, soup ladle, etc. That design is no longer made, and was sinfully expensive back in the seventies. It's nice cutlery. Ergonomic, nice to hold, and it works well. That cutlery was a prestige item for many years. ("Look at what kind of cutlery I can afford!") I really like it, partly because it is an heirloom.
But that cutlery works only marginally better (due to the wider handles) than the Ikea cutlery and most definitely is not worth 25 or 30 times the price.
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Corradobrit1
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My fancy set. Designed by Renzo Piano and made by Hackman/Iitala.
https://www.finnishdesignshop.com/t...MI4MDs79Tv5wIVE77ACh0ligeQEAQYAiABEgKewfD_BwE
https://www.finnishdesignshop.com/t...MI4MDs79Tv5wIVE77ACh0ligeQEAQYAiABEgKewfD_BwE
Beautiful! I’ve always loved those. They sell them at moma but I always have too many people coming to dinner
I bought service for 24 of the Perimeter series from Oneidas hospitality series a couple of years ago. I love the quality and heft.
http://www.oneidahospitality.com/t936.html
Corradobrit1
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Thats how I found them. In the gift shop at the Renzo Piano designed Nasher sculpture museum in Dallas TX
https://www.nashersculpturecenter.org/visit/about-the-nasher
Tristan, those are great too. I’m buying a new piggy bank!
Michi
I dislike attempts to rewrite history
That has "elegance" written all over it, in capital letters. Very slick, indeed!
