Cutlery, Happy To Have It

Most of us know that cutlery is used to eat with, cut up fruits and vegetables and slicing the family turkey at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Actually, during the holidays or special occasions is about the only time we really use our good silverware anymore, I guess that's why its called "the good silverware". Cutlery was named after the person who makes it called a Cutler were during medieval times was a very important trade.

The history of cutlery starts with the shell and the sharp flint used for cutting. Gradually, chipping flint began to improve naturally sharp edges. When copper and bronze came into use, knives began being fashioned by those two metals. Later steel and alloys of steel displaced other materials for blades and other cutting instruments. Table knives were introduced around 1600. Before that time, individuals brought their own knives to the table, which also doubled as daggers. The cutlery industry evolved from handicraftsman to mass production. Certain localities, especially in Europe, have become known for the superiority of their cutlery. The Toledo blade of Spain was famous when the sword was an important weapon. In addition Solingen, Germany and Sheffield, England, have been recognized for their cutlery since the Middle Ages.

Silverware as we know it here in the U.S. consists of a knife, spoon and fork. It used to be made out of silver, giving it the silverware name. Steel was always used to make utilitarian knives and for awhile pewter was used to make less expensive silverware, especially spoons. Almost all of the eating utensils in the country today are made out of stainless steel or electroplated nickel silver or EPNS.

High-carbon steel is used to make the best quality cutlery around and the great chefs' of the world use only the best. Less expensive silverware are beveled from steel bars or stamped out of sheets of steel and then concaved in hollow ground. Afterwards, the steel is coated with chromium to make them stainless and most of the scissors we use today are casts in molds or stamped.

Plastic silverware was made to be disposable and is used in most fast-food restaurants. Disposable plastic tableware comes in handy when going on a picnic, taken to sporting events and even the neighborhood BBQ and if something gets lost or broken, there really is no loss. One day, someone came up with the idea to combine two eating utensils together and make it one and now we have a fine piece of eating equipment called the Spork and the knork.

About The Author
Danny Trinders operates the website RB Cutlery which a site dedicated to researching Cutlery related topics and contains all the very latest Cutlery news and views. For more details please visit http://www.rbcutlery.com