When choosing flatware, you need to consider the weight, balance, length, and shape of each utensil. These considerations are largely subjective, however, so we recommend handling a few sets in stores to determine what you like best.
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Weight and balance
The Cambridge Silversmiths Julie Satin set has a heavier forged knife (left), while the Liberty Tabletop Betsy Ross set has a lighter, more balanced hollow-handle knife (right).
Photo: Sarah Kobos
One of the most important reasons to look at flatware in person is to determine how it actually feels in your hands. Deciding on the weight of your utensils is a personal choice&#;you may prefer them light, heavy, or somewhere in between. Some flatware can be egregiously back- or front-heavy, which throws off the entire balance of the piece. Utensils that are too thin and light often feel cheap and are easy to bend. Forged knives tend to be heavier, but we recommend looking for those that are relatively balanced and not so hefty that they&#;ll fall off the edge of a plate or make eating feel cumbersome.
Many of the testers for our guide to the best flatware set were put off by flatware that had sharp angles on the underside of the handles because it dug into their fingers. Some knives with handles that curved to one side, such as those in the Lenox Chesterbrook Flatware Set, were awkward to hold while cutting, especially for lefties.
Length and shape
Fork tines can be long and thin or short and wide, depending on the pattern.
Photo: Sarah Kobos
You may have noticed that Americans generally eat differently than Europeans do. American diners typically hold the fork in their left hand and the knife in their right hand while cutting food; then they set the knife down and switch the fork over to their right hand to bring the food to their mouth. European diners keep the fork in their left hand, with the tines facing down and the knife in their right hand, and never set either utensil down unless they have a drink or finish eating. (This video demonstrates the differences nicely.)
Eating &#;European style&#; with the knife in the right hand and the fork in the left hand, tines facing down.
Photo: Sarah Kobos
Eating &#;American style&#; with the knife on the plate and the fork in the right hand, tines facing up.
Photo: Sarah Kobos
Eating &#;European style&#; with the knife in the right hand and the fork in the left hand, tines facing down.
Photo: Sarah Kobos
European flatware usually has elongated fork tines, which some experts suggest may be intended to provide extra space on the back of the fork for holding food. It&#;s a design trend that has caught on with many American flatware companies. Roberts told us, &#;European sizing has been growing in popularity over the past 15 to 20 years.&#; Long, thin tines can be very elegant, but we&#;ve also seen some flatware that&#;s so grotesquely huge, the soup spoon could be mistaken for a serving spoon. Deciding on the length of your flatware is a personal choice, but we recommend finding something that will be comfortable to hold and the appropriate size for your eating habits.
Forming the bowls of spoons during the coining process at Sherrill Manufacturing.
Video: Lesley Stockton
Also be sure to think about the silhouette of your flatware. Some people prefer skinny necks on their utensils, while others like them wide and more substantial. Another consideration is the shape of the spoon bowls, which can be deep or shallow. Knowing your design preferences before you start searching for flatware in stores or online will make the process far less overwhelming.
Sherrill Manufacturing periodically uses a wooden bending block to ensure that the angle and shape of the flatware is consistent.
Photo: Lesley Stockton
Knife construction
From left to right: examples of stamped, hollow-handle, and forged knives.
Photo: Sarah Kobos
Dinner knives in particular vary dramatically in weight from set to set depending on how they&#;re constructed. Since finding a comfortable weight is such an essential part of selecting flatware, it&#;s important to understand how knives are made so you know what to look for.
Knife blades are usually made of 13/0 stainless steel and are either stamped or forged, just like a chef&#;s knife. Some knives are also constructed with hollow handles, which makes them lighter and more balanced than those made from a solid piece of metal. Here&#;s a brief rundown of how knives are constructed for flatware.
Stamped knives
Most diner flatware is stamped, so it&#;s very thin like the knife here.
Photo: Sarah Kobos
Stamped knives, as the name suggests, are cut or stamped from large sheets of steel, in a process called &#;blanking.&#; Roberts explained that after the knives are punched out, the blades are rolled or &#;work hardened&#; to strengthen them before further refinement and polishing. It&#;s easy to spot a stamped knife because the handle isn&#;t that much thicker than the blade, and the knife is very lightweight. Sometimes the blades can be so thin, you can wobble them slightly with your finger. Stamped flatware is usually made of 18/0 stainless steel, and it&#;s the cheapest to make. It&#;s the type of flatware you can find at most diners and hospitals. We recommend avoiding stamped knives for home use.
Forged knives
Rods of steel at Sherrill Manufacturing are rolled and drop-forged and further refined before becoming dinner knives.
Photo: Lesley Stockton
A forged knife is made from a single piece of steel, called a rod, which the maker heats to an extremely high temperature and then pounds into shape using a high-pressure hammer. Forged knives are heavy since the handles are made from a thicker, solid piece of metal. The blades are also stronger and have better edge retention than stamped knives. That said, not all forged knives are created equal. According to Roberts, after the knives are forged and trimmed, &#;you&#;ve got to grind, buff, and tumble&#;there&#;s all sorts of processes to get the forge&#;s scale off.&#; The scale is the flaky surface that develops on the hot steel after forging; if it isn&#;t properly removed, the knives can be prone to pitting and rusting, especially if areas in the pattern have a lot of detail. When purchasing flatware, be sure to check that it&#;s evenly polished and free of rough spots that could make the utensils more susceptible to corrosion.
A worker operates a drop forge at Sherrill Manufacturing.
Photo: Lesley Stockton
Hollow-handle knives
Hollow-handle knives are made from three separate pieces: the blade, and two half shells that make up the handle. The knife blade is forged like a regular solid forged knife, except it has a ¾-inch to 2-inch tang (the piece of metal that extends from the base of a knife blade into the handle). The two handle pieces are brazed or soldered together, which creates a hollow center. The handle is filled with epoxy or cement, and the blade tang is inserted into the handle and allowed to set and cure. &#;The hollow handle is significantly more expensive because of all of the process steps you have to go through to make it, versus one solid piece of metal,&#; Roberts told us. &#;So you won&#;t find a lot of hollow handles in the market.&#; Most of the testers for our guide to the best flatware who preferred heavier utensils were not fans of the hollow-handle knives because they felt too light. Others loved the hollow-handle knives because they were so well balanced. If you&#;re unsure what to get, we recommend holding both a forged knife and a hollow-handle knife side by side to see which one you like better.
Blade edges
From left to right: dinner-knife blade edges with wavy serrations, fine serrations, and smooth edges.
Photo: Sarah Kobos
Dinner-knife blades have different types of serrated edges or smooth edges. Roberts said, &#;The wavy edge serrated knives are for dual use and can be used to cut steak, etc.&#; Knives with a finer serration can cut through fibrous vegetables and chicken, but they&#;re not the best for cutting steak. If you eat steak often, you&#;re better off getting a set of steak knives (see our guide to the best steak knives). Manufacturers grind down smooth-edge knife blades to create the edge, so they may become duller over many years of use. One style of knife blade isn&#;t better than the others, so choose whichever is best for your eating habits.
A table&#;s flatware is often the final piece that brings the whole puzzle together. Gorgeous flatware can help enhance the look and feel of your set-up, and it also makes it possible to enjoy serving and eating food with ease.
But finding flatware that works for you and fits in your budget isn&#;t as straightforward as it may seem. There are lots of things to consider to ensure you make a purchase that you&#;re not just happy with, but excited about.
What Is Considered Flatware?
Flatware is an all-encompassing term used to describe the objects we use to eat (or eat off or out of). It includes things like forks, spoons, and other serving items.
In most situations, the utensils we use to prepare, serve, and eat food are what we&#;re thinking of when we discuss flatware. However, it&#;s sometimes used interchangeably with other terms like silverware and cutlery to mean the same thing.
Just because these words tend to be used like they are the same thing doesn&#;t mean they actually are, though.
What Is the Difference Between Flatware and Silverware?
Silverware can be a type of flatware, but not all flatware is silverware.
Silverware is anything made almost entirely or completely from silver. A lot of times, the term is used as a synonym for utensils or cutlery, but technically this usage is incorrect.
To be classified as silverware, an object can&#;t just contain silver, it must be predominantly composed of it. That means that over 90% of the object&#;s makeup will be pure silver.
Some flatware out there may be made with silver, which would mean that it is, indeed, silverware.
But if you&#;re looking to buy products, it&#;s crucial that you understand the difference between the two; wasting time and money on something that doesn&#;t fit your expectations is never ideal.
Flatware vs Silverware vs Cutlery
To add another layer to the mix of confusing terminology, it also helps to be aware of what we mean when we talk about cutlery.
In the modern world, cutlery is most often used as a fancy synonym for words like flatware or utensils. But, traditionally, the word has a meaning of its own.
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Objects that cut things, like butter knives, steak knives, etc., are considered cutlery. As mentioned, it&#;s more common than not to see cutlery mixed in with other types of tableware and marketed as such.
Still, as is the case in the flatware vs silverware discussion, being aware of these distinctions makes it much easier to have an accurate understanding of what the products you&#;re considering do and don&#;t offer.
If cutlery is an essential part of your plan, for instance, it&#;s key to realize that not all flatware sets may feature cutlery. Extra shopping and planning might be necessary.
What is Flatware Made Of?
Flatware can be made out of just about anything. Most of it, though, is made out of some sort of metal (like nickel) or stainless steel.
Flatware may also be coated with other metals or materials to give them a more unique and polished look or keep them intact for longer.
Stainless steel is the best option and the highest quality, as it's more durable, especially if it has a coating to prevent scratches and promote longevity.
Our flatware here at Urquid is made from excellent quality stainless steel and it is coated with a titanium plating so you can use over and over, setting apart our flatware from the rest.
How to Choose and Buy Wholesale Flatware
If you&#;re looking to buy flatware in bulk, you&#;ll want to be sure that what you&#;re purchasing is good quality, fits your needs, and doesn&#;t break the bank.
But how can you go about doing those things, and what sort of things should you consider when making a decision? Let&#;s break it down.
Choose Your Price Range
Before you can make any sort of choices about style, quantity, materials, and other details, you&#;ll want to have a good idea of what your budget is. The amount you&#;re able to spend will likely impact all of the other factors you&#;re thinking about.
What Type of Flatware Should I Buy? Consider Your Materials
Not all flatware is made equal in terms of quality, but also in terms of practicality. Think about the details of the event or service you&#;re looking to plan: what sort of limitations or needs might impact your flatware?
For example, something high end and luxurious, like silverware, might be best for a formal event like a wedding reception. In other cases, though, a flatware set that&#;s less valuable and more replaceable may be ideal.
Choose a Style That Fits
The look of your flatware matters just as much as how it performs, at least if you&#;re concerned about creating a cohesive and professional-looking table setting.
As a result, it&#;s important to find a style of flatware that matches your goals and needs.
There are thousands of product options on the market, many of which won&#;t feel like a good fit for your vision. What may be more helpful than searching aimlessly is developing an idea of what you&#;re looking for and going from there.
How formal should the flatware be? How much work and effort are you able to dedicate to maintaining and cleaning the tableware? Is there a color or design scheme you&#;re incorporating elsewhere into your planning? Do you need access to just utensils and cutlery, or are you also interested in things like hostess sets and serving sets?
These questions and more can help you narrow down your search to just the products that truly interest you.
Flatware Examples: Our Recommendation
When in doubt, it never hurts to turn to elegant-looking, high-quality stainless flatware sets, including the many options we offer here at Urquid Linen.
One of our favorite picks is the Luna Klasik Flatware/Cutlery Set in Gold, which is made from durable, corrosion-resistant stainless steel and coated with a titanium finish.
Luna Klasik Flatware/Cutlery Set in Gold
This flatware features a beautiful matte dull shine that catches eyes and brings a new, unique element to table décor.
It&#;s also incredibly easy to care for and simple to order in the quantity you need. Not a fan of the gold color? No problem &#; this set comes in a variety of colors, including silver, rose gold, and more.
Even if black flatware is your thing, this set has you covered.
Why Buy Wholesale? Take Care of Your Flatware Needs With Urquid
Buying your flatware in bulk is one of the best and easiest ways to get the product you need at a price you can afford and at a quantity that makes sense.
Whether you need flatware for restaurants, bulk flatware for weddings, parties, or something else entirely, purchasing wholesale can save you a lot of time (and money). Our products here at Urquid Linen are made to order, giving you a unique level of control over your order that is hard to find elsewhere.
Our collection of flatware arrangements covers different styles and needs so that just about anyone can find something that works. We&#;re committed to providing only the best quality products, but if you&#;re less than satisfied with your purchase, our customer service team is able and eager to work with you to make things right.
When you purchase with Urquid, you get peace of mind and confidence along with your product so that you can refocus your energy to what really matters: taking care of your plans and getting things done.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Below are some commonly asked questions related to flatware that often lead to confusion. Be sure to check out our blog for more information about all things related to linens!
What is in a five piece flatware set?
A five piece flatware set usually contains two forks, two spoons, and a knife. Both the forks and spoons tend to come with a traditionally-sized option and a &#;dessert&#; or &#;salad&#; option, which is smaller.
Look out for various flatware descriptions and the details they contain, as they should note what is and isn&#;t included in a given set.
What is considered a full set of flatware?
Most of the time, a full set of flatware encompasses everything you need to set your table, serve food, and eat. This can include utensils, cutlery, and accessories like serving tools.
What flatware do restaurants use?
Restaurants may use flatware that&#;s made of a metal or stainless steel the most because these options are more affordable and easier to work with. However, it&#;s also possible to see restaurants branch out from this and use things like silverware.
Wholesale flatware for restaurants tends to be made of materials that are easier to access, though. They may even be made from things like acrylic or plastic.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Economy Stainless Steel Flatware.
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