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Cutlery
by Danny Trinders
http://www.rbcutlery.com
Cutlery is any hand utensil used in preparing, serving, and
eating food. In the U.S. it is more commonly known as
silverware or flatware. Cutlery can also have the more
specific meaning of knives and other cutting instruments.
Cutlery derives its name from the term for a person skilled
in making knives, a cutler. The Worshipful Company of
Cutlers was one of the London livery companies, suggesting
the importance of this trade in medieval times.
Cutlery used to be made out of anything that had a sharp
edge to it, sharp edged rocks, shells and flint. Later on,
when copper and bronze were discovered, they were used to
make cutlery until it was found that steel and steel alloys
made better cutting instruments. Around the 1600's, table
knives were introduced to the dinner table. Back then when
you were invited to dinner, most guests brought their own
eating utensils with them. As time went on, cutlery was
mass produced and in certain countries, especially Europe,
became very well know for their superior skills in making
the finest cutlery. The sword became famous when Spain
introduced it as a weapon to other countries and today,
Germany, Solingen, and Sheffield, England are still know
for their quality cutlery.
Many countries are known for their superior cutlery,
especially England. The Toledo blade of Spain was made
famous when the sword was imported weapon. Most of us are
used to seeing the three main eating utensils, knife, fork
and spoon. It was named silverware in the US because at one
time it was made from silver until it was found the steel
was less expensive in making eating utensils.
In the United States regular eating knives are made of
steel and even at one time pewter was used in cheaper
silverware, especially spoons. Since the 19th century,
electroplated nickel silver has been used to make cheaper
kinds of silverware. Today though since most of the
silverware we use is not actually made from silver anymore,
silverware has turned into tableware.
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.
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