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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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.
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
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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
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Often, the greater the thickness, the more expensive the product &#; but thicker doesn&#;t always mean better. How does it feel in your hand? Sometimes slimmer feels better. No matter what style of flatware feels best to you, you can be sure that our flatware will stand up to whatever you put it through. You can even scoop hard ice cream with our spoons!
Any flatware, no matter what finish or grade, will mark over time. We think this patina makes it more beautiful!
Contact us to discuss your requirements of stainless steel bead blast finish. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.