Talk:Cutlery

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Can someone inform an ignorant Brit - how much is the term "cutlery" used in the US? I have done this article as "cutlery also silverware" rather than the reverse, because I think that "cutlery" is understood everywhere, while "silverware" certainly isn't. I just have this feeling that people can't possibly refer to "plastic silverware" - though stranger things have happened. seglea 05:18, 13 Dec 2003 (UTC)

I doubt if you asked random Americans, half of them would not have any idea of what cutlery is. ebeisher. I always thought cutlery refered to cutting things such as knives and such. Anyway, most people say silverware, or to the undereducated, sporks :-). Anyway, check out http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=plastic+silverware - ebeisher

Egad, you're right! On the other hand, a Google on plastic cutlery throws up a good number of US sites (as well as UK ones), whereas there's no UK usage of "silverware" at all... so I think it is probably the right way round. However, I can detect a tendency for "cutlery" in the US to also mean specifically cutting instruments (probably another case where US usage preserves an older English usage, actually - cutlers were specialists in knives, as the name suggests). I'll try to add something to the article to identify that.

Thanks for the spork reference, that's a great article, and I've linked it. seglea 05:37, 13 Dec 2003 (UTC)

Well, being from Canada I am aware of both terms, as well as "flatware". Flatware appears to apply to eating utensils whereas cutlery refers more specifically to knives and scissors; as apparent in some product websites: http://www.cutlery.com/t11t20.shtml.fluffybob

I would like to find a reference to the types of plastics used in the manufacturing of cutlery. (Judging from the picture, polyester is one of the chemicals.) I find that some plastic knives will react to the chemicals in an orange rine and become so soft that the resultant plastic goo can be removed with a fingernail. (Quite evident if the plastic is black in color.) Maybe I could then, with the help of a chemist, track down the reaction and chemical byproducts. (whaug) 17:48, 060118