17-517: A little mester is a self-employed worker who rents space in a factory or works from their own workshop. They were involved in making cutlery or other smallish items such as edge tools (i.e. woodworking chisels). The term is used almost exclusively to describe the craftsmen of the Sheffield area, and is mostly archaic as this manner of manufacture peaked in the 19th century and has now virtually died out. Little mesters either worked alone or employed
34-457: A popular biodegradable alternative. Bamboo (although not a wood) and maple are popular choices. Edible cutlery is made from dried grains. These are made primarily with rice, millets or wheat. Since rice cultivation needs a lot of water, manufacturers market millet based products as more environment friendly. The batter is baked in moulds which hardens it. Some manufacturers offer an option of flavoured cutlery. Edible cutlery decomposes in about
51-643: A sharp edge well, and is less likely to break in service. After fabrication, the knife had to be sharpened, originally on a grindstone , but from the late medieval period in a blade mill or (as they were known in the Sheffield region) a cutlers wheel. Introduced for convenience purposes (lightweight, no cleanup after the meal required), disposable cutlery made of plastic has become a huge worldwide market. Along with other disposable tableware (paper plates, plastic table covers, disposable cups , paper napkins , etc.), these products have become essential for
68-457: A small number of workers and/or apprentices . Stan Shaw , referred to as one of the last little mesters, died in 2021. The origins of the term are uncertain. Mester is the Sheffield dialect variant of master , Thus a little mester refers to a master craftsman working on a small scale. Prior to the 18th century cutlery manufacture in Sheffield had been undertaken by individual master craftsmen who would make an item from start to finish. In
85-400: A week if disposed. At Sheffield the trade of cutler became divided, with allied trades such as razormaker , awl bladesmith, shearsmith and forkmaker emerging and becoming distinct trades by the 18th century. Before the mid 19th century when cheap mild steel became available due to new methods of steelmaking , knives (and other edged tools) were made by welding a strip of steel on to
102-569: Is called a cutler . While most cutlers were historically men, women could be cutlers too; Agnes Cotiller was working as a cutler in London in 1346, and training a woman apprentice, known as Juseana. The city of Sheffield in England has been famous for the production of cutlery since the 17th century and a train – the Master Cutler – running from Sheffield to London was named after
119-529: Is distorted French : maillechort , honoring the French inventors of the alloy, Maillot and Chorier. The term melchior sometimes refers not only to the copper-nickel alloys, but also ternary alloys of copper with nickel and zinc (" nickel silver ") and even a silvered brass. Melchior is easily deformable by application of pressure, both in the hot and cold state. After annealing, it has a tensile strength of about 40 kg/mm . The most valuable property of melchior
136-469: Is gaining popularity. Some manufacturers coat their products in food-safe plant oils, waxes and lemon juice for a longer shelf life making these safe for human use. Cutlery is then cured for a few days before leaving the manufacturing plant. Traditional centres of cutlery-making include: Melchior (alloy) In metallurgy , melchior is an alloy of copper , mainly with nickel (5–30%). Its name originates from Italian : melchior , which in turn
153-400: Is its high resistance to corrosion in air, freshwater and seawater. Increasing content of nickel, iron or manganese improves corrosion and cavitation resistance, especially in sea water and atmospheric water vapor. The alloy of 30% Ni, 0.8% Fe, 1% Mn and 68.2% Cu is used in maritime shipping, in particular for the manufacture of condenser tubes. Nickel gives melchior, unlike brass and bronze ,
170-409: Is made for disposable use, and is frequently used outdoors for camping , excursions , and barbecues for instance. Plastic cutlery is also commonly used at fast-food or take-away outlets and provided with airline meals in economy class. Plastic is also used for children's cutlery. It is often thicker and more durable than disposable plastic cutlery. Wooden disposable cutlery is available as
187-451: Is the traditional material from which good quality cutlery is made. Historically, silver had the advantage over other metals of being less chemically reactive. Chemical reactions between certain foods and the cutlery metal can lead to unpleasant tastes. Gold is even less reactive than silver, but the use of gold cutlery was confined to the exceptionally wealthy, such as monarchs. Steel was always used for more utilitarian knives, and pewter
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#1732772153754204-531: The fast food and catering industry. The products are emblematic of throw-away societies and the cause of millions of tons of non-biodegradable plastic waste . The European Union has banned such plastic products from 3 July 2021 as part of the European Plastics Strategy . Bans are also planned in the UK and Canada. As an ecofriendly alternative to non-degradable plastic, wooden cutlery
221-557: The spork ( sp oon / f ork ), spife ( sp oon / kn ife ), and knork ( kn ife / f ork ). The sporf or splayd combines all three. The word cutler derives from the Middle English word 'cuteler' and this in turn derives from Old French 'coutelier' which comes from 'coutel'; meaning knife (modern French: couteau). The word's early origins can be seen in the Latin word 'culter' (knife). Sterling silver
238-602: The industry. Bringing affordable cutlery to the masses, stainless steel was developed in Sheffield in the early 20th century. The major items of cutlery in Western culture are the knife , fork and spoon . These three implements first appeared together on tables in Britain in the Georgian era . In recent times, hybrid versions of cutlery have been made combining the functionality of different eating implements, including
255-601: The late 18th century there was a large increase in the size complexity of the cutlery and tool industries that made it necessary for craftsmen to focus on a single stage of the manufacture. Cutlery factories then rented workshops to self-employed craftsmen, the little mesters, each specializing in one step of production, such as forging, grinding or finishing. Cutlery Cutlery (also referred to as silverware , flatware , or tableware ) includes any hand implement used in preparing, serving, and especially eating food in Western culture . A person who makes or sells cutlery
272-410: The piece of iron that was to be formed into a knife, or sandwiching a strip of steel between two pieces of iron. This was done because steel was then a much more expensive commodity than iron. Modern blades are sometimes laminated , but for a different reason. Since the hardest steel is brittle, a layer of hard steel may be laid between two layers of a milder, less brittle steel, for a blade that keeps
289-722: Was used for some cheaper items, especially spoons. From the nineteenth century, electroplated nickel silver (EPNS) was used as a cheaper substitute for sterling silver. In 1913, the British metallurgist Harry Brearley discovered stainless steel by chance, bringing affordable cutlery to the masses. This metal has come to be the predominant one used in cutlery. An alternative is melchior , corrosion-resistant nickel and copper alloy, which can also sometimes contain manganese and nickel-iron. Titanium has also been used to make cutlery for its lower thermal conductivity and weight savings compared to steel, with uses in camping. Plastic cutlery
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