16-504: VG-10 is a cutlery -grade stainless steel produced in Japan. The name stands for V Gold 10 ("gold" meaning quality), or sometimes V-Kin-10 (V金10号) (kin means "gold" in Japanese). Like various other blade steels , it is a stainless steel with a high carbon content, containing 1% carbon , 15% chromium , 1% molybdenum , 0.2% vanadium , and 1.5% cobalt . The VG-10 stainless steel
32-457: 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
48-643: 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
64-400: 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
80-569: 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
96-529: 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
112-469: 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
128-400: 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 ,
144-409: 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
160-451: 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
176-531: 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
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#1732790194522192-557: 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
208-602: 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
224-410: 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
240-880: Was originally designed by Takefu Special Steel Co. Ltd., based in Takefu , Fukui Prefecture , Japan (the former cutlery/sword-making center of Echizen ). Takefu also made another version: VG10W, which contains 0.4% tungsten. Almost all VG-10 steel knife blades were manufactured in Japan. VG-10 was originally aimed at Japanese chefs, but also found its way into sports cutlery. Spyderco and Kizer have produced some of their most popular models from VG-10, SOG categorizes VG-10 as its highest grade of blade steel, and Fällkniven uses laminated VG-10 in many of their knives. 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
256-722: 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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