Cutlery#Disposable cutlery

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 Sheffield Knife Book, Geoffrey Tweedale, The Hallamshire press, 1996, {{ISBN|1-874718-11-3}} The word's early origins can be seen in the Latin word 'culter' (knife).

File:GeorgianCanteenLaidOut.jpg silver cutlery, including ladles, and serving spoons. The thin item on the left is a marrow scoop for eating bone marrow.]]

Sterling silver 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.{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/apr/29/stainless-steel-cutlery-gold-silver-copper-aluminium |title=Stainless steel revolutionised eating after centuries of a bad taste in the mouth |last=Miodownik |first= Mark |date=29 April 2015 |work=The Guardian}}

Steel was always used for more utilitarian knives, and pewter 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.{{cite news |title=Made in Great Britain, Series 1, Steel |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bpz4ks |access-date=28 March 2019 |agency=BBC}} 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 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.

Plastic cutlery has been banned in Australia but has outbursts from the public wanting it back, this is why you might see a fast food chain selling wooden cutlery and another selling plastic utensils

File:Wooden_cutlery_002.jpg

File:Fork,_knife_and_spoon_made_of_bamboo_on_a_plate.jpg cutlery]]

Wooden disposable cutlery is available as a popular biodegradable alternative. Bamboo (although not a wood) and maple are popular choices.

Edible cutlery is made from dried grains.{{Cite web|url=https://theguardiantribune.com/edible-cutlery-market-to-witness-an-outstanding-growth-during-2018-to-2026/|title=Edible Cutlery Market to Witness an Outstanding Growth During 2018 to 2026|date=23 August 2019|website=The Guardian Tribune|access-date=2 September 2019|archive-date=28 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228031257/https://theguardiantribune.com/edible-cutlery-market-to-witness-an-outstanding-growth-during-2018-to-2026/|url-status=dead}} 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 a week if disposed.

File:Formal Place Setting.jpg for an eight-course meal. It includes a butter spreader resting on a crystal stand; a cocktail fork, soup spoon, dessert fork, dessert spoon and an ice cream fork, as well as separate knives and forks for fish, entrée, main course and salad]]

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 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 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.

File:BiodegradablePlasticUtensils.jpg

Introduced for convenience purposes (lightweight, no cleanup after the meal required), disposable cutlery made of plastic has become a huge worldwide market.{{cite web | title=Environmental Impact of Plastic Cutlery and Some Affordable Solutions | website=Conserve Energy Future | date=2018-12-07 | url=https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/environmental-impact-plastic-cutlery-and-solutions.php | access-date=2019-06-03}}{{cite web | title=GUIDES: EATS | website=Plastic Pollution Coalition | url=https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/guides-eats | access-date=2019-06-03}} Along with other disposable tableware (paper plates, plastic table covers, disposable cups, paper napkins, etc.), these products have become essential for 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.{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.10.001 |title=Reducing marine pollution from single-use plastics (SUPs): A review |journal=Marine Pollution Bulletin |volume=137 |pages=157–171 |year=2018 |last1=Schnurr |first1=Riley E.J. |last2=Alboiu |first2=Vanessa |last3=Chaudhary |first3=Meenakshi |last4=Corbett |first4=Roan A. |last5=Quanz |first5=Meaghan E. |last6=Sankar |first6=Karthikeshwar |last7=Srain |first7=Harveer S. |last8=Thavarajah |first8=Venukasan |last9=Xanthos |first9=Dirk |last10=Walker |first10=Tony R. |pmid=30503422 |bibcode=2018MarPB.137..157S |s2cid=54522420 }} The European Union has banned such plastic products from 3 July 2021 as part of the European Plastics Strategy.{{cite web | title=EU Plastics Strategy | website=European Commission - European Commission | url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/news/eu-plastics-strategy-2018-nov-20_en | access-date=2019-06-03}}{{cite web | last=Valdivia | first=Ana Garcia | title=The End Of Plastic Cutlery, Plates And Straws: EU Market Says Goodbye To Single-Use Plastic Products | website=Forbes | date=2019-01-22 | url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/anagarciavaldivia/2019/01/22/the-end-of-plastic-cutlery-plates-and-straws-eu-market-says-goodbye-to-single-use-plastic-products/ | access-date=2019-06-03}} Bans are also planned in the UK and Canada.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-58360064|title=Government to ban single-use plastic cutlery|work=BBC News|date=August 28, 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/climate-and-environment/canada-banning-plastic-bags-straws-cutlery-and-other-single-use-items-by-the-end-of-2021-1.5135968|title=Canada banning plastic bags, straws, cutlery and other single-use items by the end of 2021|first=Rachel|last=Aiello|date=October 7, 2020|website=CTVNews}}{{Cite news |date=2023-10-01 |title=Ban on single-use plastic cutlery comes into force in England |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-66974697 |access-date=2023-10-02}}

As an ecofriendly alternative to non-degradable plastic, wooden cutlery 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6rrudwhoEc| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190730131223/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6rrudwhoEc&gl=US&hl=en| archive-date=2019-07-30 | url-status=dead|title=Wooden cutlery manufacturing|website=How it's Made}}

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Traditional centres of cutlery-making include:

• Caldas das Taipas in Portugal
• Albacete in Spain
• Meriden and Oneida in United States of America
• Premana in Italy
• Sheffield in the United Kingdom
• Solingen in Germany
• Seki and Sakai in Japan
• Styria in Austria
• Thiers and Laguiole in France
• Toledo in Spain
• Wazirabad in Pakistan
• Galway in Ireland
• Carlos Barbosa in Brazil

• Cutler (disambiguation)
• Eating utensil etiquette
• Steak knife
• Table setting
• Tableware
• List of eating utensils
• List of food preparation utensils
• Sujeo

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• Hey, D. The Fiery Blades of Hallamshire: Sheffield and Its Neighbourhood, 1660–1740 (Leicester University Press 1991). 193–140.
• Lloyd, G. I. H. The Cutlery Trades: An Historical Essay in the Economics of Small Scale Production. (1913; repr. 1968).

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• [http://digilander.libero.it/forgiaberg/indexenglish.htm Associazione culturale Coltellinai Forgiatori Bergamaschi] – Research laboratory on damascus steel

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Category:Food preparation utensils