Cutlery refers to any hand implement used in preparing, serving, and especially eating food in

the Western world. It is more usually known as silverware orflatware in the United States,
where cutlery usually means knives and related cutting instruments. This is probably the original meaning
of the word. Sincesilverware suggests the presence of silver, the term tableware has come into use.
The major items of cutlery in the Western world are the knife, fork and spoon. In recent times, hybrid
versions of cutlery have been made combining the functionality of different eating implements, including
the spork (spoon / fork), spife (spoon / knife), and knork (knife / fork) or the sporf which is all three.
Contents
[hide]
1 Etymology
2 Composition
3 History
4 Manufacturing centres
5 See also
6 References
7 External links
Etymology[edit]
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).
[1]

Composition[edit]


Modern starch-polyester disposable cutlery
Traditionally, good quality cutlery was made from silver (hence the U.S. name), though steel was always
used for more utilitarian knives, and pewterwas used for some cheaper items, especially spoons. From
the nineteenth century, electroplated nickel silver (EPNS) was used as a cheaper substitute; nowadays,
most cutlery, including quality designs, is made from stainless steel. Another alternative is melchior, a
nickel and copper alloy, which can also sometimes contain manganese. It also contains elements of
magnesium and copper sulphate.
Plastic cutlery is made for disposable use, and is frequently used outdoors (camping, excursions,
and BBQs for instance), at fast-food or take-awayoutlets, or provided with airline
meals. Wooden disposable cutlery is also available as a biodegradable alternative.
History[edit]


French travelling set of cutlery, 1550-1600, Victoria and Albert Museum
The first documented use of the term "cutler" in Sheffield appeared in a 1297 tax return. A Sheffield knife
was listed in the King's possession in the Tower of London fifty years later. Several knives dating from the
14th century are on display at the Cutlers' Hall in Sheffield.
[1]

Cutlery has been made in many places. In Britain the industry became concentrated by the late 16th
century in and around Birmingham and Sheffield. However, the Birmingham industry increasingly
concentrated on swords, made by "long cutlers", and on other edged tools, whereas the Sheffield industry
concentrated on knives.
At Sheffield the trade of cutler became divided, with allied trades such
as razormaker, awlbladesmith, 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.

he Manufacturing
Process
Blanking
1 Production begins with rectangular, flat blanks of stainless steel, sterling silver, or in
the case of plated flatware, an alloy. Large rolls are stamped in individual blanks, which
are flat pieces roughly the same shape as the piece to be produced.
Rolling
2 Through a series of rolling operations, these blanks are graded or rolled to the correct
thickness and shapes required by the manufacturer's flatware patterns. First the blanks
are rolled crosswise from left to right, right to left, and lengthwise, then trimmed to
outline. Each spoon, for instance, must be thick at the base of the handle to resist
bending. This gives graded pieces the right balance and a good feel in the hand. Each
piece is now in the form of a cleanly finished shape in the rough dimension of the utensil.
Annealing
3 Between operations, the blanks must pass through annealing ovens to soften the metal
for further machine operations. The annealing, done under great heat, must be very
accurately controlled so the final piece will be resistant to bending and to nicks and dents
when in use. The last annealing is the most

The First step in cutlery manufacture involves blanking the stainless steel or sterling
silver to the proper shape. A series of rolling operations then gives the piece the correct
thickness. After heat treatment and trimming, the piece has a pattern embossed on it in a
stamping operation. Finally, the piece is buffed and polished.
important, because the pieces must be just the right degree of hardness when they are
embossed. Then the metal can be forced easily into all the tiny details in the dies and the
ornamentation will be faithfully reproduced.


Read more: http://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Cutlery.html#b#ixzz2rhVN98jN


Cutlery manufacture.
Cutlery steel consists of iron to which from 0.35 to 1 percent carbon has been added. Early methods
involved hammering charcoal into red-hot iron bars. In the 18th century Benjamin Huntsman built
new types of furnaces in Sheffield for making highly refined steel in clay vessels called crucibles. His
process greatly increased both the availability and quality of steel during the first part of the Industrial
Revolution.
In the 20th century much cutlery is manufactured from stainless steel. Martensitic stainless steels,
widely used for both table knives and trade knives, contain from 12 to 18 percent chromium,
imparting corrosion resistance, and from 0.12 to 1 percent carbon, permitting a great degree of
hardening by heat treatment. Edge retention increases with higher carbon content; corrosion
resistance is increased by higher chromium content but reduced with additional carbon. By 1928 the
manufacture of carbon-steel blades was limited to commercial knives and some carving, hunting,
and pocket knives.
The many kinds of cutlery all have distinctive uses, the blade being the major determining factor.
Retention of sharpness depends on the type of steel employed and the skill with which it is
processed. Cost is determined by the ... (200 of 1,439 words)


11. References

Book:
[1] Department of the Environment and Heritage,
Australian Government (1999) Emission Estimation
Technique Manual for Iron and Steel Production
[2] European Commission (2001) Integrated Pollution
Prevention and Control (IPPC) Best Available Techniques
Reference Document on the Production of Iron and Steel,
pp 274 - 318
[3] Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy
and Planning (2005) Environmental Impact Assessment
System in Thailand
[4] Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy
and Planning (2002) Guideline for Preparing
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report of
Industrial and Industrial Estate Projects
[5] Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy
and Planning (2006) Guideline for Public Involvement and
Social Impact Assessment in Environmental Impact
Assessment Process
[6] Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy
a