Cutlery: What the Word Means and How It Differs From Flatware

Cutlery means the tools we use to cut, serve and eat food. In British English the word usually covers knives, forks and spoons at the table. In American English, cutlery more often means knives and other cutting tools, while the table set of knives, forks and spoons is called flatware or silverware. So when an American store sells "cutlery", it is usually selling kitchen knives; when a British one does, it may be selling a 24-piece dining set.

Below you will find where the word comes from, how cutlery, flatware and silverware relate, the main kinds of cutlery, the materials they are made from and how to care for them. We will also be clear about what SAMURA makes: kitchen knives, steak knives and a few serving tools, but not spoons or full table sets.

What is cutlery? The meaning and where the word comes from

The word comes from "cutler", the old name for a craftsman who made and repaired knives, which in turn goes back to the Old French word for a knife maker. Originally, cutlery meant the cutler's goods: knives, blades and other cutting instruments. Over time, especially in Britain, it spread to everything laid out next to a plate, including forks and spoons that cut nothing at all.

That history explains the split you still see today:

• Narrow sense: knives and cutting tools. This is common in American English and in the knife trade.
• Broad sense: all eating and serving utensils. This is the everyday British, Irish and Australian use.

Neither is wrong. The context tells you which one is meant: a "cutlery drawer" in a London flat holds forks and spoons, while a "cutlery shop" in a US mall sells knives.

Cutlery vs flatware vs silverware

These three words overlap, and that is where most of the confusion comes from. The table shows how they are usually used.

"Silverware" once meant pieces made of silver or silver plate. Today most people use it for any table set, including stainless steel. "Flatware" is the neutral American term for the same thing.

The main types of cutlery

If you take cutlery in its broad sense, it falls into three groups.

Kitchen cutlery

The knives and tools used to prepare food. The core pieces are a chef's knife, a paring knife and a serrated bread knife, followed by specialists such as boning, fillet, slicing and santoku knives, cleavers and kitchen scissors. Our overview of types of kitchen knives explains what each blade does, and the guide what kitchen knives do I need helps you decide which ones to own.

Table cutlery

The pieces at each place setting:

• Table knife with a rounded tip and a dull or lightly serrated edge.
• Dinner fork and smaller dessert or salad forks.
• Spoons: soup, dessert and teaspoons.
• Steak knife: a sharper, often serrated or partly serrated table knife for meat.
• Butter knife: a short, blunt spreader.

Serving cutlery

The tools that move food from the board or dish to the plate: carving forks, serving spoons, cake servers, cheese knives and tongs. A carving fork holds a roast steady while you slice it, and cheese knives are shaped for soft, semi-hard or hard cheese.

Kitchen cutlery vs table cutlery: what is the difference?

Both may be steel and both may be called cutlery, but they are made for very different jobs.

• Edge. A kitchen knife has a keen edge that is meant to be sharpened. A table knife is deliberately dull, so it cannot cut you or scratch the plate.
• Steel and hardness. Kitchen knives use harder steels that hold a fine edge. Table flatware uses softer stainless alloys chosen for shine and toughness.
• Care. Most table flatware is made to go in the dishwasher, but check the maker's instructions. Good kitchen knives should be washed by hand and dried straight away.
• Storage. Flatware lives in a drawer tray. Kitchen knives belong in a block, on a magnetic holder or in guards, so their edges do not knock against other metal.

The steak knife sits in between. It is a table piece, but it has a real cutting edge, so it needs kitchen-knife care. If you are choosing a set, our guide on how to choose steak knives compares serrated and straight edges.

What cutlery is made of

Materials affect weight, look, care and price.

• Stainless steel. By far the most common material for both table and kitchen cutlery. It resists rust well when it is washed and dried, but "stainless" does not mean it can never stain.
• Silver and silver plate. Traditional for formal table sets. They tarnish and need polishing.
• High-carbon and layered steels. Used for kitchen knives that need a sharp, long-lasting edge. Some need more careful drying than plain stainless.
• Ceramic. Used for some kitchen knife blades: very hard and light, but brittle if dropped or twisted.
• Wood, bamboo and plastic. Common for disposable cutlery and for handles.

What SAMURA makes, and what it does not

SAMURA is a knife brand, so it covers the cutting side of cutlery: kitchen knives, knife sets, sharpening tools, steak knives and a few serving pieces. It does not sell spoons or complete table flatware sets.

The table pieces in the range are steak knives and one steak set with forks:

• The Hannibal steak knife and fork set lays the table for four: four 130 mm steak knives with partially serrated AUS-8 steel blades and four 205 mm forks, all with white pearlescent handles.
• The Harakiri steak knife set has six serrated 125 mm knives with riveted black handles.
• Single steak knives, such as the 120 mm Mo-V and Damascus models, are in the steak knives collection.

Beyond the table, you will find knives for butter, cheese knives and carving forks, and the full range of kitchen knife sets. SAMURA does not recommend the dishwasher for its steak knives either: wash them by hand after the meal and dry them before you put them away.

Cutlery: frequently asked questions

Is cutlery the same as silverware?

In British English, roughly yes: both mean knives, forks and spoons. In American English, silverware or flatware means the table set, while cutlery usually means knives.

Are kitchen knives cutlery?

Yes. In the original and American sense, kitchen knives are the core of cutlery. In the broader British sense they are kitchen cutlery, as opposed to table cutlery.

Is a spoon cutlery if it does not cut?

In everyday British usage, yes. The word widened from cutting tools to all eating utensils long ago, so spoons are included.

What is the difference between a table knife and a steak knife?

A table knife has a blunt, rounded blade for soft food and spreading. A steak knife has a sharp, often serrated edge for cutting cooked meat on the plate.

Can I put cutlery in the dishwasher?

Most stainless table flatware can go in, if the maker allows it. Sharp kitchen and steak knives are better washed by hand, because heat, detergent and contact with other items dull and damage the edge.

How many pieces of cutlery do I need per person?

A basic place setting is a knife, a fork, a spoon and a teaspoon. Add steak knives and dessert forks if you serve those courses often. For the kitchen side, three good knives cover most cooking; see our culinary knife set guide for the core trio.