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Is this flatware ugly?


BryanZ

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I picked up a set of new flatware for six at TJMaxx for only $40. Under normal circumstances I would say this stuff is pretty unattractive, but I'll be using it in a very modern, semi-restaurant environment.

So my question is, would you be put off if you saw this set on a table. This isn't exactly for home use so classic isn't really what I'm going for. Think modern and young.

Should I keep this set or return it?

I appreciate the insights. If public response is bad enough, it's back to the store I go.

gallery_28496_2870_117273.jpg

Close-up of pattern

gallery_28496_2870_254459.jpg

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I agree, Bryan - modern-looking, ergo appropriate for avant garde cuisine. No, I wouldn't be put off by the utensils; the food (which will be great!) is more important, anyway.

Michael aka "Pan"

 

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The heft is actually very good; I forgot to mention that. One of the reasons I ended up buying them. They don't "feel" cheap.

And yes, this is for my project at school.

Thanks for all the quick replies, keep them coming. I'm glad it appears I'm somewhat in tune with what people might deem acceptable.

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The heft is actually very good; I forgot to mention that.  One of the reasons I ended up buying them.  They don't "feel" cheap.

And yes, this is for my project at school.

Thanks for all the quick replies, keep them coming.  I'm glad it appears I'm somewhat in tune with what people might deem acceptable.

hey Bryan,

when i saw the picture of ur flatware i instantly thought -- hey! those are Global handles [flatware]. Global has good brand image and makes expensive and well made knives. and besides, some of my best buys came from TJMaxx! lol. :laugh: in any case, i think they look hip, young and savvy for what u paid. enjoy and good luck with ur venture.

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I agree, Bryan - modern-looking, ergo appropriate for avant garde cuisine. No, I wouldn't be put off by the utensils; the food (which will be great!) is more important, anyway.

interesting note because I see them as sort of a retro design. In any event I suspect your talents in the kitchen would be where my attention would be directed to.

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i like the design, the way the utensils are kind of rounded at the top...they also look as though the part of the handle you would hold when using them, is nice and smooth...nothing worse than great looking utensils that hurt your fingers when you're using them!

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They suit your purpose, I think, in looking very hip and modern. Everyone's made the Global knife comparison, but if you look at the close-up photograph (which I don't repeat here), what's distinctive is the fact that each circle is indeed a hole, so it's more like a cheese-grater pattern, softened without the jagged edges. That's rather cool, if I am reading the photo correctly.

On the other hand these are my two reservations:

1) The knives are odd. The blade is truncated especially as it relates to the size of the handle. It almost looks as if the designer was working simultaneously for a white-collar prison where aggression among the confined execs was feared. (The second of the (why) three spoons seems a bit exaggerated, too, but pretty, and serviceable for bigger mouths. Rest is fine by me.)

2) They're very busy and I fear might not be versatile if you're using a variety of patterns and styles. The holes are small and arranged close to one another, so you end up with a very detailed, congested pattern even if it's repetitive and lacks intricacy.

For example, the silverware really doesn't complement the placemat, one whose simplicity would seem to go with most things, including a very clean modern design. The only way they'd work is if you built everything around their geometry, emphasizing unfussy circular or curvilinear form instead of even those popular chunky white rectangular plates with curled corners and a center that dips below the two short sides. I don't think it would be a good idea to go with a full array of ovals, triangles, glasses with squared bases.

Simple, clean, unadorned lines are easiest to match with future purchases for your restaurant.

I have nothing against precious finds at T.J. Maxx, including imported linens, bookends shaped like the nose of Michelangelo's David (wish I hadn't let that one go) and olive oil.

Edited by Pontormo (log)

"Viciousness in the kitchen.

The potatoes hiss." --Sylvia Plath

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I think they're pretty cool. I don't mind the way the knives look but just wonder how they handle. Is there 'enough' blade to use the knives normally?

It seems like they would work with more modern plateware that doesn't itself have intricate design elements.

What is the name of the maker and where are they made?

"Under the dusty almond trees, ... stalls were set up which sold banana liquor, rolls, blood puddings, chopped fried meat, meat pies, sausage, yucca breads, crullers, buns, corn breads, puff pastes, longanizas, tripes, coconut nougats, rum toddies, along with all sorts of trifles, gewgaws, trinkets, and knickknacks, and cockfights and lottery tickets."

-- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1962 "Big Mama's Funeral"

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How do they feel in the mouth? Asthetically, they look like they can be worked into your design needs, but I also look at functionality and how the utensil feels in my mouth is actually quite important. Are they too thick, too thin? Is the feel of the fork or spoon awkward in the mouth, i.e. too bulky? OK, some may think these questions are odd, but it is a primary concern when I am buying flatware and is somthing I notice when it is wrong at a restaurant.

Good luck with the school "project" Bryan!

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Do they have any more?

Trust your own judgement. From what I can see, it won't fail you.

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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My concern would be keeping them clean -- will the holes in the handles collect crud and require scrubbing to get it out? That would, for me, be a deciding factor.

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Ugh, I hate them and the Global comparison has been made before and that may be part of them.

But it's more the lines. The blade portion of the knives look far too short and the forks and spoons look too wide. I dunno, it's just vaguely disquieting.

Plus, they look like a bitch to clean. Your going to get stuck on crud and maybe even rust into those little holes.

However, it looks like I'm in the minority here.

PS: I am a guy.

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I'm not saying that they are the end-all and be-all of flatware, but for that price they seem to be a good buy, which is an important consideration for a fledgling business.

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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First of all - you are gutsy for putting this out there.

Don't like them at all. I personally have a very modern aesthetic - this to me means clean lines and proportions. The proportions feel neither clean nor modern, and the tapered ends don't help.

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I think they are fine, as long as you won't be serving anything on vintage or classic china.

Oftentimes, I see these super-modern flatware designs, and I think they look really cool, but then I realize they'd never work with my vintage 1950's china with the starburst pattern or the old Fiesta ware.

-Sounds awfully rich!

-It is! That's why I serve it with ice cream to cut the sweetness!

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i like the way they look - i am also relatively young and dare i say it, trendy.

however, my one reservation with them would be a comment made upthread about matching them in with ur table linen, crockery and glassware. the design is different enough (only cos of the rubbery Global-style pimples) to set a design precedent over the rest of your tableware. If thats all thought out, then I guess these would be more than adequate for the job of getting food into the mouth.

PS I am guessing that the 2nd spoon is a soup spoon, and therefore its size and shape are perfect.

Raj

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other than the knives, I think they are fine.

The blade on the knife is very stubby. Like a butter knife, but with a long handle. Also, it's a little hard to tell which side/edge is the cutting edge. (although I'll assume it's the edge on the left side )

Jeff Meeker, aka "jsmeeker"

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