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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ
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for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Does stainless steel flatware with a shiny (mirror) finish scratch easily over time?
I bought some 18/10 cutlery about 3 weeks ago and I'm very disappointed by the scratches so I Googled "does 18/10 cutlery scratch easily", then I came upon this website.
After reading all the comments I had a good look at all the items and I was surprised by the results. The knives & forks only had slight scratches. The teaspoons had hardly any at all but the desert spoons had lots of scratches on both sides, especially on the bottom. After considering the caused I realised that the knives & forks have very little abrasion while I'm eating. I only use the teaspoons for stirring my tea so they get almost no abrasion at all. I use the desert spoons spoons for my porridge at breakfast and I noticed that the scratches on the inside were mainly on the front left side. As I'm right handed that's the area that goes in my mouth so my teeth may have scraped the spoon. The back of the spoons was worse on the front right section but that's on the left when the spoon is in use so my bottom teeth must have caused that damage. The outside of the spoons was scratched worse than the inside but that could have been caused by scraping the bowl to get the porridge out.
You'll be pleased to know that I've worked out how to avoid scratches in the future.
1. I'll ask the dentist to remove all of my teeth then take my dentures out while I'm eating.
2. I'll throw away all the crockery and only use paper plates and dishes.
On 2nd thought, I think I'll just put up with the scratches.
- LEICESTER, U.K.
August 30, 2021
⇩ Related postings, oldest first ⇩
Q. I've read with great interest a related thread about stainless steel flatware composition, cleaning, rust/pit problems.
I'm looking for for new stainless flatware and wonder if the shiny finishes end up scratching easily. Also, does the stainless composition make any difference?
Consumer - Westminster, Colorado, USA
January 4, 2010
A. Hi, Linda. The composition will not affect how easily it scratches. It won't be a problem. I have a 10 year old set of highly polished 18-8 Mikasa flatware that has been completely satisfactory in every way.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
January 7, 2010
Q. I have a question/problem. I bought a pricey 18/10 silverware set from Ginkgo. I've owned it 3 weeks and have noticed extreme scratches on it. I don't overload it in the dishwasher or touching other utensils. I also notice gray spots on it after it comes clean out of the dishwasher. They usually come off with a soft cotton cloth & some mild dish soap. Just cannot figure out these terrible scratches. It has a mirror finish and I've done the test with a magnet, so it's 18/10. Any ideas what might be going on?
Oh, I use a fragrance free/ citrus free natural dish tab called Earth Rescue. It's phosphate free with no harsh abrasives or chemicals.
- Tucson, Arizona
December 9, 2013
A. Hi Suzette. My Mikasa is about 13 years old now, and we've added a set of French-made Guy DeGrenne flatware which is now about 3 years old and is just as satisfactory.
Naturally your definition of "extreme scratches" may differ from mine. Certainly if you expect flatware which is in daily use to look like you just picked it up from a velvet case in a jewelry store you're going to be sorely disappointed. It will absolutely get some small scratching. Here's what my 3-year old stuff looks like as it comes out of the dishwasher (I tried to illustrate typical scratching):
If your 3-week old stuff looks as bad or worse, yes, you have a problem. If it looks better, I fear you are perhaps being unrealistic.
But a thought has occurred: Is the scratching significantly worse on the bottoms (the back of the spoon) than on the top (front)? If so, I wonder if you might have some especially abrasive non-glazed plates, spoon rests, or countertops or something like that? Ceramics are much harder than metals and can certainly scratch metals if they are rough. Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
November 2013
Q. Hi,
Yes, the scratches are on the back of the spoons. I took a pic of one for you to see the scratches. Not sure how good it shows them.
I have Corelle plates. Maybe it's possible that the backs are hitting the backs of the plates while in the silverware basket. However, the Corelle plates are glazed. I guess that's maybe a possibility. My countertops are laminate and I don't use these on a spoon rest. I appreciate the prompt reply. I guess l'll wait & see. I love this set, but as pricey as it was I was hoping it would not be so easily scratched.
Thank You,
Suzette
- Tucson, Arizona
December 9, 2013
A. Hi again. I wasn't thinking about scratching while in the dishwasher, but in use as the diner scrapes his flatware along the plates, which shouldn't be a big issue with Corelle. The scratches do strike me as worse than the scratches on mine. One parting thought about ceramic again: any chance they've been accidentally dropped on a ceramic tile floor? Best of luck with it.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
November 2013
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