Sheffield Cutlery Flatware & Gifts


Frequently Asked Questions


Pieces
  Table Knife Table Fork Dessert Knife Dessert Fork Dessert Spoon Soup Spoon Tea Spoon Serving Spoon Coffee Spoon Fish Knife Fish Fork
Set For 1 Person
7 Piece Set
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0
Sets For 6 People
24 Piece Set
6 6 0 0 6 0 6 0 0 0 0
44 Piece Set
6 6 6 6 6 6 6 2 0 0 0
50 Piece Set
6 6 6 6 6 6 6 2 6 0 0
Sets For 8 People
58 Piece Set
8 8 8 8 8 8 8 2 0 0 0
60 Piece Set
8 8 8 8 8 8 8 4 0 0 0
62 Piece Set
6 6 6 6 6 6 6 2 6 6 6
68 Piece Set
8 8 8 8 8 8 8 4 8 0 0
84 Piece Set
8 8 8 8 8 8 8 4 8 8 8
Sets For 12 People
88 Piece Set
12 12 12 12 12 12 12 4 0 0 0
100 Piece Set
12 12 12 12 12 12 12 4 12 0 0
124 Piece Set
12 12 12 12 12 12 12 4 12 12 12

Do remember that it may be worth ordering some extra loose pieces in case of inevitable losses, particularly of small items, at some future date. Our shopping cart allows for the ordering of loose items as well as full sets.

We have a page containing the sizes and outline shapes of individual pieces from a number of the collections for sale on this web site. Please note that these sizes should be taken as approximate only. The same item in different pattern styles may vary slightly owing to individual pattern constraints but the charts will provide useful guides to what is available, and the images on it will give you clarification of what is meant by the names given to each piece.

Some size charts on our site may contains more items than are shown as for sale e.g. sugar tongs, oyster forks, lobster crackers, and so on. If you need any of these extra items, please ask for a price quotation because some of these may be of very limited availability, or not available at all.

Click here for the Names, Sizes & Shapes Charts

If you are looking to extend your collection, or are missing a number of items and you would like to replace them, then we can usually assist you. So far as Sheffield Cutlery, or Arthur Price brands are concerned, we can supply small numbers to top up your collection.
Sterling Silver items are only avaialble in sets from the Sheffield brand.
It is a wise move to order some extra pieces when ordering a set because people inevitably loose the odd teaspoon and small items in particular which can easily be thrown away by mistake. Our shopping cart has a section where additional loose pieces may be ordered so that you have exactly matching pieces now, in case you need to make up the numbers of missing pieces at some future date. Do remember that patterns can change slightly over the years. Ordering a few extra spare pieces now avoids the problem of finding good matches later.
Yes - Queen Anne is the name of the Rattail pattern when sold in the USA. It is also known as 'Haags Lofje' in Holland.
Our prices are lower than our rivals because we trade exclusively on the internet. Thus, we do not bear the burden of costs associated with High Street premises, brochures, offline advertising, etc. The cutlery that you will receive has been chosen for its high quality. Please review the Points of Excellence section for more information (Ekington range). Or, please see the Customer Feedback that we have received, unsolicited, over the years. (NB additional feedback comments may be found on dedicated sections of our site e.g. the Pocket Knife, Bowie Knife or Silver Re-plating pages).
Yes - There are various choices for sale - see them on display in the Canteen Store.
Stag handles are not available for regular cutlery pieces. However, we can supply you with stag-handled carving sets and steak knife sets as here - Stag Knife Sets.
Otherwise, we can only recommend alternative sources such as -

Ebay
Bone is not available from our usual suppliers. Indeed, we are not sure if anyone is currently making cutlery with bone handles. We can offer the man-made synthetic bone handled cutlery (a substance which is a composite material). This is more expensive than standard metal handled cutlery on our web site. Please Contact Us specifying the precise nature of your possible order and we will check the latest prices.
Or try:

Sorry, no, but try here:

Ebay
Matching
If you are concerned that the latest 'version' of the pattern may be slightly different to your existing collection please note that patterns can change slightly over the years, even from the same manufacturer. For this reason, we cannot guarantee 100% perfect matches to previously made items. Traditional patterns will always be close, if not exact matches, but these too can vary with time. See our Showroom for hi-res photos of the latest patterns that you can compare with your existing set.
Please note that we ask you to take responsibility for accepting that extra pieces may not be perfect matches to the pieces that you already own. If this is unacceptable to you, please defer ordering and ask us first. For example, you could send us photos of the pieces you are trying to match to, you can describe your set in detail e.g. whether your knives are solid or hollow handles, etc, etc. Because our cutlery is generally made to order, we will be unable to accept returns of cutlery if the reason is that there is not a good match to a previously-bought set. The way to ensure a good match is to ask first and we may possibly ask you to send us a sample piece for comparison. Your co-operation in this regard is appreciated.
It is possible that you have one of the older patterns that has been discontinued. Please check here for Rare Items & Discontinued Patterns to see whether your pattern is still made. Or, view here for the Cutlery Patterns that we can supply.
Account
No. You can complete your order without creating an Account. There is an option to check-out as a Guest. Each time you shop with us you will have to re-enter your data should you choose this option.
Visitors Cart
Every visitor to our online shop will be given a 'Visitors' Cart'. This allows the visitor to store their products in a temporary shopping cart. Once the visitor leaves the online shop, so will the contents of their shopping cart.
Members Cart
Every member to our online shop that logs in is given a 'Members' Cart'. This allows the member to add products to their shopping cart, and come back at a later date to finalise their checkout. All products remain in their shopping cart until the member has checked them out, or removed the products from the cart.
Info - If a member adds products to their 'Visitors' Cart' and decides to log in to the online shop to use their 'Members Cart', the contents of their 'Visitors Cart' will merge with their 'Members Cart' contents automatically.
We do not see your password when you create your account. Should you need to change your password, this can be done here - Password Change Page. You will need to know your existing password.
If you have forgotten your password, please fill in the form here to have it re-set - Password Re-Set Page.
Newsletter subscriptions are handled here - Newsletter Subscriptions.
Payment & Delivery
You may use any of the credit/debit cards shown here: Cards Accepted
Secure Payment We also accept payments by Paypal, Cheque (made payable to "R P Day & Co.") and Bank Transfer. Banking details will be provided when required.
See our Privacy Page for more information on the security standards that are provided to you as a consumer via our payment service providers.
Should you wish to send payment in your own currency (other than by credit/debit card), please ask first but, in general terms, this is acceptable subject to a 2.5% surcharge. Our payment service providers, WorldPay, will allow you to select payment using your credit card in GB Pounds, Euros or US Dollars at the moment of payment without surcharge.
The following timescales are not 100% guarantees -
Items under the "Sheffield Cutlery" brand are Made to Order and might need 8-12 weeks to be available, occasionally longer.
Goods made by Arthur Price are often readily available, typically within 7-10 days, occasionally 2-3 weeks.
Sterling Silver items will need approx 12 weeks to make.
Knives from Arthur Wright are often in stock but if we are out of stock, they can take some weeks to be made, longer if you ask for special requirements e.g. engraving.
Granton Knives usually take 2-4 weeks on average.
Sterling silver items need to be hallmarked which involves the goods spending some time at the Assay Office in Sheffield. This can add a week or so onto the time-to-completion period.
Multi-Function Knife/Tool Sets and Party Forks/Sporks are usually always in stock and can be sent out straight away.
Customs inspections can add to these timescales.
As soon as we have more accurate delivery date information, we will pass this on to you.
Information
The manufacturers can provide the following guarantee for their product ranges:
Arthur Price Of England - Sovereign Silver Plate - 50 Year Manufacturers' Guarantee
Arthur Price Of England - Stainless Steel - Lifetime Guarantee
Clive Christian - Gold Plated Cutlery - Lifetime Guarantee
Sophie Conran - 50 Year Guarantee
Monsoon Cutlery - 50 Year Guarantee
Sheffield Cutlery - Manufacturers' Guarantee
Arthur Price Kitchen Range - 25 Year Guarantee.
Firstly, we should say that we can only assist with goods bought directly from this web site. If you experience problems with cutlery bought elsewhere then you should make your enquiries at the place where you bought them using your receipt and/or guarantee to reinforce your complaint. We have a link below concerning Viners should you wish to contact them - Contacting Viners. In the unlikely event that you experience problems with cutlery bought directly from us, please Contact Us to explain the problem. Please do not send us any goods until we have responded to your contact. We are not manufacturers ourselves. We do not have repair facilities here. We are retailers.
EPNS means "Electro-Plated Nickel Silver". Despite its name, nickel silver contains no silver at all, but is a base metal alloy of Nickel, Zinc & Copper. A layer of pure silver is deposited electrolytically on this base metal to give a silver finish.
Sometimes, stainless steel is used for the base metal onto which silver plating is applied. This is known as EPSS - "Electroplated Stainless Steel". If it is crucial to you that nickel silver is used rather than stainless steel, or vice versa, please ask before placing an order.
Silver plated cutlery on our web site is offered in a variety of thicknesses of silver (measured in microns). Sheffield Cutlery offer cutlery plated to 10 or 20 Microns which equates to the factory's estimate of 10 or 20 years of life assuming good care and average use.
Arthur Price of England offer 20 Microns (called Sovereign Plate). Please see accompanying descriptions, or ask if it is not clear.
Warning Do take note that other manufacturers, particularly those away from Sheffield, may plate to much thinner micron depths. If you are comparing our prices on silver plate, ensure that you are comparing like-for-like.
From the CATRA web site:
"As a very approximate guide, work on at least 1 micron of silver thickness for every year of intended use".
On the internet, we have seen companies offering silver plate at only 3 microns thickness. Technically, these other companies' cutlery is indeed "silver plated", but you should not expect it to last very long before requiring replating again.
The first number relates to the Chromium content within the stainless steel and the second to the Nickel content. These elements give the steel its stainless properties. "18/10" is the typical composition of the alloy although it is not unusual to see 18/8 on sale. We have also seen reference to "11/8" and "18/8" stainless steel.
More information on the History and Properties Of Stainless Steel.
Where indicated on our site (and this does not apply to every item that we sell) cutlery may be shown as "Dishwasher Safe". This means that it is safe to wash your cutlery in a dishwasher but only if you follow the dishwasher manufacturers'/detergent makers' recommendations fully, and take sensible precautions. For example, you should try to avoid sharp points or blades from being allowed to scratch on smooth or mirror surfaces. Cutlery should not be allowed to stand for a period in an un-washed state, nor to dry for a long time after the wash cycle has ended.
If you do use a dishwasher, place knives blade-down in the cutlery basket. Some advise avoiding mixing silver and stainless steel items together in the same basket due to a chemical reaction between stainless steel and some detergents which can leave stains on silverware. Note that silver and EPNS knives will have stainless steel blades so you will appreciate that the two metals are already in close proximity.
No material is truly "Stainless" and cutlery is no exception. It is better to avoid dishwashers altogether and to wash cutlery by hand, as soon as possible after use, and to dry the pieces quickly with a soft cloth.
For those with Stainless Steel Cutlery we have a page on Caring For Your Pieces.
Customers with silver or silver plated cutlery should also see our section on Caring For Silver.

The Times

We spotted this reader's letter and response in The Times which goes some way to showing the potential problems that may occur when a dishwasher is used -
Q: Our silver-plated cutlery has suddenly taken on a bronze tarnish after being in the dishwasher. No other metal is put in, and I have cleaned that cutlery the same way for years, with no problem. What's going on?
A: Tarnishing can happen for a number of reasons, but it usually builds up slowly. The company that makes Sainsbury's dishwasher tablets tells me the formula hasn't changed. In fact, they contain a silver protector to reduce the rate of tarnishing.
One possibility is that the rubber door seal or hose pipe inside is starting to break down. This could cause sulphur from the rubber to be released into the wash water and get onto your cutlery. The discoloration should wipe off with a proprietary silver cleaner, but you may have the problem until you replace the dishwasher.
Another theory is that food residue is reacting with the cutlery. The usual suspects are eggs, green vegetables, olives, salad dressings, fish, onions, vinegar and juices. Maybe you've changed your diet? The discoloration should clean off with silver cleaner, but to stop it from happening, rinse plates and cutlery before loading.
And here's a timely reminder about what dishwashers can do, from a customer of ours discussing their previously-bought cutlery -
Our cutlery is made by Francis Greaves and Sons and is 18/8 stainless steel. I have examined it more closely and it apppears that the lightweight compound inside the handle has expanded more than the stainless outer coating and the subsequent gap allows capillary action to hold some water which releases when the knives are used. I suspect the dishwasher did the damage and now we know we will not use it for the cutlery.
- This is not meant to criticise the Francis Greaves & Sons' products but just to warn that things can go wrong if you use dishwashers (maybe incorrectly??).
We do have items For sale that can help with Care and Storage.
When setting a table with cutlery, there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, the cutlery should be placed in the order that it will be used. For example, the dinner fork should be placed to the left of the plate, followed by the salad fork. The dinner knife should be placed to the right of the plate, followed by the salad knife or fish knife. The soup spoon should be placed to the right of the knives, followed by the dessert spoon.
Secondly, the handles of the cutlery should be facing up. This is the most common way to set a table, and it is the most formal way. However, there are other ways to set a table, such as with the handles facing down or to the side.
Thirdly, the cutlery should be spaced evenly apart. This will create a neat and orderly table setting.
First, use the appropriate utensil for the food you are eating. For example, use a salad fork for your salad and a knife for your main course.
Second, don't put your cutlery down on the table between courses. Instead, place your cutlery on your plate, with the tines of your fork facing down and the blade of your knife facing away from you.
Third, when you're finished eating, place your cutlery across your plate, with the tines of your fork facing up and the blade of your knife facing down. This is the signal to your server that you're finished.
Pocket knives, Bowie knives and similar sheath knives are usually made with Carbon Steel blades. Carbon Steel is not Stainless Steel and will corrode if exposed to moisture. Even high humidity in your house can cause tarnishing. Cutting an apple with a knife will expose the blade to the acids in the apple juice and tarnish it. There are many similar contaminants that you should avoid. Always dry your knife after use and store in a dry location when not in use.
A Carbon Steel blade has the advantage of being a harder metal than stainless steel and thus it can be made sharper. However, the trade-off is the extra care required to avoid tarnishing.
We can only help you with cutlery and products from the Arthur Price, Inkerman, Sophie Conran & Lawrence Llewellyn Bowen lines. We have no information regarding any other manufacturers but you may find links to international companies from our Rare Items page.
The Sheffield cutlery industry is much smaller than it used to be and there have been many name changes or mergers with other companies. If you need to contact a particular company, try Thompsons Directory which is said to contain names, addresses and telephone numbers of UK businesses.
Please see our Company Info page for more details.
We can assist you with patterns from the Clive Christian, Inkermans, Arthur Price and Sophie Conran brand lines, maybe others.
Please our Patterns and Rare Items / Discontinued Patterns Pages. Note that it is possible that patterns may have changed slightly with the years though. For other rare patterns, try this site - Set Your Table for those hard to find patterns and discontinued lines.
Or try here:

Ebay
Silver
Please note that for silver or silverplated items which have a blade, e.g. table knives or fruit knives, the blade itself will be made of Stainless Steel. This is because silver is not a strong enough metal to provide a cutting or sharp edge. This may result in a slight colour difference. The use of Stainless Steel for blades is common practice and will ensure a longer life for your cutlery.
Because knives are made from two pieces (the handle and the blade) it is industry standard procedure for the blade to be hollow but filled with a cement compound into which the blade slots. In former times, some manufacturers would fill the handle with lead to give the impression of heavy silver filling but this process has now been declared illegal and our suppliers follow standard practices. The outcome is a well balanced, ideal weighted knife that is perfect for everyday use. Knife weights will vary from pattern to pattern owing to design influences.
cover

We do have a section of our site on Caring For & Looking After Silver that you may wish to view.

Or, here is a book called "Caring For Your Cherished Possessions: The Experts Guide To Cleaning, Preserving And Protecting Your China, Silver, Furniture, Clothes, Paintings" (not the world's shortest titled book!) Price and Ordering Info.


Also see CATRA - Care Of Cutlery & Flatware which includes advice on both Sterling Silver and Stainless Steel.

We prefer not to take responsibility for recommending the use of silver dips because it is such a difficult cleaning agent to work with. For example, it should not be allowed to come into contact with stainless steel surfaces as they will be damaged as a result. If you do decide to use silver dip, you will need to take responsibility for this so be sure to check the makers' instructions carefully before use. We do have a section of our site about caring for silver pieces. See here - Silver Care.
Repairs
A number of the manufacturers we deal with offer repair and re-plating services. Please see our Re-Plating Service and Repairs pages to obtain a quotation. They will also renovate canteen boxes and can replace old bone handled knives with new dishwasher-safe synthetic replacement handles.
Viewing Items
Unfortunately, we do not have a cutlery/flatware catalogue that we could send out. All information that we have is on our web site. We can move much faster with updates by changing our web site rather than having to re-print expensive brochures. By avoiding costs associated with brochures and catalogues, we are able to keep our prices lower.
We are an Internet-only business and do not have any showrooms or other branches. We can only display the goods on our website. High resolution photos and feedback are available and we will do our best to answer any of your questions, if the information is not already on the site. The savings that we make in not owning and running shop premises are passed on to you by way of lower prices.
Other
buffet forks party forks splades We can't offer you the original splayds but we have now been able to locate a supplier of similar items and we think that ours are better. We call them "Party Forks" and, like splayds or sporks, they are combined knife, fork and spoon items that are useful for eating in restricted circumstances e.g. at a buffet party, or maybe if you have physical problems in holding two pieces of cutlery at the same time.
Please see our page on Party Forks for more details and ordering.
Contact Links, Special Offers and (occasionally) Viners Discount Codes can be found on our Viners Cutlery Section.