# What do you call flatware without the smaller forks and spoons? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 7, 2014, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-flatware-without-the-smaller-forks-and-spoons/683099 "2014-03-07T11:33:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-flatware-without-the-smaller-forks-and-spoons/683099/1 "2014-03-07T11:33:18Z")
Manners, schmanners. If I just want a flatware/utensil set with uniform-looking spoons, forks, and knives, what is that called? All the ones I could find online include the useless smaller forks and spoons, which just take up room. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-flatware-without-the-smaller-forks-and-spoons/683099/2 "2014-03-07T12:01:07Z")
Ikea has sets with just one size fork and spoon: [http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40193474/](http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40193474/) Interesting cultural difference by the way. Where the US and Norway (and probably other nations as well) have the same sets, the components differ. The US has sets with small forks, the matching Norwegian sets don’t: > **[Flatware](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/cat/flatware-18865/)** > > Flatware > **[Bestikk - Et måltid er ikke det samme uten bestikk](https://www.ikea.com/no/no/cat/bestikk-18865/)** > > På IKEA finner du bestikk i ulike stiler og uttrykk, enten du trenger gaffel, kniv, teskje, skje, salatbestikk, spisepinner eller kakespade. Finn ditt nye bestikk på IKEA.no. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-flatware-without-the-smaller-forks-and-spoons/683099/3 "2014-03-07T12:16:47Z")
Hmm, thank you! Sadly there is no Ikea within 5 hours, and I was hoping for an all-metal utensil anyhow. And yes, interesting difference. If there are any sane countries that use just the generic three (spoon, knife, fork), that could help with searches 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-flatware-without-the-smaller-forks-and-spoons/683099/4 "2014-03-07T12:26:41Z")
Target sells boxes of silverware that include only one utensil - a box of 8 forks, a box of 8 spoons, etc. You can go there and pick out exactly what you want. Cheap, too. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-flatware-without-the-smaller-forks-and-spoons/683099/5 "2014-03-07T12:40:37Z")
Not everyone calls it ‘flatware’ either - try including ‘cutlery’ in your searches. ---
**Author:** ![Elemenopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5e925/32.png) [@Elemenopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elemenopy)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-flatware-without-the-smaller-forks-and-spoons/683099/6 "2014-03-07T12:40:52Z")
At [Target](http://www.target.com/c/flatware-kitchen-dining-home/-/N-5xtrt) you can buy spoons, knives, forks separately. $10 for 6, each. Or, you know, you could get a set for ~$40 and just remove what you don’t want. Rubber band the rest together and drop off at a charity shop. Or [make something](http://www.pinterest.com/decobri/silverware-crafts/). 🙂 Edit: Beaten, lightly, by a Greek goddess… ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-flatware-without-the-smaller-forks-and-spoons/683099/7 "2014-03-07T12:42:50Z")
… or send the smaller forks to me. I prefer them over the large ones. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-flatware-without-the-smaller-forks-and-spoons/683099/8 "2014-03-07T13:49:01Z")
Does "3 piece flatware set " help since you only want the 3 main pieces? For example: > **[Caterer's Box Stainless Steel 36-Piece Flatware Set | Pottery Barn](https://www.potterybarn.com/products/caterers-36-piece-flatware-set/)** > > \ > \Includes an easy-to-carry, durable storage box, which is crafted from solid rubber wood and MDF.\ > \Crafted of rubberwood, a sustainably harvested and highly durable hardwood.\ > \MDF is an engineered wood that lends However it does look like you get a lot of weird stuff (baby sets; bamboo…) with that search term. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-flatware-without-the-smaller-forks-and-spoons/683099/9 "2014-03-07T20:51:27Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > Target sells boxes of silverware that include only one utensil - a box of 8 forks, a box of 8 spoons, etc. You can go there and pick out exactly what you want. Cheap, too. What I have found is that those are usually of lesser quality and highly bendable compared to the full sets. Compare prices, may be better to buy the full sets and ditch what you don’t want. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-flatware-without-the-smaller-forks-and-spoons/683099/10 "2014-03-07T21:54:33Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > What I have found is that those are usually of lesser quality and highly bendable compared to the full sets. That’s not what I found at all. The ones I bought are not the most fancy forks, but they are definitely very solid and decent quality. There’s no way on earth anyone’s gonna bend them unless they run over them with a car or go after them with a chainsaw. Target definitely has cheaper ones, but I don’t think I paid more than $20 or so for 8 forks. Really, quality-wise, they’re no different than the set I paid a couple hundred bucks for a long time ago. Plainer, but just as sturdy. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-flatware-without-the-smaller-forks-and-spoons/683099/11 "2014-03-07T22:15:20Z")
I can see having no use for salad forks, but I’ve never considered just table spoons, no teaspoons. But now that I consider it, I could get by without them. ---
**Author:** ![bunyupp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@bunyupp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bunyupp)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-flatware-without-the-smaller-forks-and-spoons/683099/12 "2014-03-07T22:20:41Z")
If you want a 3 piece set that’s unique (and somewhat pricey) check out this [flatware](http://www.cb2.com/3-piece-matte-black-flatware-set/s115686) from CB2. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2014, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-flatware-without-the-smaller-forks-and-spoons/683099/13 "2014-03-08T01:55:31Z")
> [@bunyupp](#): > > If you want a 3 piece set that’s unique (and somewhat pricey) check out this [flatware](http://www.cb2.com/3-piece-matte-black-flatware-set/s115686) from CB2. Also ugly as sin. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2014, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-flatware-without-the-smaller-forks-and-spoons/683099/14 "2014-03-08T01:59:26Z")
“Uniform flatware.” ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2014, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-flatware-without-the-smaller-forks-and-spoons/683099/15 "2014-03-08T12:20:59Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > I can see having no use for salad forks, but I’ve never considered just table spoons, no teaspoons. But now that I consider it, I could get by without them. I have almost the opposite, all teaspoons except for one tablespoon. I don’t know how that happened, but if I had to have one or the other I would take the smaller ones. Salad forks are also fish forks but but silly IMHO as the regular forks seek to work just fine here. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2014, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-flatware-without-the-smaller-forks-and-spoons/683099/16 "2014-03-08T14:23:24Z")
It’s still called flatware or silverware. What matters is how you search. I have found that looking in multiples of 3 helps (for instance 12-piece, service for 4). [Like so](http://www.amazon.com/Next-Day-Gourmet-Balustrade-Oversize/dp/B00HV308U6/ref=sr_1_9?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1394288497&sr=1-9&keywords=12-piece+service+for+4)