So what's the story on flatware?
What does 18/10 mean?		If you want good flatware, make sure it's 18/10 stainless steel. The 18 is the percent of Chromium and the 10 is the percent of nickle in the steel. Both chromium and nickle add corrosion resistance to the steel. In addition, the nickle makes it bright and keeps it bright. Most knives however, are 13/0 because 13/0 is harder and will keep an edge. This is normal.
Can stainless steel rust?		Stainless steel is rust resistant but not rust proof. Here's the science behind it.... when steel contains over 10 1/2% chromium, the chromium and oxygen combine to form a protective layer over the steel. This protective layer is very thin, but very effective in keeping out contaminates. It is also self-healing, so a scratch will immediately replenish the chromium oxide coating. The more chromium a piece has in it, the thicker the protective layer is.
Is 18/10 dishwasher safe?		Yes, you just want to make sure that the flatware is washed vertically and it should be fine. You want to avoid pre-soaking your flatware for an extended period, it is not necessary. Thousands of restaurants and hotels use our product and it performs extremely well.
Is All 18/10 flatware the same?		No... it is not. The quality of flatware varies directly with the quality of the manufacturer. As with any product, there are good and bad practices in manufacturing. One example to illustrate this is the procedure of "electro-polishing" the flatware. This procedure is employed by a quality manufacturer to remove any tooling steel that may have transferred to the flatware during manufacture. This clean up is necessary to insure that the protect layer of chromium oxide is complete. Many low quality manufacturers to not electro-polish the product. If a manufacturer uses recycled steel, there could be issues with consistent quality. Recycling streams often become polluted with poor quality steel.
		Our manufacturing partners have been selected based on their total quality process.
What finishes are available?		We offer mirror finish... which is very bright. We also offer full and half satin versions. Full includes the bowls, tines, and blades... 100%. The half satin is the handle only. The satin finish is part of the metal itself and will never wear off. The benefit of satin finishing includes minimizing finger prints. For home, this usually isn't an issue... you would choose satin based on its visual appeal. For restaurants, minimizing finger prints is a priority.
Does satin finishing cost more?		For a limited time, we are offering either half or full satin finishing at no additional charge for our home users.
How long should my flatware last?		There's nothing in the material that wears excessively. It's thick so it won't bend easily. Bottom line is our 18/10 flatware should last a lifetime.
What are the most popular patterns?		Zen is number one. The standing knife is cool and unusual. Beyond that, all other patterns form a close second, personal taste rules.