Where do they go?

[Jenise]

Decided to clean the flatware drawer the other day, which required that I count all the pieces (since I'm a compulsive counter). This flatware is about eight years old, and I originally bought 16 place settings. I now have:

16 knives
16 soup spoons
15 dinner forks
14 salad forks
14 teaspoons

Is there a place out in the ether they go to, like socks?

Since I have several sets of flatware, I usually find my lost ones mixed in with another set. This is due to Gene, who usually empties the dishwasher, putting them in with other sets. Of course, I never do that! LOL. Then I also find a few in the motor home. After we get back from a trip, there are usually a few pieces left from breakfast and lunch that day in the sink, and I bring them into the house to run through the dishwasher. Again, sometimes, my helper sends them out to the RV. Unless, someone accidentally put them in their pocket, they will usually turn up.

Over the years, my bamboo-pattern set has lost 3 tablespoons. I can only assume they got thrown away somehow....

I've often wondered that too, and since I have issues with under the sink garbage cans, we use the produce bags for our garbage. When I am cooking, I put the bag in my second sink right near my chopping/work area. Everything that is not composted goes into that bag. When it is full, usually at noon, it gets tossed out. If we need another bag for dinner scraps, that goes out right after the dinner mess is cleaned up. I have been on a few searches for knives, but never flatware.

Decided to clean the flatware drawer the other day, which required that I count all the pieces (since I'm a compulsive counter). This flatware is about eight years old, and I originally bought 16 place settings. I now have:

16 knives
16 soup spoons
15 dinner forks
14 salad forks
14 teaspoons

Is there a place out in the ether they go to, like socks?

How many times has Spohn been over to your place?

My son is good friends with our tenants and regularly carries food down to their apartment.

Fortunately they have learned what our flatware looks like and return it from time to time. I also find stuff when we visit our son's apartment in Philadelphia.

We are short numerous forks. With other kitchen items we have been able to re-stock on eBay. Unfortunately this was cheap Japanese stuff from Pier One in about 1972, and I don't see it very often.

I can't tell you how much Hull Ovenware I have bought on eBay, or Blue Onion look-alikes. Ours is really "Blue Danube" from Japan (the real Blue Onion was made in Prussia and costs lots!)

[Jenise]

Decided to clean the flatware drawer the other day, which required that I count all the pieces (since I'm a compulsive counter). This flatware is about eight years old, and I originally bought 16 place settings. I now have:

16 knives
16 soup spoons
15 dinner forks
14 salad forks
14 teaspoons

Is there a place out in the ether they go to, like socks?

How many times has Spohn been over to your place?

Uh (totaling the deficit)...five.

[Jenise]

My son is good friends with our tenants and regularly carries food down to their apartment.

Fortunately they have learned what our flatware looks like and return it from time to time. I also find stuff when we visit our son's apartment in Philadelphia.

We are short numerous forks. With other kitchen items we have been able to re-stock on eBay. Unfortunately this was cheap Japanese stuff from Pier One in about 1972, and I don't see it very often.

I can't tell you how much Hull Ovenware I have bought on eBay, or Blue Onion look-alikes. Ours is really "Blue Danube" from Japan (the real Blue Onion was made in Prussia and costs lots!)

Man, you really stick with stuff, Frank; the world's a better place because of people like you. Unfortunately, I make up for you on the other side. This stuff is probably my eighth set in less time than "since 1972" and I'm ready to buy something new. IOW, these still look good, but I'm bored!

Our everyday flatware is one of 3 sets -- we actually had "wedding silver", Royal Danish, and still have all of that I think. That would be 1970. And about 10 years ago I bought some nice beaded edge stuff that we use for "company." And I think we have all of that as well. So the only problem with missing pieces is the old lower quality set. I do wish I could buy it on eBay. Have you seen if you can find replacements for your missing pieces on eBay? That is easier than ever now that Replacements Limited has started listing its stuff on eBay.

[Jenise]

Our everyday flatware is one of 3 sets -- we actually had "wedding silver", Royal Danish, and still have all of that I think. That would be 1970. And about 10 years ago I bought some nice beaded edge stuff that we use for "company." And I think we have all of that as well. So the only problem with missing pieces is the old lower quality set. I do wish I could buy it on eBay. Have you seen if you can find replacements for your missing pieces on eBay? That is easier than ever now that Replacements Limited has started listing its stuff on eBay.

I haven't. I don't even know the name of what I have. It was a top American brand that went out of business and dumped all their stuff at Marshalls/TJ Maxx. I suppose the name's printed on the knife or something. And with 14 whole place settings, it's not like I don't have enough--though it would be good to get more now. If I'd been buying individual place settings I'd have only bought 13 (12 plus an extra) but bought 16 because it came in sets of eight. IIRC, Karen bought the same pattern, but matte finish where mine's shiny. Maybe I should keep these and buy something new, if I do, just for the dining room. I don't have a special set for company, believe it or not. (Note, I've already picked out something I want.)

A "company" set makes sense -- I wonder how many people take the trouble to USE their silverware. Basically we got tired of doing that. They go into these green silvercloth bags that slow down the tarnishing, everything has to be taken out and sorted back into the bags, and there are always some pieces that require polishing before or after their meal. So before I got the "company" set we had the choice of 1) the plain stuff without enough forks or 2) the headache of using the silver. There is no downside to using the company set, there's plenty of it and you just wash it and put it away in a kitchen drawer.

And if we want to put things up a notch there is always the silver. Come to think of it we also don't use the wedding china very much. It is an "extinct" pattern from Wedgwood, gold rims, polychrome pictures of birds and flowers, 18th century looking. Can't microwave it! The "company" china is the Blue Onion stuff.

I'd guess that the majority of missing utensils are from wellmeaning guests trying to help clear the table. Betsy is quite clear- "just put on counter, I'll do any scraping and loading dishwasher".

I have caught the odd fork or spoon as it has gone into the trash after a meal so I can only guess that there have been some I have not caught. Now multiply that by the number of folks who have eaten here and there you have it.

Trash. Happens at my house from time to time.

I know where ours go...

Into the garbage disposal!!!

I hate it when that happens...

I thought everyone knew that cutlery grows feet !

The garbage grinder.

Inappropriate for this forum, I know, but there's an elephant's graveyard for screwdrivers, too.

Ah, the "wedding silver"! My parents bought a set when they got married. My mom was an only child so she inherited her mother's set, and my dad was the only married sib at the time his mother passed so we got hers, too. Three sets of silver, in green cloth trays, in a drawer, untouched by human hands for decades.

When my folks moved from the house to an apartment, they gave their set to my SIL and sold the other two. Hallelujah.

When Janet and I were married in 1975 we had 2 sets of flatware - one with heavy wooden handles for every day and one for special dinners. After raising 5 boys, I know the handles broke on most of the every day ones, but I still have a few knives, dinner forks and tablespoons, but no salad forks or teaspoons. The special ones became every day and their numbers were also decimated. I would guess that if I were to scan the back yard with a metal detector where the sand box used to be I'd find several pieces.

[Jenise]

I'd guess that the majority of missing utensils are from wellmeaning guests trying to help clear the table. Betsy is quite clear- "just put on counter, I'll do any scraping and loading dishwasher".

Bob and I concluded that this must be what's happened, and will do the same going forward.

[Jenise]

I know where ours go...

Into the garbage disposal!!!

I hate it when that happens...

So all your teaspoons look like grapefruit spoons whether they are or not? I remember those days! Hasn't happened to this set because now that everything biodegradable goes to compost, we hardly ever run the disposal any more.

[Jenise]

A "company" set makes sense -- I wonder how many people take the trouble to USE their silverware. Basically we got tired of doing that. They go into these green silvercloth bags that slow down the tarnishing, everything has to be taken out and sorted back into the bags, and there are always some pieces that require polishing before or after their meal. So before I got the "company" set we had the choice of 1) the plain stuff without enough forks or 2) the headache of using the silver. There is no downside to using the company set, there's plenty of it and you just wash it and put it away in a kitchen drawer.

And if we want to put things up a notch there is always the silver. Come to think of it we also don't use the wedding china very much. It is an "extinct" pattern from Wedgwood, gold rims, polychrome pictures of birds and flowers, 18th century looking. Can't microwave it! The "company" china is the Blue Onion stuff.

One of the good things about getting married at 32 instead of 22, and having a lot of older friends to think "I don't want to end up like them" about, is that one can skip the traditional wedding china and silverware stage completely; we did. We bought new stuff for our new life together, but neither one of us were interested in making lifelong commitments to a single pattern. In fact, ever the pragmatic virgo, if I'd been interested in having better stuff, I'd have done a mix: bought one place setting of each thing I liked--love the eclectic mix, and would never have to worry about my pattern turning extinct (like that word).

As it is, we inherited Bob's mom's silver and Franciscan china circa 1952 which I wouldn't have bothered to keep except that it's surprisingly gorgeous. I'd have bet on her being the birds and flowers type, but no. These are solid grayish green with platinum rims. I should use them more often than I do.

I should use them more often than I do.

The first step on the road to ruin!

My mom's dishes are frantically busy and ostentatious. Very glad to visit the dishes only when I visit my brother....

At home, I have an indestructible and calm set of stoneware. I like not having to worry about putting it in the oven to keep warm, etc. Maybe some day I'll get something that is plain with just a colored rim, maybe even china.

I should use them more often than I do.

The first step on the road to ruin!

My mom's dishes are frantically busy and ostentatious. Very glad to visit the dishes only when I visit my brother....

At home, I have an indestructible and calm set of stoneware. I like not having to worry about putting it in the oven to keep warm, etc. Maybe some day I'll get something that is plain with just a colored rim, maybe even china.

Our "indestructible" set of stoneware is now down two dinner plates, three bowls and two teacups after 22 years of heavy use. As the designated cleaner-upper, it still irks me greatly when I break a dish (or glass) but after several decades of this I have achieved a sense of acceptance with the occasional loss of a dish or glass.

Mark Lipton