Boring - help me choose cutlery

[BellesAndGraces]

I can’t make another single decision. I’m all decisioned out. But I have to buy cutlery this weekend. So please help me choose between the following:

• Arthur Price Sophie Conran Rivelin set (is the dip in the handle a bit odd?)
• John Lewis Taper Cutlery Set (link shows 3 piece but they also stock 44 piece)
• Arthur Price Rattail set (but are the embossed bits at the end of the handle not nice?)

I swing between “who even cares about cutlery” and “I’m a grown up, I should really have nice cutlery”.

John Lewis but it's difficult to tell how chunky handles are
I like the thin " rod" handles as I have small hands
Can recommend Amefa brand. I have a lovely set at that price point

Great choice Style is lovely

Robert Welch

There is a reason so many restaurants use their cutlery. It's very good.

Plan a visit to the Cotswolds and visit the shop ;)

www.robertwelch.com/pages/robert-welch-chipping-campden-studio-shop

I have John Lewis you posted, it's very nice.

ZARA HOME silver steel cutlery sets are cheaper and quite nice.

We have Arthur Price highgrove , first set we’ve had three years and is perfect from dishwasher - added a second set in the Christmas sale , lovely weight to them and a simple design

Yes I agree with others you need to feel them

I've bought another Oneida set before Christmas as near to my other one and when the arrived they were so much bigger and felt odd in the hands

I looked at the John Lewis set in store today and it is quite big

We've got the Arthur Price Sophie Conran and I wouldn't recommend. The knives are too narrow and are rubbish for things like spreading butter.

If anyone is still here and happy to move on to crockery, glassware and table linen …
I basically just finished redecorating my dining room and am hosting my first dinner party in said room on Wednesday.

I need a new dining set - either white (not cream) scallop or white with a minimalist border pattern - and can’t settle on anything. I like the Belleek Living Erne set but it won’t be delivered for Wednesday. I also like the Hirene set from La Redoute but it’s sold out. Any suggestions for anything similar or that you love?

I’m thinking I might splash out and get napkins and (rectangular) place mats too. Living room is sage green and I will have a white dining set, so I’m thinking it might be nice to have some green and coral napkins and placemats. This is very busy but could work if plates are all white. Please do share any table linen you have and like too. It’s going to be an expensive weekend!

I think you would find Taper uncomfortable in the hand as verging on the pointy. A rounded handle end is more comfortable.

They are all made of 18/10 which is the best stainless I think you will find in tableware.

I see you like a modern style. Even the Rat-tail is a modern design based on a traditional pattern. You need to handle them. I think they are all forged out of stainless bar. Chunky knife handles, if solid, are particularly heavy. Older designs had knife handles that were hollow, or non-metallic, so chunky without being heavy. If you look at budget modern designs, you will find the knife handles noticeably thin and may have been stamped out of sheet metal like the forks.

We've got two sizes of knife and fork in the Robert Welch Radford. The smaller ones are probably for starters or salad, but I tend to use the smaller ones and DH the larger ones.

For the dining set, Ikea 365+. They are sold individually so you only need to buy exactly what you need and can replace breakages with ease.

All of those cutlery sets look very similar to Ikea Dragon, I’d just save your money and get a new set of them for £35 tbh.

IKEA is not in the same league as what OP is looking for (and chose)

The Belleek is a really nice set

IKEA are functional but they really don't feel nice to hold .
The Dragon set ( I bough teaspoons as I always like more than 6 of them) are basic .

You really feel the difference when you go to a restaurant that has quality cutlery . Next time I find some I will take a photo ( not pilfer an item each meal , that would be so wrong )