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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this is weird!?

140 replies

twighlighting · 27/07/2021 22:44

Name changed for this...I don't know why.

I went round to a friend's for tea. A fairly new friend I might add. We met at a baby group. Anyway she invited us over for lunch (me and dd). As we are eating I saw the cutlery came from a wooden box on the sideboard. I was just making conversation and asked why is it in a box. She then said...it's a canteen...it's what the cutlery came in so I have just kept in there. It's easier than have it in the kitchen and it's silver so I don't want it scratched. Fair enough.(Maybe I'm common I have never heard of a canteen before) anyway
I looked at the name of the cutlery and it was called "Arthur price"

I know I'm being very nosy but I looked it up and the set costs over 2k!! Is it odd for someone to own such expensive cutlery when they live in a 3 bed terrace. I expected that out of mega rich ppl (excuse my ignorance) they have very average jobs etc

I'm don't want to come across as nosy etc but is that Normal? My cutlery cost about 20quid from tesco 🙈

OP posts:
HirplesWithHaggis · 27/07/2021 22:46

Could be a wedding present she doesn't want to keep "for good".

AlmostSummer21 · 27/07/2021 22:48

Maybe it was a wedding present?

Or new home present etc?

I would think it's unusual for a a younger person to have bought it for themselves, but maybe they got a bonus and buying it made them happy?!

DanglySpider · 27/07/2021 22:48

None of your beeswax, really. They might have been gifted it, it might be inherited, it might have been a wedding present. Really, who gives a toss? My neighbour's drive a beemer, we have 3 shabby cars (one's a vintage, but not worth much). We all place different values on different things - leave them to it.

neverknowinglyunreasonable · 27/07/2021 22:49

Quite a lot to fork out for cutlery. Maybe a wedding present or maybe she had to make some cut backs with other spending to afford it.

Ok, I'm done.

Notimeforaname · 27/07/2021 22:49

Yeah wedding present I would have thought.

Original poster
twighlighting · 27/07/2021 22:49

They aren't married yet...engaged so I suppose it could have been a gift.

OP posts:
HollowTalk · 27/07/2021 22:50

You can buy a 44 piece set of Arthur Price cutlery at Wayfair for £96.

StandardLampski · 27/07/2021 22:51

We have a canteen of cutlery, to be fair we mostly use cheap stuff and only use it at Christmas. We bought it with wedding vouchers. I'm not sure why exactly Grin

So that cutlery lives in its lovely wooden box... which lives under the kids toys kitchen.. they get it out as a step ... or a display counter for their toy cakes etc when it's a cafe Grin
We don't have all the pieces though so far from 2 grand.

Excitedforxmas · 27/07/2021 22:51

We got some for our wedding

Original poster
twighlighting · 27/07/2021 22:52

It was definitely more than 44 pieces, on looking at pictures it looks like over double that.

She had a special silver polish cloth too. It was proper silver. I couldn't use it everyday Shock

OP posts:
MargaretThursday · 27/07/2021 22:54

We have one. It was a very special wedding present and nearly 25 years later I still remember the pleasure we had when we received it every time I lift the lid.
It's something that lasts and is also useful daily, what could be a better present than that?

We started off married life in a one bedroom student flat-our crockery set was that green village hall stuff, so a bit of a contrast! It probably is the most expensive single item we own, including the (over 10yo) car.

Cherrysoup · 27/07/2021 22:57

You googled her cutlery? Fml! Why??

My mum has a canteen of cutlery, it’s the one thing I will take from the house when she dies. She has the same cutlery as me.

Wishingwell75 · 27/07/2021 22:57

Is there more to this, or rather do you suspect something more than the obvious things that have been already been mentioned such as it was inherited, a gift, bought on sale or saved up for.
Maybe she has had a change in fortunes and this is a left over from more extravagant times?
For what it's worth, my mum worked all hours and we never had extra cash but we did have a full set of (useless) silver cutlery that my nan had passed down to us.
A canteen of silver actually! 😁

MargaretThursday · 27/07/2021 22:59

Ours is similar to:
Cutlery

She had a special silver polish cloth too. It was proper silver. I couldn't use it everyday
Polishing silver is very relaxing. The dc used to argue over whose turn it was. Now they're teens they just negotiate over who does which parts. Apparently forks are the fiddliest, but the most rewarding.

MotionActivatedDog · 27/07/2021 23:00

Yes I think it’s weird that you googled the price of someone’s cutlery.

Bookworm20 · 27/07/2021 23:04

I have a canteen of cutlery, usually comes out at Christmas and then I moan because it doesn’t go in the dishwasher. But every year out it comes again.
I couldn’t use it everyday it’s drive me nuts.

But I do have quite an expensive platter(not 2k worth mind!)which I use everyday pretty much because I don’t see the point having something I really love and only using it on special occasions. Perhaps she’s like that with the cutlery.

Getabloominmoveon · 27/07/2021 23:04

We have a canteen of high quality cutlery (wedding present) which we use at weekends and when guests come. During the week it’s knives and forks from the kitchen drawer.
I love my ‘canteen’.

CheerfulYank · 27/07/2021 23:07

She might have inherited it, or it might be a gift.

Or she might have just liked it and bought it.

Ghosttile · 27/07/2021 23:08

‘I looked at the name of the cutlery and it was called "Arthur price”

I’m going to christen my knives and forks.

MyNameForToday1980 · 27/07/2021 23:09

My grandparents had a double decker canteen of silver cutlery. They used it every single day from their wedding in 1940 to the passing of my grandmother in 2016.

I think it's pretty normal.

Original poster
twighlighting · 27/07/2021 23:11

Yes it's a bit sad I know...I googled her cutlery. I was intrigued as it was honestly nothing I had ever seen before that's all.

OP posts:
NancyPickford · 27/07/2021 23:13

My mother had a canteen of cutlery which came out on special occasions. I remember the box was inlaid with dark blue satin. It was a thing of beauty.

PerciphonePuma · 27/07/2021 23:14

@neverknowinglyunreasonable

Quite a lot to fork out for cutlery. Maybe a wedding present or maybe she had to make some cut backs with other spending to afford it.

Ok, I'm done.

😆😆😆
tallduckandhandsome · 27/07/2021 23:15

I can’t be doing with heavy cutlery. I ignore the nice forks for the light as air £1 a pack stainless steel ones.