Cutlery and Allied Trades Research Association Cutlery and Allied Trades Research Association Cutlery and Allied Trades Research Association (CATRA) is an internationally known research and technology organisation in Sheffield, England which specialises in knives, cutlery, tableware, metallic holloware (such as saucepans), shaving razors, industrial knives/ blades and hand/garden tools. CATRA was originally set up by the British Government in 1952 to carry out developments for the UK's cutlery and knife industries, for which the area of Sheffield in Yorkshire is world-famous. CATRA has developed a range of unique machines for measuring the cutting performance of all types of cutting edges from razor blades to large knives
Cutlery foods and the cutlery metal can lead to unpleasant tastes. Gold is even less reactive than silver, but the use of gold cutlery was confined to the exceptionally wealthy, such as monarchs. Even comparatively modest households might have one or two items of silver, often silver spoons. Wealthy individuals would own large sets containing a range of specialised dining implements, such as the comprehensive set in sterling silver made for the French aristocrat Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier (known as the Marquis de Lafayette) by the Towle Manufacturing Company. It contained, among many other items, a gravy ladle,