Cutlery mustard spoon and lettuce fork. Steel was always used for more utilitarian knives, and pewter was used for some cheaper items, especially spoons. From the nineteenth century, electroplated nickel silver (EPNS) was used as a cheaper substitute for sterling silver. In 1913, the British metallurgist Harry Brearley discovered stainless steel by chance and this metal has come to be the predominant one used in cutlery. An alternative is melchior, corrosion-resistant nickel and copper alloy, which can also sometimes contain manganese and nickel-iron. Plastic cutlery is made for disposable use, and is frequently used outdoors for camping, excursions, and barbecues for
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