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Whether you plan on hosting a fancy dinner or eating on your own, silverware is usually required.
It keeps your hands out of your food which makes eating a bit more sanitary.
At the very least, it makes eating a lot less messy.
When shopping for silverware, however, you’ll find that sets often come at expensive prices.
Since they’re just tools to eat with, you may wonder why silverware is so expensive.
Why Is Silverware So Expensive? (10 Reasons)
While you can certainly find silverware for around $10, some sets can get as expensive as $300.
Certain factors like the design, materials, and whether it’s collectible or not all make silverware expensive.
Let’s look at these factors in more detail.
1. Design
One factor that makes silverware expensive is when it has a design.
Cheap silverware sets tend to lack any sort of design.
They’re just put in a simplistic mold and then put out for sale.
Because it lacks any design, silverware manufacturers are able to keep costs low.
They can produce their silverware in bulk numbers to sell to the masses.
Silverware that uses a special design doesn’t always have such an easy production.
Some designs might require that particular silverware to undergo hand forging.
Others may require some time with an artisan to make them take the proper shape or have the right look.
Since it takes a bit more time and effort to make silverware with a design, its production costs are higher.
There’s no question that when a silverware company works with a well-known designer, that also adds to the value of the silverware.
Those designers don’t work for cheap.
To make up for any losses, the silverware company has to sell its products at high prices.
Silverware companies also know that some customers want unique designs on their spoons, knives, and forks. T
hey might have a certain aesthetic that they’re hoping to achieve.
Because that particular design suits them, they’re more willing to pay extra for it.
That only reinforces the expensive price.
Silverware is expensive because some sets use a unique or intricate design.
2. Expensive Stainless Steel
Another factor that makes silverware expensive is the quality of the stainless steel used to make them.
There are several different grades of stainless steel.
The more nickel or chromium that the mixture has, the more expensive it is.
That’s because both nickel and chromium help the steel from corroding with time.
Silverware sees a lot of exposure to water and air.
After eating food, you put the silverware in the dishwasher or wash it by hand.
Then you let it air dry.
If the silverware used iron in its production, it would slowly start to rust.
That’s because water is corrosive to iron.
Stainless steel mixes iron with other alloys to reduce its corrosive nature.
The quality of the stainless steel determines how well it’s able to resist corrosion and several other features.
In terms of silverware, high-quality stainless steel ensures that the silverware remains strong and doesn’t break over time.
The last thing you want is to use a knife or fork and have it break while in use.
High-quality silverware ensures that it remains durable.
The problem with high-quality silverware is that it uses high-quality stainless steel.
High-quality stainless steel is expensive.
It uses the best chromium and other alloys.
Those alloys don’t come cheap.
When there’s a shortage of that specific grade of stainless steel, it means the price becomes even more expensive.
Everyone is trying to get their hands on it to make their products.
The manufacturer who has the most money to spend is going to be able to get it.
As such, production costs increase and the price of the product increases.
Silverware is expensive when it uses high-quality stainless steel because stainless steel can become expensive.
3. Forging
One of the major differences between cheap silverware and expensive silverware is whether it’s hand-forged or produced in a factory.
A lot of cheap silverware comes from a factory.
Whether it uses silver or steel, a factory pours the ore into a mold, then cuts it, and ships it out.
Hand-forging a piece of silverware takes a lot more time, effort, and skill.
That’s because a lot of smiths that hand-forge silverware use the same methods used in the 1700s.
Some even use the same technology since it gives the best results.
Their aim isn’t quantity but quality.
Hand-forging silverware made of actual silver is tougher than forging with steel.
That’s because silver acts differently when you forge with it.
It becomes harder the hotter it becomes.
To work with it, silversmiths have to repeatedly heat it and douse it to soften it back up.
Due to this complexity, working with silver usually means that the product is going to be quite expensive.
Hand-forging allows the smith to add incredible detail to the piece, however.
They can add things like family crests or other symbols to the silverware.
They’re essentially making a custom piece since no two silverware sets are ever quite the same.
They even add their own maker’s mark on the back of it to further authenticate it.
Hand-forging takes a lot more time.
Since the company isn’t able to produce as many products as others, they have to make up for that loss in profit by selling their silverware at higher prices.
It also requires experienced smiths.
They don’t come cheap either.
Hand-forging makes silverware quite expensive since it makes production more pricey.
4. Actual Silver
Silverware is also expensive when it uses real silver.
Silverware can come in several different materials.
Plastic, stainless steel, and silver are some of the most popular.
Plastic is the cheapest type of silverware since it’s easy to produce in mass numbers.
It’s also lighter which makes it easier and cheaper to transport.
Stainless steel is the next tier of expense.
You can find cheap stainless steel silverware as well as expensive stainless steel silverware.
It all comes down to the quality of the silverware.
The most expensive material is silver.
Silverware gets its name from the common use of silver to make a table setting back in the day.
It was all the rage among nobles and the wealthy.
Commoners frequently used wooden silverware if they used any kind of instruments at all.
Although silverware typically refers to spoons, forks, and knives made of silver, it can mean any type of tableware made of any material.
Silverware made with silver is expensive, however, because silver is a precious metal.
While it isn’t quite as valuable as gold, it’s usually a runner-up.
Like gold, silver prices can also fluctuate.
There are times in the market when silver is more expensive than usual.
When this happens, companies that use silver to make their silverware have to pay more for the material.
Since their production costs are higher, they’re going to have to sell their products at higher prices to offset the cost.
When silver isn’t quite as expensive, they might not have as high of prices, but they’re still going to be expensive compared to plastic and stainless steel.
Silverware uses a lot of silver.
Since most companies have to pay for silver by weight, the more they buy, the more expensive their costs.
Silverware is expensive when it’s made out of actual silver.
5. Durability
Another factor that makes silverware expensive is that it’s durable.
When you buy high-quality stainless steel silverware or actual silverware made of silver, it’s going to last a long time.
Real silverware made of silver requires maintenance, but it keeps its form.
At most, it starts to turn black when it doesn’t get polished enough.
Stainless steel offers some of the best durability.
It’s very hard to break stainless steel, especially if you bought silverware that uses a high-quality grade.
The durability makes silverware expensive for a few reasons.
The first is that it means it’s less dangerous.
You don’t have to worry about biting off a fork and having the prongs dislodged in your mouth.
That added security is something some people pay for when buying expensive silverware.
It also means the silverware lasts longer.
Because it lasts longer, it means the customers don’t have to buy more sets in the future.
They’re able to hold onto and use their silverware for a long time.
Since the manufacturers aren’t going to get many repeat buyers for their wares, they have to sell at higher prices.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to generate enough profit.
Finally, the manufacturer faces increased costs to make a product durable.
It has to undergo several tests to ensure that it’s able to last a long time.
If there’s a flaw, then they have to remake and waste even more resources and money.
A durable product usually uses more materials or better materials than one that is prone to breaking.
Since production costs are higher, they sell their products at higher prices.
Silverware is expensive because it lasts a long time.
6. Heirloom
Some silverware gets passed down as heirlooms.
That makes them expensive for a few reasons.
The first is that silverware that gets passed off as heirlooms are usually top-tier pieces.
They’ll sometimes have a family crest on them or some other identifying mark that represents the family.
They also usually use the best silver possible on the market.
Most of these pieces are also hand-forged rather than made in a factory.
Hand-forged silverware is superior to those made in factories since the smith can create incredible designs that a factory can’t always mimic.
All these features make the silverware set a lot more expensive to purchase.
The family then passes the set down from generation to generation.
This means that the smith likely won’t be making them a new set any time soon.
While some generations might put in an order for a new set, by and large, they just use the heirloom.
That means that there aren’t quite as many buyers.
To ensure they’re able to make as much money as they can from the few sales that they do make, silversmiths charge high prices on their silverware sets.
Silverware is expensive because some of them end up becoming heirlooms which impacts supply and demand.
7. Brand Name
The person or company that makes the silverware also adds some value to it.
Several companies produce high-quality silverware.
They may have a small team of silversmiths or use high-quality materials that they then put through a factory.
They’re brands that have spent time building a reputation for themselves.
The reputation might be for durable work, for elegant work, or they might try to target luxury customers.
Once they have a reputation for their work, they’re able to sell at higher prices.
That’s because their customers know that they’re going to get a quality piece from them.
For many people, it’s worthwhile to pay a bit more to get a good piece than to risk your finances by buying from a brand that you’re less familiar with.
Smiths who work on their own tend to have even more expensive prices.
That’s because they do all the work, themselves.
Many smiths come from smithing families that have worked the craft for several generations.
Their family name acts as their brand.
When you order silverware from them, you know you’re going to get a high-quality piece.
They’re bringing hundreds of years of experience to the table.
Silverware is expensive when you buy from well-known brands.
8. One-Off Purchase
Another major factor that makes silverware expensive is the fact that most people treat it as a one-off purchase.
Unless you’re particularly harsh with your silverware, there’s a good chance you’re only going to buy one set your entire life.
You may not even need to buy a set at all if you get one passed down to you from your parents.
That’s because silverware usually lasts a long time.
It’s made of durable and long-lasting metal that will likely outlive you.
Because of this silverware manufacturers have to make as much money as possible on the sales that they do make.
To do so, they charge high prices for their products.
Silverware is expensive because you usually only buy it once which impacts supply and demand.
9. Works Of Art
Some silverware sets are practical works of art.
Whether it’s the design of a handle or the fact that it uses gold, some pieces are more art than serve a practical function.
When certain products are more artistic than practical, they tend to be more expensive.
That’s because it’s obvious that a lot of skill, time, and effort went into its production.
It’s appealing to the eyes, too, which further adds to the price tag.
The fact that some silverware sets are more artistic also means that it’s more collectible.
10. Collectible
When silverware becomes collectible, it also becomes more expensive.
When buying silverware secondhand, for example, or at an auction, you’ll sometimes find that some sets sell for far more than others.
Those sets usually have some sort of collectible factor driving the price.
It might be because they’re from a famous silversmith.
It might be because it uses a rare grade or quality of silver.
There may be something about its artistic design that makes it collectible.
Some simply have a great history behind them.
Whatever the reason is, collectible items tend to be more expensive.
That’s because collectors can sell their collections at extremely high prices down the line.
There are usually a lot of interested parties all trying to get their hands on the product.
With low supply and high demand, the price of the silverware set increases.
Silverware is expensive when it’s deemed a collectible.
Conclusion
Silverware can help you eat your food and avoid certain messes.
However, certain factors like the material of your silverware, who made it, and what it looks like can impact its price.
