Best Flatware Not Made in China

Best Flatware Not Made in China

How to kill an industry

First, to get it out of the way, we say “flatware” in the United States we’re talking about forks, spoons, and other silverware that goes into a table setting. In other countries, this is referred to as “cutlery”, but in the US that term only refers to knives. So if you’re looking for a fork or a spoon or a butter knife, you’re at the right place.

Flatware is one of those industries that in a perfect world it makes total sense to offshore: it’s a product that’s commoditized and has a relatively cheap price point. And as long as companies seek out countries that are honest about their business practices and have a government that isn’t corrupt and seeks for the best for its local communities over its own power, then outsourcing can be a great thing.

However, if you look through Amazon product listings for Mikasa, Oneida, Lenox, Zwilling JA Henckels, Pfaltzgraff you’ll see (by reading customer reviews) that practically all of them outsource to China. Apparently some of them do, from time to time, switch to other countries like Vietnam or Indonesia, but somehow all roads seem to go back to China.

You’ll notice something else on Amazon. Search for “flatware” and you’ll see brands like PHILIPALA, LIANYU, DANIALLI, Acnusik and other gibberish names ranking at the top, complete with thousands of fake 5-star reviews that Amazon has no intention of policing. You’ll notice that a lot of these “brands” have patterns and materials that closely resemble the famous brands. This is because unlike countries like Vietnam and Indonesia that respect intellectual property laws, companies in China will not think twice about copying a product (sometimes literally running it from the same production line), creating a shell brand (complete with a fake Web site and fake reviews), and cutting out the American middleman by selling direct to consumers. They’re even getting savvy by pricing their flatware sets at premium prices, knowing that a portion of the American consumer automatically assumes that “expensive is better”.

I’ve literally gone through hundreds of flatware sets from all the big brands and can’t find one that consistently avoids China, even among vaunted brands like Lenox, Mikasa, and Pfaltzgraff. It seems that corporate greed knows no borders.

Is there any flatware still made in the USA?

Believe it or not, yes. Today you still see the name Oneida on flatware, but they are Oneida in name only. The “real” Oneida that was founded in Oneida, NY in 1880 and grew to become the world’s largest flatware producer is no longer around, at least not in any meaningful way . They filed for bankruptcy in 2006, were passed around between a bunch of hedge fund managers and private equity groups who kept the brand name alive but all but gutted anything that made them unique.

Oneida had been headquartered in Sherrill, NY. In 2004, Oneida announced that it was shutting down its last manufacturing plant in the United States. In a bold move, two former Oneida employees, Gregory Owens and Matthew Roberts, bought the factory for $1 million. Just as Oneida shared a name with the town it was headquartered in, so did Sherrill Manufacturing.

For a while they tried to compete head-to-head with other flatware manufacturers, but they struggled and had to declare bankruptcy in 2010. But in a brilliant move, they decided to start selling direct to consumers under the Liberty Tabletop brand. They have their own Web site, and also sell through Amazon and other retailers.

In a bit of sleaziness, there were 11 flatware companies in 2016 that were listed on the GSA Website that claimed they were made in the US, but were made overseas. Happily, this has since been corrected, and Sherrill Manufacturing is now the only flatware maker recognized as made in the USA.

Bottom line, when you buy a Liberty Tabletop flatware set, you are essentially buying a “real” Oneida set, not a cheap one that has the Oneida name stamped on it but otherwise has none of Oneida’s “soul”.

Is flatware not made in China safe?

There’s a lot of debate about this around the Internet. The truth is, as with many things in China it’s a gamble. With higher end brands they’ll probably do more quality control (although at some point they need to trust their suppliers with a handshake). There are reports of material reports being forged–but companies looking to maximize profits may look the other way. It’s also widely reported that the quality of stainless steel falls well behind the true 18/10 quality stainless you’ll find in Europe and the US which can result in premature rusting. Finally, it’s been well documented (albeit swept under the run) that factories in China can be lax in their safety standards in the use of certain chemicals like TCE as well as questionable quality of the raw materials in making the steel, such as scrap iron.

About the list

This was a hard one to put together. At first I wanted to find more sets from the “big brands”, but found that it’s not uncommon for them to move their manufacturing from country to country, even on individual designs. So you can see instances were one Amazon reviewer says their box says “made in Vietnam” while another’s will say “made in China”. I’ve gone through hundreds of product listings from the “big brands” but it seems that all of them have gone through China at some point.

I looked at other retailers, but most of them were coy about the country of manufacture (hint: if it says “imported”, you pretty much know where it came from).

There were two notable exceptions: Williams-Sonoma and Crate & Barrel, both of whom on their product pages was extremely clear. I’ve highlighted some of the best-selling flatware sets from both of them below.

1. Annapolis by Liberty Tabletop – Best Overall

There’s not a lot to find wrong with this set (and the near-perfect ratings on Amazon corroborate this). It’s one of Liberty Treetop’s top-selling lines, produced using the highest quality raw materials sourced in the United States and made using the same exacting manufacturing processes and equipment that produced the best US-made Oneida flatware for years.

Unlike manufacturers in China, they don’t use toxic chemicals, oils, and lubes in their processes, making life good for their employees, and good for the environment of their upstate New York community.

If “Annapolis” is not the right pattern for you, they have many more to choose from, all produced with the same high quality.

Pros

  • NOT made in China
  • Top quality 18/10 stainless steel, sourced from the United States
  • Solidly built
  • Well balanced, sturdy
  • Produced without dangerous chemicals or inhumane working conditions
  • Dishwasher-safe

Cons

  • Limited patterns
  • Be prepared to pay a slight premium (knowing that you’re supporting a great company)

2. Betsy Ross by Liberty Tabletop



This is another line that’s very popular. Recently, Wirecutter named it among one of the best that they reviewed. I was happy to see Wirecutter recognizing the “soul” of Oneida that’s infused into each of these utensils.

Pros

  • NOT made in China
  • Top quality 18/10 stainless steel, sourced from the United States
  • Solidly built
  • Well balanced, sturdy
  • Produced without dangerous chemicals or inhumane working conditions
  • Dishwasher-safe

Cons

  • Limited patterns
  • Be prepared to pay a slight premium (knowing that you’re supporting a great company)

3. Caesna Mirror Flatware Set by Robert Welch for Crate & Barrel

If none of the Liberty Tabletop patterns work for you, another nice source is Crate & Barrel. Unlike Amazon’s site, Crate & Barrel very clearly marks the country of origin for any given set. For that alone, they deserve a closer look (because if you haven’t figured it out by now, Amazon hides this information very deliberately).

Of all the sets they sell, this set by English designer Robert Welch has by far the most reviews; as of this writing there are 1,077 reviews, which is five times more than any other set. Even more impressive is that the review average is 4.8 out of 5 stars. People love this set because of its clean lines, satin finish, and nice balance and weight. Crate & Barrel also has other highly-reviewed flatware sets designed by Robert Welch, including their Foster satin, Stanton satin, and Iona mirror lines.

Williams-Sonoma also has a number of Robert Welch patterns with similarly rave reviews, including Westbury, Kingham, Whitby, Flute, and Aaron.

Regardless of whether you buy from Crate & Barrel or Williams-Sonoma, these lines are all made in Vietnam.

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Pros

  • NOT made in China
  • 18/10 stainless steel
  • Dishwasher-safe
  • Good balance and weight

Cons

  • Limited data on working conditions in Vietnam

4. Boulder Flatware Set

This is another highly-reviewed and rated item on Crate & Barrel. This set is forged from 18/8 stainless steel with stylish heads and round hammered handles. They have a unique and beautiful contemporary design and are also sturdy. They’re also made in Vietnam.

5. Scoop Flatware Place Set

This is yet another another highly-reviewed and rated item on Crate & Barrel and my personal favorite. This set uses 18/10 stainless steel with stylish heads and has a mirrored finish and a lovely dimpled handle. It’s appropriate for both formal and casual settings, and it too is made in Vietnam.

Of course, you should look through all of Crate & Barrel’s catalog, as there are many other designs that are highly rated and you’ll be sure to find a great not-made-in-China option that suits your tastes. The Grand Hotel II has a familiar, classic design and is made in Vietnam. The Aero Black has an ultra-modern European style and is made in Portugal. Uptown has pencil-thin handles that are a pleasure to hold.

6. Fortessa Royal Pacific Flatware Set by Williams-Sonoma

Another great alternative to Amazon is Williams-Sonoma, who like Crate & Barrel clearly mark the country of origin of most of their products. I was surprised to see that the vast majority of sets at Williams-Sonoma came from Vietnam (13), Indonesia (10), France (10), Italy (7) and India (3), with only a handful (4) from China.

This is a unique design for Williams-Sonoma, forged by a manufacturer in Indonesia. It has a unique bamboo-like design and 18/10 stainless steel. I especially like the way the bamboo pattern is stylish but also lends some weight to all the pieces.

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Pros

  • NOT made in China
  • 18/10 stainless steel
  • Nice weight and polished finish

Cons

  • Limited data on working conditions in Indonesia

7. Mepra Vintage Roma Flatware Sets by Williams-Sonoma

These antiqued-pewter finish utensils were crafted in Italy by a family-owned company that’s been around for more than four generations. It’s made of 18/10 stainless steel with a high percentage of chrome for strength.

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Pros

  • NOT made in China
  • 18/10 stainless steel with a high percentage of chrome/li>
  • Dishwasher safe
  • Made in Italy

Cons

  • None

8. Laguiole 28-Piece Flatware Set, Wood

We’re getting into the “okay, this is a bit ridiculous” realm, but this 28-piece flatware set comes from France’s Laguiole region which is famous for their expertly crafted knives. The designs follow the same profile that Laguiole en Aubrac has been making since 1829, and shows off six different hardwoods harvested in France (olivewood, juniper wood, prune wood, applewood, boxwood, and walnut). And speaking of ridiculous, spend a few hundred more dollars and you can get the handless made out of polished animal horns.

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Pros

  • NOT made in China
  • Made by the same experts where the most famous French knives are forged

Cons

  • Expensive

9. Christofle Essential 24-Piece Stainless Steel Flatware Set

Here’s another pricey option that’s made in France. Christofle is a silversmith and tableware company founded in 1830 in France. You’ll find their shops in the fanciest shopping districts and stores. If you’re looking for high-end flatware, look at other Christofle designs to find one that fits your style and your budget.

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Pros

  • NOT made in China
  • Premium tableware made in France

Cons

  • Expensive

Do you know of other flatware sets not made in China worthy of mention here? Let us know in the comments!

23 Comments

  1. Thank you SOOOO much for this website. Because of this, I’m able to select gifts for Christmas that do not support China. In an effort to avoid Amazon as much as possible – because I’m a Christmas shopping procrastinator – I ended up going to the Liberty Tabletop website and purchasing their Celtic design flatware. Even if it gets here after Christmas, I’m just so happy with the design. My mom is really big into her Scottish heritage and loves all things Celtic. I was originally looking for German made, since I’m [just nearly] half German and already know German made products are typically very high quality. But I just couldn’t find anything that didn’t outsource to China. That’s when I found your website through a general search and got to this page which led me to Liberty Tabletop and the Celtic flatware design. Again, I don’t even care that it may not get here in time; It’s just so perfect as a gift for my mom, and I have you to thank for putting this site together. THANK YOU!!!!

    1. Thanks so much for the kind words, Elizabeth! Knowing that this site is helping awesome folks like you makes it all worthwhile 🙂

      I’m glad you’re enjoying your Liberty Tabletop flatware. I live in New York, and so literally every time I pick up a Liberty Tabletop fork or knife, I feel great about my purchase, knowing the quality and the pride that went into making it–it must have been what it felt like years ago to buy brands like Oneida before they sold out.

      It also feels great that my purchase is going to help local communities. I don’t even mind the taxes, which will go to the US government and New York State 🙂 As much as I wish our government would spend our money wiser, it’s a whole lot better than knowing that 50% of my purchase is going to help fund Xinjiang prison camps, surveillance states, and missiles pointed at Taiwan.

      I hope both you and your mom enjoy many, many years with your beautiful new flatware–in fact, I know that you both will 😉

    2. I am a retired tv reporter in central New York and covered the sad demise of Oneida. What a happy ending however with the birth of Liberty! Same buildings, equipment, workforce and quality. It was really the GSA contracts with the federal government that saved them. As the only American manufacturer of flatware, our servicemen and women now chow down at every military facility with Liberty Flatware.

      1. Thanks for your comment, Charlie.

        I don’t always see eye to eye with Senator Schumer, but he does deserve credit for the press release he issued in 2016 that called out how manufacturers other than Liberty were falsely labeling their products as Made in America.

        But of course, the Senator only took action thanks to news anchors and reporters like yourself who made sure consumers had full transparency into what corporate executives were doing to local industry.

        Sadly, I don’t see a lot of that in the current generation of reporters or politicians; it seems so rare to find anyone who will challenge the deep pockets of corporations and interest groups, and thanks to social media it seems those who dare stick their necks out are quickly neutralized. But I do have faith that were are enough of us out there who still care, and who will still speak up, one voice at a time 🙂

      2. Charlie, I loved reading that our military is utilizing flatware produced in the US. My husband and I are huge supports of the military. I stumbled across this website while researching flatware; but will return to it any time I plan on making any type of purchase.

  2. I want to thank you for this website. I used it to find some great flatware. I’m happy to see that there’s still at least one company and that makes high-quality flatware in the U.S. I will spread the word to family and friends.

  3. THANK YOU for putting together this website. It would be great if you could broadened the content to include other products not made in China. I live in Canada and I try very hard to find products that are not made in China. I avoid using Amazon whenever possible. Today I searched for “flatware not made in China” and up popped your website. People need to be educated about the cost of buying made in China products. I don’t mind paying a premium to support buying a product not made in China. Thank you again!

  4. thank you. Ive been looking at Mepra and its nice to see you listed it as truly Italian. as their website shows
    I believe in quality and not of great wealth but willing to spend the money to get the best made other than china.

  5. Hello – Thanks for this helpful info.! I am wondering who you might recommend as an Environmentally Friendly manufacturer of flatware at a low cost. I am on a budget. Also, I am wondering if you know of a manufacturer who may be able to modify an existing flatware utensil, as I have a provisional patent for one of the main 3 utensils (to modify). THANKS for ANY HELP! – Bruce W.

  6. Wonderful website! I believe including some of the better known German manufacturers NOT limiting their offering to import (Chinese) imports but rather still manufacturing in the cutlery capital of Germany, Solingen, may make sense. Made in Solingen is hard to come by but still exists: Franz Fürst, Picard & Wielpuetz, Pott are names that come to mind.

  7. Thank you for this information! Genuinely.

    Was looking at Oneida when I noticed many of the reviews mentioning the quality being cheap and, in this case, the knives rusting.

    We’re having to replace our cheaply made set we bought from a big box store that starts with T after one of the tines from a fork sliced open my husband’s lip. On closer inspection, much of the silverware had started to nick and appear sharp/gouged.

  8. I would beg to differ on your comment about Mikasa flatware being made in China. Only a small piece of the Mikasa business is made in China and it is predominantly “forged” flatware. The bulk of the business in Mikasa 18.10 stamped stainless is made in Vietnam by Korean owned factories. Quality is spectacular and the Korean owners are keen on promoting and elevating the Vietnam workers into management positions within their organizations

    1. I appreciate your taking the time to provide this information, Chris.

      I do wish that the product managers at Mikasa or the people who maintain their Web site would be as forthcoming and transparent with this kind of information. It typically takes me hours to research an article like this because such information is nearly impossible to find, which forces me to rely on second-hand information.

      In this case, I based my conclusion on the fact that every Mikasa product I could find (flatware, dinnerware, etc.) either marked “China” as its country of origin or left country of origin blank. Indeed, Amazon’s listing for all of Mikasa’s 18/10 flatware is still marked as “China”. If this has changed, Mikasa is probably losing a fair amount of business by not updating its Amazon listing.

      If there’s one bit of advice I’d have for all of Lifetime’s brands, it’s that IF there is manufacturing happening outside of China, they need to be explicit about it on their Web site and third party listings.

      If you’re so inclined, feel free to have someone at Mikasa reach out to me (steve at notochina.org) and I’ll be happy to learn more–I’ve been a long admirer of that brand and nothing would please me more than being able to add them to this list.

      And again, thanks for reaching out!

  9. Thank you, I found your website today doing a search for flatware not made in China, and I am so pleased to find one still made here in the great USA. I am originally from NY, so it even makes me happier that is where they are, After 20 years in the Navy, and 24 more supporting all of our forces, I will do without, if I can, if the item I am looking for is made in China. They are the biggest threat to our way of life in this world. Thanks again for your website and information

    1. Thanks so much for your comment, and even more for your service, Russell! It saddens me to think of all the brave soldiers who fought to defeat tyranny and oppression, only to have our corporate leaders use their freedom to build up more tyrants and oppressors. But I do think the tide is turning and more consumers are waking up, and I hope that means a lot more success for companies like Liberty Flatware.

  10. Thank you for the website! I was here this Sunday, clicked to Liberty Tabletop website and ordered our new flatware, Annapolis. So happy to find USA made products. Today is Thursday, and we have received our order, just 4 days after ordering, great job. Say no to China!

  11. Thank you so much, Steve, for this information/your website. I’ve spent hours over the past few months looking for 18/10 flatware similar to my vintage Reed & Barton or the exact replacement. In doing so, I’ve also viewed many other brands/patterns with an array of flatware stamped made in China, Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, or no marking at all. Often, the same pattern on different sites or in stores is stamped with a different country where it was manufactured. I’ve also viewed flatware on some websites that appeared to be non-authentic as to a specific brand. Also, many brands are often not fully transparent as to country of origin of their product.

    Thankfully, I found your website today. It still saddens me as to what happened to Oneida, or in fact, to the demise of so many American manufacturing plants producing an array of quality products & to the detrimental impact it had on its employees and the communities in which they lived.
    Your website has provided me with additional information as I continue my search. I’m also going to check out the website for Liberty flatware.

  12. Thanks for this website. I looked through all the options here and I ended up buying another brand called Herdmar which is made in Portugal. Might want to check them out and consider adding to the list here!

  13. I am thrilled with the Caesna Mirror Flatware Set! The mirror finish gives it a polished and sophisticated look that complements any table setting. The weight and feel of each piece are perfect, adding a sense of luxury to every meal. The attention to detail in the design and craftsmanship is evident. It’s not just flatware; it’s a statement piece that enhances my dining experience. I’m beyond satisfied with this purchase and would highly recommend the Caesna Mirror Flatware Set to anyone looking for both style and quality.

  14. I’ve had some very strange, negative experiences with any kind of kitchen or serve ware made in China. When a flatware set was stored near a computer graphite apparently sprayed on the product accumulated to a point that it appeared as a black hole in the package, making it unable to even see the service for 4. Nano particulates have also been found in everything from plastic food storage products to fabric in clothing. I have had reactions ranging from extreme heat, to intense itching that only natural essential oils could soothe and heal. Say no to China. They no longer deserve to trade with the US. Their products are intentional poison, and should be outlawed.

    1. Thanks for the tip, Ronnie! Salvinenni Flatware is definitely a top-notch flatware maker. I didn’t put them on this list, as my picks tend to be more focused on what US consumers can find over here (Salvinelli mainly serves Italy, the UK, Spain, and other European markets). If you’re lucky enough to be in one of their markets and are able to purchase from a local retailer like this one, I definitely recommend them.

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