Eating Utensils: A snapshot of the market, and reasonable alternatives

[Konrad .]

One of the first purchases I ever made when I started getting into UL backpacking was a titanium spork. Everything about it screamed cutting edge, lightweight, efficient, chic, and awesome. In my brain, a $10+ dollar spork was totally worth it. I never really second guessed my purchase, and actually ended up accumulating a few more here and there along the way.

It was only recently that I started questioning my utensil choices. After spending 3 weeks on the JMT, I realized every meal I ate only ever required a spoon. The tines on my sporks were more a nuisance than utilitarian. I also questioned my selection of materials. Why titanium? why aluminum? why even metal at all!? I don't keep my utensils in boiling water, and the occasional stir in hot foods is unlikely to melt or damage anything but the softest disposable utensil. So I began my quest for a better, lighter, and more user-friendly alternative. I believe I've found just that.

I was in a westcoast based Japanese general store by the name of "Tokyo Japanese Lifestyle" (see: http://www.tokyojlsusa.com) and I found a ultra lightweight and sturdy spoon made from bamboo. The price: $2.29
I also found a 3 pack of super long and lightweight hard plastic spoons. The price for the 3-pack was $1.99

The bowl on the hard plastic spoon is extremely deep, and reminiscent of a soup spoon you would find at a Chinese restaurant. Maximum food intake per scoop.

The bowl on the bamboo spoon is slightly deeper than any other titanium/aluminum utensil I've owned.

But enough of the boring crap, lets get on to the weights.

From left to right:
Bamboo spoon: 4g
Aluminum Sea to Summit Spork: 10g
Long Plastic Spoon with deep bowl: 9g
BPL long titanium spoon: 10g
REI folding spork: 16g

I can't seem to find my ultra short BPL titanium spoon, so I can't compare that one at the time being…but I highly doubt it'll beat the 4g of the bamboo spoon. According to BPL, that spoon weighed 7g.

I see myself bringing the white long handled plastic spoon with the deep bowl. It's just as practical as my trusted long handled titanium spoon, but more user friendly. The plastic is very thick and sturdy, yet has decent flex to it.

I encourage other's to explore the possibilities out there. For those interested, there are numerous Tokyo Lifestyle stores with the majority of them being located in malls. I was in one located in orange county, CA

PS: I know all you Kupilka and Kuksa users out there are bug-eyed about that bamboo spoon! :D

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

Nice post. I'm also not so enthusiastic about sporks anymore. My wife uses a Light My Fire Titanium Spork (20g, wow!) while I've been using a 16g MSR Ti Spoon.

I'm personally not a fan of plastic for melting reasons. It's not an issue if you normally cook in a pot, but if you ever try to fry a freshly caught fish in an Evernew frying pan lid, then you'll notice skid marks of melted plastic on the fry pan really quickly.

Bamboo looks like a great material for a spoon. I'm a little concerned the handle might be a bit too short on that 4g spoon, but it's tough to judge without using it. One nice thing with titanium (vs. other metals) is that it's a bit springy so it doesn't permanently bend nearly as easily as aluminum.

[Stephen Barber]

I love the bamboo spoon! The plastic one – meh! Now I have to make a trip to the local Asian food market to see if they have any bamboo spoons!

[Rusty Beaver]

Thanks for posting! I have also pondered my true need for a spork…and was curious if there was a wooden spoon that would be reasonably light. I had no idea they could actually be lighter!

Regarding a metal spork, I always liked the ability to disinfect it over the stoves flame when I thought it needed it. I'm liking the esthetics and idea of using wood better though. Now, if I could just find a bamboo spoon locally….

[Brian UL]

Ive been using a bamboo spoon for years. Wood feels a lot nicer on the teeth and lips. Wood also naturally resist the growth of bacteria. I keep meaning to carve my own some day -one with a long handle.

[W I S N E R !]

I carved this in '09 out of red oak, sealed with mineral spirits.

A whopping ~14 grams.

I really want to make a long handled version out of some black walnut I found.

[Ken Thompson]

Whole Food and the like have them usually too. Got a set for less than three bucks at my local grocery co-op.

[James holden]

im waiting for someone to make a nut tool that will double as a spoon … i find it works OK with pasta marco polo style, but my attempt to eat chili with it was an utter disaster

[Terry Trimble]

OI have quite a few of the miso soups spoons their great for eating soup but are kinda flexy. But i got hooked on them when i lived in Okinawa,Japan. I wish someone made a folding titanium spoon that is deep as the sporks.
Terry

[Matthew Perry]

How about the new GSI Kung-Foon?

http://www.thegearcaster.com/the_gearcaster/2011/08/everybodys-kung-foon-eating-on-the-trail.html

[Larry M]

Oooo, me like.

Even better would be a spoon version instead of the spork.

[David Chenault]

It doesn't take long to figure out that sporks aren't all they're cracked up to be. Gave up on them (for the Sea to Summit long alu spoon) years ago.

That bamboo spoon is classy though.

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

The GSI Kung-Foon is replacing the very SUL and I might add CHEAP Rehydrate spoon that was perfect. Just realize that instead of $2 that Kung-=Foon is going to empty your wallet. And being a Foon AND metal it blows both at using in lined pots and bags.

[Joslyn Bloodworth]

As a Kupilka fan I am going nuts over that bamboo spoon. I already have a Kupilka spoon that works pretty much the same, but if I were to ever go out on a trip where I felt concern for losing it or just to have a backup in my gear closet the one you showed would be great!

[BlackHatGuy]

I also stopped using sporks quite some time ago. I've also stopped using the long-handled spoons, as well. Instead, after my Mary Janes meal is rehydrated, I use my small pen knife to cut off the top so a long-handled spoon isn't necessary.

[John Donewar]

Sarah,

"The GSI Kung-Foon is replacing the very SUL and I might add CHEAP Rehydrate spoon that was perfect."

Say it isn't so. Don't tell me that my GSI, $2.00, pretty blue, SUL rehydrate spoon is going the way of the dodo and the dinosaurs. ;-?

Party On,

Newton

[Scott S]

I use an REI Lexan spoon – 8g and virtually indestructible (mine's been used for ~200 meals now).

[Erik Basil]

Well, we own a variety of spoons and such, and I have a few that I like. I do like the generic folding ti spork (mine says Optimus, is the same as yours and his and hers, though) for meals where I don't need to get down into a bag or might want "to stick somthing", ha ha!

The long-handled hard-ano aluminum spoons are lighter than the ti and I like them for stirring and eating out of bags, so much so that we might be switching to these in our personal kits.

The Light My Fire spork, which is really a fork on one end and a spoon on the other, is a great item, though: easy to clean, easy to use, no tines when you don't want them (ever try to get that last bit of soup with the regular spork?) and they're light. I hope someone here can weigh one for us, but I wonder if the plastic are even lighter than the ti version…definitely lighter in the dollar-to-gram catagory.

And to think I used to backpack with the steel, 3-piece Scout utensil set! Actually, I'll use that one this weekend, but I only have to walk a hundred yards :)

[Rob Daly]

I've been using the same Lexan spoon I bought from REI way over 10 years ago. :D

[carl becker]

I just use a Wendy's plastic spoon for my oatmeal, tea and Mary Janes cut down bowl. I keep an extra sealed one also. Free and light.

[Rusty Beaver]

I like the feel of a longer handle but also wanted something that would fit in my cook pot. That's when I mated my Snow Peak spork to a lexan (GSI I think) spoon handle. I just cut off part of the spork handle then did the same to the lexan spoon. I attach the two pieces with a short section of filter hose…about 1" long that I leave on one of the two pieces (on the titanium in the pic).

Works well. Don't know its weight.

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

Yeah…I have no idea what I will do when I run out of my stock pile of GSI Rehydrates…..they are what I sell in my FBC Starter Kits. I sell a lot of them! $2 is cheap and they last. But REI doesn't carry them and I am sure that was a death knell for that model.

[Emmett Lyman]

Cool idea! Better be extra careful not to drop that nut tool though. :-)

[Miles Spathelf]

Any chance you could post the maker of that deep bowl bamboo spoon or a better picture of the label that it came with? I tried calling http://www.tokyojlsusa.com/ in orange county but the service person did not seem to understand what I was trying to get. Local asian stores in Anchorage only have relatively shallow spoons. Cheers

[Konrad .]

Hi Miles, unfortunately the majority of text on the packaging is in Japanese. On the front of the packaging it does say "COOKINGTOOL&TABLEWARE"

There is a tiny logo on the backside of the packaging that says HAYASHI

And a website link can be found below that logo
http://www.imanity.co.jp

I bought the spoons at the Tokyo Lifestyle located in the Westminster Mall in Orange County (Westminster, CA)

Here's some better shots.

There's a slight possibility that I will be going back to CA near the end of the year…I will try to pick up extras for those interested.
I will definitely be back in CA at the end of March, and if the spoons are still available, I'll grab as many as I can and sell them at cost.

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