I was impressed with this compostable cutlery set right out of the box. The knives, spoons, and forks are separated out into individual compartments, and the pieces themselves have a high-quality look to them. We used the forks and knives for Thanksgiving dinner and everyone commented on how nice they look -- the matte finish is definitely an upgrade from typical glossy looking plastic utensils. But the true test of these was seeing how durable the utensils were. They were surprisingly effective for cutting turkey and ham into bite-sized pieces for our little ones. AND the spoons did not wilt AT ALL in our soups!