We have C and B Cafeware II. Porcelain. No cut marks after 15 years of daily use.

I have Lenox porcelain that seems to not get utensil marks.

You can usually get the marks off with BKF if you wanted to, though, but I suspect it would eat through the glaze if you did it often.

We purchased a set of CB Cafeware II a couple of years ago -- not very impressed: although no gray marks (surface marks which, yes, can be removed with BKF), the glazed surface has 'cuts'/slices all over -- can be felt as I run my nails across the surface. User error? :/

I totally believe that dishes 10 years and older still look great. Let's hear about ones 2-3 years or less. They truly don't make things like they used to. Don't get me started on sheets and towels....

Lisa, consider Sur La Table 'Bistro'. Porcelain. No marks or chips in the 5 years I've had them, and they've gone from formal dining room to patio buffet (and in between) with no mishaps.

Bistro

As beth09 says, I do think things used to be made better than they are now .....

On the subject of things not being made as well, should we be considering flatware as well? Maybe my 60 year old knives are too dull to scratch the glaze but too well made to rub off grey onto dishware. :P

I use the CB Essentials for our daily dishes and they are definitely starting to show some grey cut marks after about 5 years of use. It doesn't bother me, but they are there.

Pillivuyt and Apilco from Williams Sonoma are indestructible. I have the plain Apilco dishes and they are pristine after 20 years of heavy use. If I were to buy today, I would choose Osier from Pillivuyt. I would imagine the Revol dishes at SLT are just as good.

RE: Dishes not made like they used to (along with so much else!), my Mom had an extensive collection of Louisville stoneware pottery in Harvest, most of which was signed. It had no flatware marks although the glaze was wearing off, and she'd bought 2 sets of flatware more recently. I'd give anything had I kept it. I was concerned about the lack of remaining glazing. It was the most extensive set I've seen and I adored it.

I worry that any dishes we buy now will not hold up to flatware. Maybe we should just cook and serve gruel exclusively. At least we'd keep our dishes pristine.

The Apilco dinnerware seems to have high reviews in looking quickly just now, Rita.

Nah, gruel won't work. The worst grey marks I have are inside mugs that kids eat soup out of. They have spoon marks!!

My "fancy" china dates to the 1940s and the glaze will take damage if knives are used (by SOME people) on meat, so the good china no longer sees prime rib, ham, etc.

Many of the English brands, Spode and Wedgwood are no longer being made in the UK (and to be clear it is not outsourcing the production of the dishes that cheapens them- it is the lowering of the standards that cheapens them- obviously Chinese porcelain can be quite fine.)

I worry that any dishes we buy now will not hold up to flatware. Maybe we should just cook and serve gruel exclusively. At least we'd keep our dishes pristine.

Or, just eat with our hands. *looks around questioningly*

I thought that the grey cut marks can be removed by using Bar Keeper's. I recall a few threads about this quite a while ago. Or Bon Ami.

I was interested in white Fiesta Ware and called the company and they also told me the grey marks can be removed.

Here is a link from the Kitchn: http://www.thekitchn.com/the-best-way-to-remove-scuff-marks-from-white-dishes-225993

I bought Tuxton from a restaurant supply store 4 years ago and they still look brand new.

No, beth09, you are the only one here who eats all meals with your hands. That was your question, right? {shaking head disapprovingly} ; )

D Maire, perhaps someone here who has gray marks on dishes might try it? I'd think it would eventually ruin the finish though.

^^ this is very informative, thank you! So does it then stand to reason if one's flatware does not cause marks on your current dishes, they should not cause marks on most other dishes?

But wait, I had cheapo flatware for a very long time, and the same dishes as with my better flatware now... or perhaps it wasn't so cheap? And now that I think of it, I've used my Sterling with the same dishes, with no transfer, cutting turkey slices and ham... I can remember the screeching on the plates (hate that sound!). What you are saying makes complete sense, but why hasn't my sterling left marks?

Most sterling has stainless steel blades.

"Sterling" silver is also an alloy. Usually copper, but there can be other mixes as well. It's not cut and dried what will and what won't leave marks, because it's a two factor issue.

^^And what Fori said.

Thank you for all the input. I have tried BKF but it doesn't seem to work on my Ikea dishes. I think they are stoneware.

I have 36 C&B Aspen dinner dishes that I use when entertaining a large crowd. Have purchased them in groups of 12 over the past 8-10 years with the most recent a little over a year ago. Granted, they don't get daily use, but I have been very pleased with them. Also have salad plates and some bowls. All look brand new.

I have some Denby stoneware that doesn't get marks. Much better than my old Noritake. I think Denby makes some solid white patterns.

I posted this before-and-after a couple of years ago (click to enlarge):

The centers of our 30+ y/o Noritake stoneware dinner plates were absolutely grey from the fork and knife marks. BKF + a lot of elbow grease provided amazing results. Almost embarrassing to say, but the flowers that I thought were grey, were actually white!

2Many: my mauve floral dishes that are over 30 years old. :)

Wow javi, BIG difference!!

I've used BKF and it works, but as soon as I use my IKEA dishes again, the marks emerge. So now I consider the marks a design.

Sorry...I know you didn’t ask, but I am a big fan of the new white Corelle dinnerware styles for the very reasons you have questions about.

Rantontoo - I was wondering if Corelle would show the marks or not. Thanks!

I have Ikea PS porcelain dishes and serving ware, no marks after 10+ years.

I gave away some pretty Ikea stoneware bowls on which the grey marks kept recurring and needed scrubbing with barkeeper's friend repeatedly.

I also have Ikea's version of Corelle dishes (I think they are much prettier than Corelle - no thickened rims) and they have no marks after many years of use.

I've had Apilco white from Williams Sonoma for a few years and no marks at all. Worth every penny.

I've never seen grey marks on my Corelle plates or bowls, older or newer pieces.

It's good to hear Corelle isn't leaving marks. However, I have heard (read reports on line) that if it breaks (which isn't often), it shatters, as in tons of little shards. Anyone experience this?

I had this problem and more with an extensive set of Noritake Casual Gourmet that I inherited. It had been hand washed but when I got it and started using it for everyday, it got thrown in the dishwasher and that's when the trouble began. It started to get marks (although not as bad as the first picture above) and in some pieces the transfer pattern began to wear off meaning the glaze was gone. I ended up replacing the damaged pieces so I could keep the set and went back to hand washing.

It was definitely not caused by my flatware (everyday - stainless steel, special occasions - silver plate) but by the dishwasher. I still use the same flatware and there has been no damage since I went back to hand washing it.

I have had several expensive brands of stone ware and swear I will never purchase stoneware again. It marks, chips, cracks, etc. I purchased from Macy's some Gorham Breckenridge china after reading many recommendations. Have had it for about 3 or 4 years now. Never a gray mark, washes beautifully in the dishwasher and is microwave safe. Macy's no longer carries it, but I believe BBB does. It is not an expensive china and usually goes on sale for half price during the holidays, at least it did at Macy's. A set for 8 cost me $50. I highly recommend it.

We've had Aspen since 2009 and they hold up really well. Great price point as well.

Sur la Table Bistro! It goes on sale a few times a year. I've had it for 3 years, use it daily, and not a single mark.

We have C&B porcelain and it started showing marks within a few years. At 10 years old it is embarrassing to serve guests on, it looks hideous. BKF requires a ton of elbow grease for a temporary fix.

bring your silverware to the store and test on potential replacements, maybe

Beth09, in answer to your question about Corelle, I had bought a set of plain white Corelle a couple years ago. I dropped one dish and it became a hundred razor-sharp shards going all over the kitchen. It is truly terrifying. I think when people talk about loving Corelle, they have older Corelle. The formula changed some years ago and Corelle dishes became more brittle. After my dish shattered, the set immediately went into the garbage. I am not having a family member lose an eye, or be permanently scarred over a dish.

Corning spun off their consumer products division in the late 90's which is now called World Kitchen. Corelle is a layered, tempered glass product, not some kind of plastic as many people think. I don't know about the Corelle formula but the company did change their Pyrex products. It used to be made of borosilicate glass (and still is for Pyrex products sold in Europe). In the USA, all Pyrex is now made of soda-lime glass which some claim shatters more easily. Wouldn't be surprised that changes were made to the Corelle formula to benefit the bottom line.

My Corelle stays in large chunks when is breaks with some shards but nothing like glass. More often, it does not break when dropped.

M Miller, thank you for clarifying. That is exactly what I had read about, seriously razor sharp shards, everywhere. That would be a NO!

I had some Dansk cereal bowls that marked like crazy and some cheap IKEA bowls that never did. Same flatware. So it doesn’t seem to be a “get what you pay for” situation. I e had other white plates that got zero marks, one set was cheap, one wasn’t.

I had the Aspen for ten years. It is real workhorse dinnerware. I used daily. I don't own "formal" dinnerware, so that was it. I passed it along to a family member with he advice to use BarKeeper's Friend on the marks. They chose not to.

I have white Mikasa china that has some fine scratches from use, but they are not any color. Flatware is 18/10 Reed & Barton. I think those are both middling brands. On the other hand, I have some cheap white coffee mugs that have many gray marks simply from stirring (Target or Walmart mugs).

I saw some white dishes made of glass at IKEA recently. I may get some of the cereal bowls to try.

You can try Zud to remove the grey marks.

I had this problem with my old set of Studio Nova dishes. I replaced them with Denby about 10 years ago and they still look brand new.

After researching this problem I definitely agree with "The Cook's Kitchen" way above. It is a combination of dishes and flatware that causes the problem. So two people with the same dishes may have or not have marks depending on their flatware type. It seems that it is the nickel content that causes the marks (bad), but that same nickel also prevents rust stains (good) - so it is a balancing act. I have Villeroy & Boch (white bone porcelain), Yamazaki (18/8 stainless) that is about 10 years old. I can see gray marks but they are not too bad and seems like they took many years to accumulate.

I have had the same problem with Crete and Barrel so if you got 7 years from

Ikea for that price might say good deal. C&B start turning after 1.5 years,

After 7 years, these tuxton plates https://www.webstaurantstore.com/tuxton-ala-104-alaska-10-1-2-wide-rim-rolled-edge-bright-white-china-plate-case/303ALA104.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=Cj0KCQiA48j9BRC-ARIsAMQu3WTMcCCuclT1UdQm3D6wzMZn3HJPjHjcTxkIG4JG-Ipign33cjCLgsMaAkh3EALw_wcB still look brand new. If you don't mind buying a case of plates and have the storage room, the price is very reasonable, between $1 and $4/plate.

Corelle shatters into sharp shards. We stopped using it on our boat and RV for this reason.