A Love Affair With CUTCO

A gift of love with Cutco

Tomorrow’s lucky dad pick on our Pinks & Blues website, www.pinksandblues.com, is the Cutco Spatula Spreader, a fine and handy-dandy utility knife that pretty much does it all. And it just so happens that I have a little story to go along with today’s “we use, we choose, we endorse!” product.

It is very true that my husband Barry and I use the Cutco Spatula Spreader so much that we need to have two of them in our kitchen. It spreads. It slices. It frosts. It folds. All perfectly, every time!

And although that Cutco Spreader may be our favorite utility knife of choice, it will take a lot of years for it to earn its place of honor among the rest of the Cutco knives, kitchen utensils, and steak knives that have been in my family for nearly 60 years.

Yes, 60 years. My Mom purchased her set of Cutco knives, kitchen utensils, and steak knives while she was a single, working woman and living at home in Brighton, Massachusetts. She doesn’t remember all the details, but she does remember a Cutco representative coming to her mother’s home, selling these exquisite knives. The funny thing is that my Mom did little (or no!) cooking or baking at that time… my grandmother did it all.

My Mom loved to wear pretty, fashionable clothes (she still does!), go to the shore on weekends with her sisters and friends, and most especially she loved to dance.

But those beautiful knives and utensils sparked an interest that could not be denied. My Mom remembers paying a few dollars a week for the knives and utensils until they were her very own. She didn’t have a hope chest, but she did have hope that she would someday meet the man of her dreams.

And one day she danced her way into the heart of a sailor stationed in the Boston area. They were married 8 months later with nothing but their young love, blessings from family and friends, and the Cutco knives and utensils!

1950 – Rita and Bill set out on a “forever guarantee!”

Three children came along pretty quickly, a son, then me, and another son. We traveled all over the United States to wherever my Dad was stationed. And wherever we went, I remember those Cutco knives and utensils in each kitchen. And although I didn’t mind moving so much, the Cutco certainly became the stabilizing factor in my life. Like Mom and Dad, the Cutco was there at every meal, every celebration, every event.

My Mom and Dad, like most people of their generation, took great pride in taking care of their possessions. “Things” meant something… and rarely was anything dispensable.

My Mom washed the Cutco carefully and always placed the utensils in their proper sleeves or containers. My Dad sharpened the Cutco knives with great precision before even thinking of carving into the holiday turkey or ham. And my Dad always created the most masterful mashed potatoes with the Cutco masher with its dazzling diamond shapes. I can still see the white feathery fluff of the potatoes and butter and milk as it folded through those little diamond cutouts.

And, oh yeah… my Mom did learn how to cook and bake and did so every day for decades! I particularly remember the Cutco serving spatula inching through the homemade cakes and frosting of every birthday cake in my life.

1971 – Note the ceremonial CUTCO serving spatula sticking from the cake!

When my Dad passed away and the kids left home, my Mom didn’t cook or bake as much, but her kitchen still had the familiar Cutco utensils and knives. But it wasn’t until my daughter Jane’s college boyfriend became a Cutco representative in the summer of 1998 that Cutco carved its way into my life again. He had been very well trained and informed about Cutco’s reputation and “forever guarantee,” but he was still more than a little surprised when I showed him my Mom’s collection of Cutco! Knowing what I know about Cutco, I bought several pieces (including my first Spatula Spreader). I love my Spreader and my knives.

But one of the greatest gifts and surprises of my life came this past Christmas when my Mom gave me her entire set of vintage Cutco knives, kitchen utility set, and steak knives. And with this gift came the original box (and original instructions!) that the Cutco Professional Honing Stone came in. I was mesmerized! Memories of my childhood and teenagehood would now be in MY kitchen each meal, each day.

Now each time I see my reflection in these knives and utensils, I see my Mom lighting my birthday candles. I see my Dad’s delightful face at Thanksgiving dinner. I see myself making happy memories for my family.

Who ever thought you’d get THAT kind of “forever guarantee”?