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? asked in Games & RecreationHobbies & Crafts · 6 years ago

Do/ Should navies use light metal dishware instead of ceramics?

For anyone knowledgeable in navy affairs:

I notice that ceramics have been and probably still are a predominant form of material used for eating equipment aboard naval vessels, whereas cheaper brass and other metals are mainly used in things like cooking pots and perhaps utensils.

Would having all dishware using cheap and lightweight materials like brass or stainless steel mean not only lighter load for ships to carry when deployed to sea, but also less susceptible to damage from things like shattering plates and cups? I just can't picture ceramic materials being so much better than light metals or even plastics.

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  • 6 years ago

    You have a vivid imagination if you think brass is cheaper than mass produced ceramics and apparently have not eaten off of metal plates which rapidly cool the food placed on them, unlike warmed ceramic plates. Most military people have eaten off of metal mess kits in the field where they have to carry their kit and weight is important - they hate the speed needed for eating to avoid chilled food.

    Ships are the last place for concern about weight for tableware considering the massive weight of almost everything else and for sailors at sea, morale considerations of hot good food outweigh (literally) weight of plates.

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