Reed & Barton Bristol Mahogany Finish Flatware Chest - 11.55 LB Brown Wooden Silverware Storage Box | Perfect for Dining Room, Wedding Gift & Heirloom Collection

There was a time when every flatware manufacturer made a quality chest to protect their products. Today, many of them look 10x better in the photos than in real life. Fortunately, Reed & Barton seems to be the exception, and this case seems worthy to store $500+ of special-occasion flatware. The hardware is well finished, and the drawer pulls out smoothly, with slots for additional flatware. (I was expecting just a plain, empty drawer.) Both sections use tarnish-resistant felt covering. The finish of the wood itself is what I'll call 'Ethan Allen grade.'The upper area has 9 slots for silverware, plus a piece with thin slots in the front for additional pieces (knives). As seen in the photo, there is room for 12 knives in the top. The lower drawer has 8 more slots for serving pieces, etc., with slightly wider spacing between the slots. I see no reason why it would not fit a service for 12 plus any serving pieces that one could have.The only complaint I have is the manufacturer's packaging. The corrugated box, itself is OK; however, the inner packing consists of two poorly-made Styrofoam ends. There are many different grades of foam; this box used the softer type, which tends to turn to pellets over time when it bounces around during transit. One of the ends was 50-60% disintegrated; the other one was cracked in 3 places. This is a fine piece of woodwork, meant to last a lifetime in one's home, and it would seem that better packing materials are in order. It's a testament to the build quality of the product itself that none of the foam issues caused damage to the chest. However, had I wanted to return the item, I would have needed to re-pack it in something else; the Styrofoam is completely worthless at this point.