cutlery is the right word - but almost everyone says silverware for Besteck, whether it's made of silver or not

Nancy. Who's everyone? I would never say silverware, unless I was refering to the 'good' cutlery (which I don't even own).

I agree with Nancy. Maybe it's AE usage. Nancy, are you a native speaker of AE?

Sue and Ilka. Yes, I'm a native American speaker. Maybe it's just American linguistic sloppiness - so excuse my "almost everyone".

(in sales catalog) (brand name) 46-piece Sterling Silver Flatware Set. ....each flatware set is perfectly balanced and proportioned.

Both "silverware" and "flatware" sound terrible to the English ear! IŽm not sure why, since "chinaware" and "earthenware" are perfectly acceptable. But "cutlery" is the usual term, with, as an earlier comment said, "knives and forks" a colloquial usage (not sure what happened to the spoons).
Incidentally, IŽve noticed Americans looking quizzical when IŽve used the word "cutlery", so maybe that sounds equally odd to them.

In the middle part of the United States, everyone says "silverware." Cutlery is not used in everyday conversation.

At least in the US cutlery refers only to the type of knifes one uses when preparing food.
The ones used for eating are either silverware or flatware which is waht the german word Besteck refers to.

Earl: I am from the Midwest, and have never said silverware except when referring to actual silver flatware.

Ina: you are correct, although cutlery has been bastardized to the point it is now showing up in dictionaries with a secondary meaning of eating instruments in general.

I would use the word flatware rather than silverware, because many people, at least in the U.S., will assume silverware is just that - fine silver (plated) eating instruments.

Besteck is a set of cutlery (knife, fork and spoon).
If you are talking to an American then you can maybe say flatware, but if you're talking to anyone in England or ex-Colonies they won't have a clue what you're talking about unless you say cutlery.

BP: I think you solved this issue completely. 'Eating instruments' is the best.
Even 'zee' Germans will understand :)

I just have to put in my two cents worth!
I'm from Toronto, Canada, and I would have no idea what someone would mean if they were to say "flatware" to me. I usually refer to the stuff as cutlery, except in certain phrases such as "count the silverware (after so-and-so has left)"! :-)

Elaine
I refer you to my earlier post ;-)

BTW: 'Besteck' is in LEO already.

Just to confirm what BB said...as a native of an ex-colony (South Africa), I have also never heard of flatware, and silverware is only used for cutlery made of silver. Even then one would usually just say "Count the silver".

My 2 cents worth as well (Hello Elaine, we're neighbours!) I have heard all of them, use all of them except flatware and to add another one, I often hear 'utensils' (and not only for plastic). Did you forget the utensils for the picnic?

RES-can: Hello neighbour! I think that 'utensils' works as well, but it could be too ambiguous and also mean the soup ladle, cheese cutter, chopsticks...
BB: Did I forget to mention that I agree with you? :)

use your - to eat

That are all synonyms to the rendition "Besteck" I know

Lol ! - Who dares to call a spade a spade and a knife a knife (but a garden- or a table utensil) ? . . .

@ # 9: Are you an Under-cover agent of some kind ? . . . ;-)

The normal BE-term for the stuff is definitely 'cutlery' . . .

BB: #12: Didn't the US sometime (way back) count as colonies, too ??? . . . ;-)

Silverware is AE usage for any place setting of eating utensils of any material.
Flatware is an AE catalog term used for "truth in advertising" which everyone understands but is rarely used in everyday speaking, at least not where I come from in the States.
Utensils is not specific enough (IMHO).
Cutlery in BE = Silverware in AE
Cutlery in AE refer to utensils that are used to cut something. A cutlery set in the States is a set of knives.
Eating instruments is far-fetched but admittedly basic enough to be understood (and then chuckled at- sorry, Frank).

My mom used to solve the silverware/flatware dilemma by refering to the everyday stuff as "silverware" and the real silver stuff as "her sterling":)

oder auch "Material für eine Operation"

surgery equipment

.

findest Du in LEO unter "Operationsbesteck:
Siehe Wörterbuch: Operationsbesteck

(man kann oben im Suchfeld "*besteck" eingeben, durch das Sternchen findet man dann auch zusammengesetzte Begriffe mit "besteck" am Ende, so auch das OP-Besteck.)

Eine neue Anfrage wäre übrigens vermutlich in diesem Fall besser gewesen, da viele Leute eine offensichtlich alte, etwas längere Diskussion zu Eßbestecken bestimmt nicht nach neuen Fragestellungen untersuchen. Nur so als Tip fürs nächste Mal.

i agree with i agree with "RES-can"
I´m from NY and we also ask for "utensils" if we wanna have knife, fork and spoon.