1911 US Military Real Utensil Set Mess Kit Spoon Fork Knife Cutlery

This is a set of two, a spoon and a fork, of US military cutlery manufactured before the US entry into World War I.

They are of the M-1910 type, established in 1910, with the inscription [U.S.] on the front of the handle and the following on the back:

Manufacturing company [R.I.A.]

and the year of manufacture:
Spoon [1911]
Fork [1911]

R.I.A. stands for [Rock Island Arsenal], which seems to have been the sole manufacturer of US military utensils at the time.

They are made of a copper, zinc, and nickel alloy that is resistant to corrosion and has a slightly yellowish hue.

Incidentally, most of the surviving M-1910 utensils were manufactured in 1917-1918, when the US entered World War I.

The M-1910 utensils manufactured in 1917-1918 were changed to a steel type with plating instead of an alloy, and were mass-produced by various companies other than R.I.A.

Most of the surviving pieces from 1917-1918 have lost their plating and the steel has rusted.

The alloy-made pieces manufactured before 1916 are resistant to corrosion and still retain their original shine.

Alloy M-1910 spoons and forks are extremely rare and rarely come up for sale.

This item is in good condition with no distortion or wear, and is a good item for both collection and actual use.