It's kind of bizarre for me to stumble across this reference to Yanagi flatware on an HN post, because I just recently threw out my mismatched collection of flatware that had accumulated over the course of many roommates/years and bought Sori Yanagi flatware (although not the MoMa pieces there). I went from owning a dozen or so crappy forks to owning just four perfect forks. It enforces a certain rigor about washing dishes. I would not describe them as "the best" flatware and I agree that is a somewhat absurd designation and pursuit.

That being said, they are extraordinarily beautiful and functional. Their light weight, finish, and balance all combine to make pieces that beg to be held, meanwhile, the shape and understated aesthetic mean they do not dominate the table--they disappear. Although they weren't included in the collection, I can imagine them fitting into the Supernormal group (http://www.supernormal.co.uk/). Something as mundane as flatware can easily be dismissed by people that do not care about design, but I have found that on my path to owning fewer things it is much easier to justify owning exactly the right thing for me.

I am a snob about several things and not ashamed of it. When I say I'm a snob about e.g. coffee, I just mean I'm picky about what I choose for myself and have high standards, NOT that I'm rude- if I'm at your house and you serve Nescafe I'll accept or decline it with a "thank you" of course, and no commentary or opinions. I believe this sort of snobbery improves one's life. I used to accept things I didn't really want out of politeness etc. or feel obligated to go to an event I'd rather avoid; being comfortable saying "no thank you" is quite liberating.

THAT SAID, it amazes and disgusts me when people treat being a snob as some sort of accomplishment. "Oh I'm really picky about coffee... I just know a lot about it and blah blah blah \smirk\." This is no accomplishment and not something to be proud of.

> Finding "the best" of a product is an obscure hobby. And I'm all for finding joy in an obscure hobby. But I have a hard time believing that Mr. Curtis is any more liberated by the flatware that he spent 6-months researching than I am by the set I happened upon at Crate and Barrel.

There is definitely something to it, even if it is largely psychological.

Take music as an analogy. I'm not an obsessive audiophile by any means, but I have all my music stored in lossless file formats. In practice it probably doesn't make a significant difference to my listening experience, but there is an undeniable satisfaction in knowing I have 'the best'.

I can tick that box off my metaphorical to-do list. I don't have to worry about the file encoding detracting from my listening experience. I'm not left wondering whether the grass is greener on the other side.