What came first – the chicken or the egg? Did the spoon come first or did the fork? While the first question may never be answered, who cares which utensil came first when you can buy a Spork! (Spoon + Fork =  Spork).

Whether in your lunch bag or part of your camping gear, a Spork is functional and fun to use.

In this article, two well known producers of Sporks face off in a duel of hi-tech metal vs. plastic.

In one corner, we have the Japanese company SnowPeak whose material of choice for cutlery and other backcountry cooking products is titanium. Super light, super strong, and hypoallergenic, titanium is an excellent choice for those looking for a Spork that will “last forever.”

In the other corner, we have the Swedish based Light My Fire (LMF) who make lightweight ultra funky outdoor & urban food gear out of super durable plastics – also likely to “last forever.”

After testing these two Sporks on a variety of foods…here are my findings:

Weight: The SnowPeak is slightly heavier but both are incredibly lightweight.

Length: Basically the same.

Colour: The SnowPeak has a matt finish which reduces glare while LMF’s Spork comes in a variety of funky colours.

Design: The SnowPeak is clean and straight forward while Light My Fire utilizes both ends for a unique look. In addition, LMF’s Spork’s fork has a serrated outer prong edge.

Durability: While both are dishwasher safe and very robust, the LMF may have a slight advantage in terms of resisting bending and bouncing back to its original shape (within reason). However, the SnowPeak can resist direct heat from flames, campfires etc.

Ergonomics: Although both hold a variety of foods well, the SnowPeak is much easier to grasp and use. The LMF on the other hand is slightly awkward due to the curvature of the entire utensil…it’s just not as comfortable.

In my opinion – the SnowPeak comes first.

SnowPeak – Cost: Around CDN $10

LMF – Cost: Around CDN $3