Sea to Summit Alpha Set

Fail!

I'm pretty far from the weight-weenie, gram-counting, ultra-light camp. I like comfort and capabilities. Why sacrifice a real spoon and fork for a couple of grams? I want something metal and solid. What better than high tech, anodized aluminum utensils to make my super-hiker friends writhe with envy? I was wrong. Here's why: 

Contenders:

My Snow Peak cookset came with a spork that is compact enough to nest within. But on a trip to Lake Sepago its small stature proved to be more annoying than the convenience was worth when eating Mountain House Beef Teriyaki and Rice out of the bag. I also tried a Light My Fire spork which left me feeling like I was holding the wrong end of a sword and still left my fingers covered in teriyaki sauce. Besides, I wanted something manly! Not a spork! And I like Sea to Summit - they were a winner here and here. 

Got Specs:

Size            7.2 inches (That's what she said!)
Weight       36.9 grams (1.3 oz)

What Wins:

1. Extras! The mini carabiner rock. They have different size hex wrench holes in the end.

 What Fails:

1. Taste! The anodized finish feels abrasive on my tongue and gives food a weird texture/taste.
2. Cleanup! The rough finish traps micro particles of food and the holes in the handles are impossible to clean without resorting to the Pots & Pans cycle.
3. Weight! After dragging these around Yosemite for a week my knees were advising me to look for lighter gear. I'm going to find a long handled Lexan spork somewhere...
4. Cost! $15 utensils should be perfect!

Meh:

1. Material. I honestly thought these were titanium until I started writing this post. Now that I've learned they are Al rather than Ti I can't even claim "able to fend off a bear" as an advantage.

Other notes:

1. Want to buy a slightly used set of aluminum utensils?
2. No? Then what do you recommend?