California Exotics is manufacturing some interesting party items. I received a set of plastic eating utensils (8 each of forks, spoons and knifes) to test. I saved them for an evening with friends--an evening that would involve some wine, an ingredient that I thought would add to the enjoyment of eating with pink plastic penises (or for you Latin scholars, penes).

I made a small buffet of snacks and salads. At the end of the counter, along with the napkins, I had 3 cups. Each cup held either the penis forks, penis spoons or penis knifes. At first people just grabbed one of each and it wasn't until one person actually looked at the fork that she noticed it was a penis--a pretty ugly penis at that.

We all agreed that we had never seen a penis that resembled that which we were all holding and critiquing. The color is a deep pink, but that is not why the penis look strange. The head of the penis is the end furthest from the tines of the fork or the bowl of the spoon. The shaft of the penis is where things get strange. It looks like someone took ribbons and tried to get decorative by overlaying two pieces of ribbon at 45 degree angles to each other. The picture on the product page looks like the ribbon is winding around the penis. It would have looked more "realistic" if they had attempted to do a more veiny texture. Even a pebbled texture would have been preferable.

Having said that they are not realistic, I wonder if that really matters? I mean, its not like we were really trying to convince ourself that we were eating a real penis!! It was fun to have a penis in our hands. There was no shortage of conversation and as the wine flowed, the laughter increased. Everyone had a comment on how another was holding their penis or eating the food off the penis. These utensils really added to the fun atmosphere of our evening.

I would be remiss if I did not include the only real piece of helpful information. Although we did not have any very heavy food (like steak) that needed cutting, none of the tines of the fork broke, the knifes easily cut through food (even salad lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers) and the bowls of the spoons are deep enough to serve with soup, dessert or coffee/tea. Besides being adorable, these are functional utensils. However, if you are planning a large gathering, at $6.99 for a service for 8, it can be rather expensive. It might be fun to mix some in with plastic utensils that match in size and color and let the fun begin when people start sharing what they find!!

These have lasted pretty well. I still bring them out when I have people over and it always gets a reaction. The knives and spoons have all held up. Three of the forks are gone--the tines broke when being used. I find that pretty common with plasticware so I wouldn't hold it against the quality of these. My only somewhat negative comment is the price.