Either 18/8 or 18/10 is good. The second number indicates the percentage of nickel in the product. The higher the number, the more rust resistence, so "10" is somewhat better than "8" in that respect, but either is good. But those numbers don't indicate the weight of the pieces, or how they feel in your hand, so I'd recommend you look at several manufacturers and patterns in person to get a sense of what style you like (casual? formal? traditional? contemporary?). Hold the knife, fork & spoon to see if you like their balance. Will the size & design complement your dishes? If you want to wash them in the dishwasher, make sure the pattern you select is dishwasher-safe. Once you've identified a pattern, you can do your price comparison shopping. Flatware is usually sold by the number of place settings (for 8 people, etc.), so make sure you're comparing like sets. A "place setting" is usually five pieces -- dinner knife, dinner fork, salad fork, tablespoon and teaspoon (not iced teaspoon). Also check to see what additio.nal types of accessory pieces are available for that pattern These may be called "completer" or "server" or "hostess" sets.

I clipped this from a random website: Knife construction There are three main methods for constructing a knife. The first method involves stamping a single piece of metal into the shape of a knife. The "blade" area is generally made a bit thinner, and is almost always serrated. This is the least expensive method for constructing a knife, and its cutting performance is poor to fair, depending on the manufacturer. The second method is to use the "drop forge" technique, where molten steel is poured into a mold, and is fashioned into the shape of a knife. Again, the "blade" area is made thinner than the handle, and is also usually serrated. Most manufacturers who use this technique will spend a little more time on the blade finishing, and its performance is fair to moderate. The third method is to use a hollow knife handle, insert a high-quality carbon-steel cutting blade, then sealing the two together. These knives are called "hollow handle" knives. With this technique, the manufacturer can offer a variety of different quality knife blades. Many of these blades are serrated, but in the higher quality of patterns they are not, due to their already superior cutting edge. The performance of this type of knife is moderate to excellent. High-carbon blades are used in better kitchen knives, due to their superior performance. The only downside is that high-carbon blades are less stain-resistant than the other flatware pieces. Flatware manufacturers are always working to create a good balance of dishwasher resistance and superior cutting performance.

Go to Replacements.com, they have a Pattern Identification service, and may be able to help.

I don't remember the pattern but it is a more plain squarish but rounded corners. But yes, hefty and made in the USA! Just went to take a look here: http://libertytabletop.com/shop/  and see way more choices than when I purchased several years ago. I ended up with the Lexington but see now that my choice may have been different given these choices. Go with what calls to you. That is the beauty of fiesta it works for everyone and with everything!