I had an old set of barbecue utensils, a spatula and some cheap tongs. The spatula worked ok but the tongs never did. I finally broke down and bought this Weber set after looking at some at a market that were $25.00. These look and feel much better and although appear very large in size don't feel that way when using. The extra length keeps you away from the heat and they manipulate very easily. The material is stamped steel which cleans easily. These should last quite a while as long as I don't leave them outside in the weather. I also figured that Weber being a leader in grills would also know how to design grilling utensils. These don't appear to be a mass produced cross marketed product that bears the name of several companies. Yes there are others out there that are even more expensive and many that are less. I stuck with the Weber name and their traditions.