QSDACEA-B6-07-7302-N Solicitation Final

Solicitation No. QSDACEA-B6-08-7301-N

CP-FSS-1-A

(APR 1993)

SOLICITATION NO. QSDACEA-B6-08-7302-N

REQUIREMENTS CONTRACT FOR

FSC CLASS 73

NATIONAL STOCK NUMBERS (NSNS) for FLATWARE (KINGS) 7340-00-229-9475, 7340-00-229-9477, 7340-00-229-9479, 7340-00-235-5013, 7340-00-235-5021, 7340-00-235-5023, 7340-00-235-5027, 7340-00-235-5029 and 7340-00-235-5042 PERIOD: The contract period will be from the date of award through one (1) year thereafter with four (4) one-year option periods to extend the term of the contract.

ANY INFORMATION THAT MAY BE DESIRED ON THIS PARTICULAR SOLICITATION CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE ISSUING OFFICE ADDRESS SHOWN HEREIN.

CP-FSS-2

SIGNIFICANT CHANGES (OCT 1988)

The attention of offeror is invited to the following changes made since the issuance of the last solicitation for the supplies/services covered herein:

1. Offerors are directed to Page 64, Clause 52.212-1 - Instructions to Offerors - Commercial Items herein with addendum, for instructions on technical and past performance information required with submission of offer. Offerors are cautioned to carefully review the entire solicitation. Offerors are strongly urged to use two-sided copying of offers for submission to GSA. Facsimile and email offers will be accepted requiring an original to follow by mail. You can fax or email your offer at 817-574-2615, or email billy.wineinger@gsa.gov.

2. Offers shall be submitted on the Standard From 1449. Offer shall include all subsequent pages following this form. Sign and date your offer, an original must be received for award. Offers that fail to furnish required representations or information, or reject the terms and conditions of the solicitation may be excluded from consideration.

3. In accordance with FAR 25.502.(b)(3), if there are no offers of US-made or designated country end products, the Contracting Officer may consider products from non-designated countries.

CP-FSS-3

NOTICE: REQUESTS FOR EXPLANATION OR INFORMATION (MAR 1996)

Questions are limited to the first week of the Solicitation. Submit questions no later than July 4, 2008.

Oral or written requests for explanation or information regarding this solicitation should be directed to:

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

SOUTHWEST SUPPLY CENTER, FAS

MWR AND SECURITY ACQUISITION BRANCH, QSDACEA-B6

819 TAYLOR STREET, ROOM 6A00

FORT WORTH, TX 76102

OR

Billy Wineinger, 817-574-4205, billy.wineinger@gsa.gov

CP-FSS-6

ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE (EDI) ORDERING (JAN 1994)

Offerors are advised that the Federal Supply Service is expanding use of electronic communications to exchange business documents. The Placement of Orders clause contained in this contract provides that orders may be placed using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) procedures.

552.219-71 NOTICE TO OFFERORS OF SUBCONTRACTING PLAN REQUIREMENTS (JUN 2005) 519.708-70(a) The General Services Administration (GSA) is committed to assuring that maximum practicable opportunity is provided to small, HUBZone small, small disadvantaged, women-owned, veteran-owned, and service-disabled veteran owned small business concerns to participate in the performance of this contract consistent with its efficient performance. GSA expects any subcontracting plan submitted pursuant to FAR 52.219—9, Small Business Subcontracting Plan, to reflect this commitment. Consequently, an offeror, other than a small business concern, before being awarded a contract exceeding $550,000 ($1,000,000 for construction), must demonstrate that its subcontracting plan represents a creative and innovative program for involving small, HUBZone small, small disadvantaged, women-owned, veteran-owned, and service-disabled veteran owned small business concerns as subcontractors in the performance of this contract.

552.232-78

PAYMENT INFORMATION (JUL 2000)

The General Services Administration (GSA) makes information on contract payments available electronically at http:// www.finance.gsa.gov. The Contractor may register at the site and review its record of payments. This site provides information only on payments made by GSA, not by other agencies.

CP-FSS-30

(APR 1993)

PLEASE REMOVE THESE COVER PAGES BEFORE SUBMITTING OFFER TO GSA.

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS

OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, & 30

1. REQUISITION NUMBER

N/A

7. FOR SOLICITATION

INFORMATION CALL(

a. NAME

Billy Wineinger

b. TELEPHONE NUMBER (No collect calls)

817-574-4205

8. OFFER DUE DATE/

July 11, 2008 4:00 p.m. (Central)

9. ISSUED BY CODE

10. THIS ACQUISITION IS

See Attachments

11. DELIVERY FOR FOB

DESTINATION UNLESS

BLOCK IS MARKED

12. DISCOUNT TERMS

500 Employees

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

( RFQ ( IFB ( RFP

15. DELIVER TO CODE

16. ADMINISTERED BY CODE

To be shown on each order

17a. CONTRACTOR/ CODE OFFEROR

FACILITY

18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY CODE

NAME AND ADDRESS

CODE

See Block 15.

TELEPHONE NO.

FAX NO. DUNS

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA SEE Block 15

26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Govt. Use Only)Indefinite

( 27a. SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4, FAR 52.212-3 AND 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED. ADDENDA ( ARE ( ARE NOT ATTACHED.

( 27b. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA ( ARE ( ARE NOT ATTACHED.

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN 1 COPIES

( TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND DELIVER ALL ITEMS SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY ADDITIONAL SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED HEREIN.

29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REFERENCE __your_ OFFER DATED _ _______. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION (BLOCK 5)

( INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE SET FORTH

HEREIN, IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (TYPE OR PRINT)

32a. QUANTITY IN COLUMN 21 HAS BEEN

( RECEIVED ( INSPECTED ( ACCEPTED AND CONFORMS TO THE CONTRACT. Except as noted

33. SHIP NUMBER

CORRECT FOR

PARTIAL

FINAL

42a. RECEIVED BY (Print)

41a. I CERTIFY THIS ACCOUNT IS CORRECT AND PROPER FOR PAYMENT

42b. RECEIVED AT (Location)

42c. DATE REC’D (YY/MM/DD)

42d. TOTAL CONTAINERS

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

SEE REVERSE FOR OMB CONTROL NUMBER AND PAPERWORK

STANDARD FORM 1449 (10-95)

(LOCAL DEVIATION) BURDEN STATEMENT

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

This page reserved for use at time of award.

PART 1 - CONTINUATION OF SF 1449

SECTION A: SUMMARY

(CONTINUATION OF SF 1449, BLOCK 10)

A-FSS-2-A

(OCT 1988) REQUIREMENTS CONTRACT FOR:

FSC CLASS:

COMMODITY:

Flatware (Kings) CONTRACT PERIOD: The contract period will be from the date of award through one (1) year thereafter with four (4) one-year option periods to extend the term of the contract.

SECTION B: SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICE LIST

(CONTINUATION OF SF-1449, BLOCKS 19-24)

The contractor shall provide items in accordance with Item Purchase Description (IPD) in Section C. The contractor shall provide unit prices per unit of issue shown on each destination.

SCHEDULE OF ITEMS

(Per Item Purchase Description)

5-YR

Qty Price Per Dozen Total Price (quantity x price)

Fork, Dessert (Kings)

Fork, Dessert (Kings)

Fork, Table (Kings)

Fork, Table (Kings)

Required Delivery: 45 Days ARO

Unit of Issue – ONE DOZEN

5-YR

Qty Price Per Dozen Total Price (quantity x price)

Knife, Dessert (Kings)

Knife, Dessert (Kings)

Knife, Table (Kings)

Knife, Table (Kings)

Spoon, Iced Tea (Kings)

Spoon, Iced Tea (Kings)

Spoon, Soup (Kings)

Spoon, Soup (Kings)

Spoon, Table, (Kings)

Spoon, Table, (Kings)

Spoon, Tea, (Kings)

Spoon, Tea, (Kings)

Fork, Salad, (Kings)

Fork, Salad, (Kings)

Required Delivery: 45 Days ARO

Unit of Issue – ONE DOZEN

B-FSS-90

FREQUENCY OF ORDERS (OCT 1988)

In order to give Contractors an indication as to the frequency of orders, the number of orders expected to be placed during the contract period is shown in the Schedule for each item. Computations as to the frequency of orders are necessarily based on past experience, and Contractors are cautioned that this ordering pattern may change. This information is provided to facilitate Contractor's production planning and has no bearing on the contractual obligations of either party.

SECTION C: DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATION

C-FSS-425

WORKMANSHIP (OCT 1988)

Any item contracted for must be new, current model at the time of offer, unless otherwise specified. Each article must perform the functions for its intended use.

ITEM PURCHASE DESCRIPTIONS

ITEMS 1a-1b. NSN: 7340-00-229-9475 DATE: 03/12/2008 FORK, DESSERT (SILVERPLATED): Shall have the following characteristics:

Silverplated, Fork, dessert

Unit of Issue – DZ (one dozen )

Materials. Materials not definitely specified shall be the type and quality supplied by the manufacturer for their normal commercial product provided the completed items comply with all the provisions of this IPD. Commercial tolerances are applicable to all material thicknesses and diameters.

Base metal. For silverplated items the base metal shall be stainless steel, nickel brass or brass.

Nickel brass sheet. Nickel brass sheet specified herein shall have a minimum of 8 percent by composition of nickel with the balance of copper and zinc in accordance with commercial practices.

Brass. Brass specified herein shall have a minimum of 65 percent copper with the balance of zinc.

Stainless steel. Stainless steel shall conform to the type 300 series in accordance with ASTM A 240/A 240M.

Design and construction. The design shall be the “Kings” pattern and shall be sharp and clearly defined. Figure below is to be used as a guide only.

Weights of fork blanks. Minimum weights of blanks for the spoons shall be 16.0 Avdp. lbs. per gross brass/nickel brass or 15.0 Avdp. lbs. per gross stainless steel.

Fork, Dessert

All dimensions are in inches

Length dimension tolerance: +/- ¼ inch

Thickness of silver. The thickness of silver applied to each item shall represent an average thickness of at least 280 microinches or 0.23 troy ounce per square foot when tested in accordance with ASTM B568.

Weight of silver. The minimum weight of silver shall be 2.9 troy oz/gross.

Adhesion. When testing, the silver plating shall show no evidence of blistering.

Tine attachments. Shells of hollow handle cutlery shall be one piece construction when possible. Tines may be soldered into the handles with soft solder, secured by a nontoxic cement, or argon welded so that attachment is not evident in accordance with commercial practice.

Finish. The finished items shall have a bright finish.

Marking. Each item shall be clearly and permanently marked with the manufacturer’s name, trademark or tradename of such known character to be easily identifiable with said manufacturer. The surface opposite the markings shall show no signs of penetration.

Workmanship. Finished items shall be clean, well made, and free from any defect which may affect appearance or serviceability. Except for specified fork tine tips, there shall be no sharp edges, burrs, rough die, tool, gouge or grind marks. The silver plating shall be smooth, fine grained, adherent, and free from visible blisters, pits, porosity, and indications of burning or excessive edge buildup. The finished items shall not be fractured, dented, bent, punctured or malformed.

PRODUCT CONFORMANCE. The products provided shall meet the salient characteristics of this description, conform to the producer's own drawings, specifications, standards, and quality assurance practices, and be the same product offered for sale in the commercial market. The Government reserves the right to require proof of such conformance.

MARKING. Shipments to GSA and other civilian agencies shall be marked in accordance with FED-STD-123. Shipments to the Department of Defense (DoD) shall be marked in accordance with MIL-STD-129.

PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY. The item(s) shall be packaged and packed in accordance with the latest revision of ASTM D 3951, Standard Practice for Commercial Packaging. Copies of ASTM standards are available from the American Society for Testing and Materials, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. Phone: 610-832-9585, Fax: 610-832-9555, Web site: www.astm.org, e-mail: service@astm.org.

Palletization: The shipping (transport) containers shall be palletized. The pallets shall be 48-inch length x 40-inch width, general purpose, four-way entry, flush stringer, and double-face non-reversible pallets. The palletized load shall not exceed 2500 pounds in weight for shipments to the Eastern Distribution Center (Burlington). The palletized load shall not exceed 2000 pounds in weight for shipments to the Western Distribution Center (French Camp and Stockton locations). The palletized load shall not overhang the pallet deck board edge by more than 1 inch and shall not exceed 53 inches in overall height (including pallet). Less than half pallet loads or loads shipped by small package carrier in acceptable transport packing need not be palletized. When less than full but more than a half pallet is used, the palletized load shall utilize proper bracing and/or reinforcement to ensure that the load can withstand two additional loads placed on it.

Stacking. A load-stacking test shall be performed once, at the beginning of the contract, for each different unitized or palletized load configuration. A fully palletized load shall be tested utilizing a total stack of three palletized loads, with all the proper bracing and/or reinforcement necessary to perform the test. There shall be no evidence of damage to the pallets, shipping containers or products when stack is tested on the rigid surface for a minimum of 24 hours, in compliance with all the National and Local Safety Regulations. The pre-tested palletized load configuration shall be duplicated using the same packaging materials, pattern, number of shipping (transport) containers, and procedures consistent throughout the duration of the contract. Palletized loads shall be stable and safe when handled with mechanical equipment by qualified personnel.

Materials. All lumber used inside or outside a shipment shall be bark free. No used wood pallets with repaired components or stringers will be acceptable. All wood pallet stringers shall be manufactured from hardwoods. Pallets manufactured of materials other than wood, shall conform to all the requirements specified herein.

Unitization. For the purpose of this requirement, the assembled group of containers or items in a single load that can be handled as a unit throughout the distribution system. Unitization encompasses, but is not limited to, consolidation in a container, placement on a pallet or load base having forklift capability, or securely binding together. Shipments should be considered for unitization where appropriate or specified.

Unitization of pallet load. The palletized load shall be unitized and secured to the pallet to insure that the load arrives intact without product damage. The containers or items shall be placed in a suitable pattern to form a stable and balanced load. Vertical, horizontal or filler reinforcement shall be added as necessary to meet the stacking strength requirements. A palletized load shall be secured to the pallet by shrink or stretch wrapping, and/or, by steel or nonmetallic strapping. When steel or nonmetallic strapping is used, edge protectors shall be provided to prevent damage to the cartons when tensioning the strapping. As a minimum, two straps shall run lengthwise, two straps shall run widthwise, and two straps shall run around the girth of the palletized load. A palletized load shall be capable of protecting the products against damage in a multiple handling, transportation, and storage environment having distribution warehouses with rack systems that support the load/s overhead of warehouse personnel.

Notice of special requirements for shipment to all countries that have endorsed the IPPC Guidelines for treatment of non-manufactured wood packaging: The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) has approved and published on March 15, 2002, “Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade”. Countries endorsing the IPPC Guidelines are found at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/swp/. Clause D-FSS-468 requires non-manufactured wood pallets and other non-manufactured wood packaging material used in shipments destined to IPPC compliant countries require the appropriate wood treatment. Additionally, shipments delivered to DOD distribution facilities or freight consolidation points for eventual delivery to or through EU/IPPC countries shall comply with applicable DLA Regulations and Procurement Letter PROCLTR 02-17.

ITEMS 2a-2b. NSN: 7340-00-229-9477 DATE: 3/12/2008 FORK, TABLE (SILVERPLATED): Shall have the following characteristics:

Silverplated, Fork, table

Unit of Issue –DZ (one dozen)

Materials. Materials not definitely specified shall be the type and quality supplied by the manufacturer for their normal commercial product provided the completed items comply with all the provisions of this IPD. Commercial tolerances are applicable to all material thicknesses and diameters.

Base metal. For silver-plated items the base metal shall be stainless steel, nickel brass or brass.

Nickel brass sheet. Nickel brass sheet specified herein shall have a minimum of 8 percent by composition of nickel with the balance of copper and zinc in accordance with commercial practices.

Brass. Brass specified herein shall have a minimum of 65 percent copper with the balance of zinc.

Stainless steel. Stainless steel shall conform to the type 300 series in accordance with ASTM A 240/A 240M.

Design and construction. The design shall be the “Kings” pattern and shall be sharp and clearly defined. Figure below is to be used as a guide only.

Weights of fork blanks. Minimum weights of blanks for the spoons shall be 21.0 Avdp. lbs. per gross brass/nickel brass or 20.0 Avdp. lbs. per gross stainless steel.

Fork, Table

Length dimension tolerance: ¼ inch

Thickness of silver. The thickness of silver applied to each item shall represent an average thickness of at least 280 microinches or 0.23 troy ounce per square foot when tested in accordance with ASTM B568.

Weight of silver. The minimum weight of silver shall be 3.5 troy oz/gross.

Adhesion. When testing, the silver plating shall show no evidence of blistering.

Tine attachments. Shells of hollow handle cutlery shall be one piece construction when possible. Tines may be soldered into the handles with soft solder, secured by a nontoxic cement, or argon welded so that attachment is not evident in accordance with commercial practice.

Finish. The finished items shall have a bright finish.

Marking. Each item shall be clearly and permanently marked with the manufacturer’s name, trademark or tradename of such known character to be easily identifiable with said manufacturer. The surface opposite the markings shall show no signs of penetration.

Workmanship. Finished items shall be clean, well made, and free from any defect which may affect appearance or serviceability. Except for specified fork tine tips, there shall be no sharp edges, burrs, rough die, tool, gouge or grind marks. The silver plating shall be smooth, fine grained, adherent, and free from visible blisters, pits, porosity, and indications of burning or excessive edge buildup. The finished items shall not be fractured, dented, bent, punctured or malformed.

PRODUCT CONFORMANCE. The products provided shall meet the salient characteristics of this description, conform to the producer's own drawings, specifications, standards, and quality assurance practices, and be the same product offered for sale in the commercial market. The Government reserves the right to require proof of such conformance.

MARKING. Shipments to GSA and other civilian agencies shall be marked in accordance with FED-STD-123. Shipments to the Department of Defense (DoD) shall be marked in accordance with MIL-STD-129.

PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY. The item(s) shall be packaged and packed in accordance with the latest revision of ASTM D 3951, Standard Practice for Commercial Packaging. Copies of ASTM standards are available from the American Society for Testing and Materials, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. Phone: 610-832-9585, Fax: 610-832-9555, Web site: www.astm.org, e-mail: service@astm.org.

Palletization: The shipping (transport) containers shall be palletized. The pallets shall be 48-inch length x 40-inch width, general purpose, four-way entry, flush stringer, and double-face non-reversible pallets. The palletized load shall not exceed 2500 pounds in weight for shipments to the Eastern Distribution Center (Burlington). The palletized load shall not exceed 2000 pounds in weight for shipments to the Western Distribution Center (French Camp and Stockton locations). The palletized load shall not overhang the pallet deck board edge by more than 1 inch and shall not exceed 53 inches in overall height (including pallet). Less than half pallet loads or loads shipped by small package carrier in acceptable transport packing need not be palletized. When less than full but more than a half pallet is used, the palletized load shall utilize proper bracing and/or reinforcement to ensure that the load can withstand two additional loads placed on it.

Stacking. A load-stacking test shall be performed once, at the beginning of the contract, for each different unitized or palletized load configuration. A fully palletized load shall be tested utilizing a total stack of three palletized loads, with all the proper bracing and/or reinforcement necessary to perform the test. There shall be no evidence of damage to the pallets, shipping containers or products when stack is tested on the rigid surface for a minimum of 24 hours, in compliance with all the National and Local Safety Regulations. The pre-tested palletized load configuration shall be duplicated using the same packaging materials, pattern, number of shipping (transport) containers, and procedures consistent throughout the duration of the contract. Palletized loads shall be stable and safe when handled with mechanical equipment by qualified personnel.

Materials. All lumber used inside or outside a shipment shall be bark free. No used wood pallets with repaired components or stringers will be acceptable. All wood pallet stringers shall be manufactured from hardwoods. Pallets manufactured of materials other than wood, shall conform to all the requirements specified herein.

Unitization. For the purpose of this requirement, the assembled group of containers or items in a single load that can be handled as a unit throughout the distribution system. Unitization encompasses, but is not limited to, consolidation in a container, placement on a pallet or load base having forklift capability, or securely binding together. Shipments should be considered for unitization where appropriate or specified.

Unitization of pallet load. The palletized load shall be unitized and secured to the pallet to insure that the load arrives intact without product damage. The containers or items shall be placed in a suitable pattern to form a stable and balanced load. Vertical, horizontal or filler reinforcement shall be added as necessary to meet the stacking strength requirements. A palletized load shall be secured to the pallet by shrink or stretch wrapping, and/or, by steel or nonmetallic strapping. When steel or nonmetallic strapping is used, edge protectors shall be provided to prevent damage to the cartons when tensioning the strapping. As a minimum, two straps shall run lengthwise, two straps shall run widthwise, and two straps shall run around the girth of the palletized load. A palletized load shall be capable of protecting the products against damage in a multiple handling, transportation, and storage environment having distribution warehouses with rack systems that support the load/s overhead of warehouse personnel.

Notice of special requirements for shipment to all countries that have endorsed the IPPC Guidelines for treatment of non-manufactured wood packaging: The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) has approved and published on March 15, 2002, “Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade”. Countries endorsing the IPPC Guidelines are found at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/swp/. Clause D-FSS-468 requires non-manufactured wood pallets and other non-manufactured wood packaging material used in shipments destined to IPPC compliant countries require the appropriate wood treatment. Additionally, shipments delivered to DOD distribution facilities or freight consolidation points for eventual delivery to or through EU/IPPC countries shall comply with applicable DLA Regulations and Procurement Letter PROCLTR 02-17.

ITEMS 3a-3b. NSN: 7340-00-229-9479 DATE: 3/12/2008 KNIFE, DESSERT (SILVERPLATED): Shall be a silver-plated, dessert knife, with the following characteristics:

Unit of issue – DZ (twelve (12) knives per container).

Materials. Materials not definitely specified shall be the type and quality supplied by the manufacturer for their normal commercial product provided the completed items comply with all the provisions of this IPD. Commercial tolerances are applicable to all material thicknesses and diameters.

Base metal. For silver-plated items the base metal shall be stainless steel, nickel brass or brass.

Nickel brass sheet. Nickel brass sheet specified herein shall have a minimum of 8 percent by composition of nickel with the balance of copper and zinc in accordance with commercial practices.

Brass. Brass specified herein shall have a minimum of 65 percent copper with the balance of zinc.

Stainless steel. Stainless steel shall conform to the type 300 series in accordance with ASTM A 240/A 240M. The stainless steel used for the knife blades may be a type 410 or 420 series in accordance with ASTM A 240/A 240M.

Design and construction. The design shall be the “Kings” pattern and shall be sharp and clearly defined. Figure below is to be used as a guide only.

Knife, Dessert

Length dimension tolerance: +/- ¼ inch Thickness of silver. The thickness of silver applied to each item shall represent an average thickness of at least 280 microinches or 0.23 troy ounce per square foot when tested in accordance with ASTM B568.

Weight of silver (handle only). The minimum weight of silver shall be 2.0 troy oz/gross.

Adhesion. When testing, the silver plating shall show no evidence of blistering.

Knife blades. The blades of knives shall be fabricated from stainless steel. Blades shall have a hardness of between 40 and 58 on the Rockwell C scale or between 90 and 89 on the Rockwell 15-N scale when tested in accordance with ASTM E-18.

Blade attachment. Shells of hollow handle cutlery shall be one piece construction when possible. Blade may be soldered into the handles with soft solder, secured by a nontoxic cement, or argon welded so that attachment is not evident in accordance with commercial practice.

Finish. The finished items shall have a bright finish.

Marking. Each item shall be clearly and permanently marked with the manufacturer’s name, trademark or trade name of such known character to be easily identifiable with said manufacturer. The surface opposite the markings shall show no signs of penetration.

Workmanship. Finished items shall be clean, well made, and free from any defect which may affect appearance or serviceability. Except for specified fork tine tips, there shall be no sharp edges, burrs, rough die, tool, gouge or grind marks. The silver plating shall be smooth, fine grained, adherent, and free from visible blisters, pits, porosity, and indications of burning or excessive edge buildup. The finished items shall not be fractured, dented, bent, punctured or malformed.

PRODUCT CONFORMANCE. The products provided shall meet the salient characteristics of this description, conform to the producer's own drawings, specifications, standards, and quality assurance practices, and be the same product offered for sale in the commercial market. The Government reserves the right to require proof of such conformance.

MARKING. Shipments to GSA and other civilian agencies shall be marked in accordance with FED-STD-123. Shipments to the Department of Defense (DoD) shall be marked in accordance with MIL-STD-129.

PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY. The item(s) shall be packaged and packed in accordance with the latest revision of ASTM D 3951, Standard Practice for Commercial Packaging. Copies of ASTM standards are available from the American Society for Testing and Materials, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. Phone: 610-832-9585, Fax: 610-832-9555, Web site: www.astm.org, e-mail: service@astm.org.

Palletization: The shipping (transport) containers shall be palletized. The pallets shall be 48-inch length x 40-inch width, general purpose, four-way entry, flush stringer, and double-face non-reversible pallets. The palletized load shall not exceed 2500 pounds in weight for shipments to the Eastern Distribution Center (Burlington). The palletized load shall not exceed 2000 pounds in weight for shipments to the Western Distribution Center (French Camp and Stockton locations). The palletized load shall not overhang the pallet deck board edge by more than 1 inch and shall not exceed 53 inches in overall height (including pallet). Less than half pallet loads or loads shipped by small package carrier in acceptable transport packing need not be palletized. When less than full but more than a half pallet is used, the palletized load shall utilize proper bracing and/or reinforcement to ensure that the load can withstand two additional loads placed on it.

Stacking. A load-stacking test shall be performed once, at the beginning of the contract, for each different unitized or palletized load configuration. A fully palletized load shall be tested utilizing a total stack of three palletized loads, with all the proper bracing and/or reinforcement necessary to perform the test. There shall be no evidence of damage to the pallets, shipping containers or products when stack is tested on the rigid surface for a minimum of 24 hours, in compliance with all the National and Local Safety Regulations. The pre-tested palletized load configuration shall be duplicated using the same packaging materials, pattern, number of shipping (transport) containers, and procedures consistent throughout the duration of the contract. Palletized loads shall be stable and safe when handled with mechanical equipment by qualified personnel.

Materials. All lumber used inside or outside a shipment shall be bark free. No used wood pallets with repaired components or stringers will be acceptable. All wood pallet stringers shall be manufactured from hardwoods. Pallets manufactured of materials other than wood, shall conform to all the requirements specified herein.

Unitization. For the purpose of this requirement, the assembled group of containers or items in a single load that can be handled as a unit throughout the distribution system. Unitization encompasses, but is not limited to, consolidation in a container, placement on a pallet or load base having forklift capability, or securely binding together. Shipments should be considered for unitization where appropriate or specified.

Unitization of pallet load. The palletized load shall be unitized and secured to the pallet to insure that the load arrives intact without product damage. The containers or items shall be placed in a suitable pattern to form a stable and balanced load. Vertical, horizontal or filler reinforcement shall be added as necessary to meet the stacking strength requirements. A palletized load shall be secured to the pallet by shrink or stretch wrapping, and/or, by steel or nonmetallic strapping. When steel or nonmetallic strapping is used, edge protectors shall be provided to prevent damage to the cartons when tensioning the strapping. As a minimum, two straps shall run lengthwise, two straps shall run widthwise, and two straps shall run around the girth of the palletized load. A palletized load shall be capable of protecting the products against damage in a multiple handling, transportation, and storage environment having distribution warehouses with rack systems that support the load/s overhead of warehouse personnel.

Notice of special requirements for shipment to all countries that have endorsed the IPPC Guidelines for treatment of non-manufactured wood packaging: The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) has approved and published on March 15, 2002, “Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade”. Countries endorsing the IPPC Guidelines are found at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/swp/. Clause D-FSS-468 requires non-manufactured wood pallets and other non-manufactured wood packaging material used in shipments destined to IPPC compliant countries require the appropriate wood treatment. Additionally, shipments delivered to DOD distribution facilities or freight consolidation points for eventual delivery to or through EU/IPPC countries shall comply with applicable DLA Regulations and Procurement Letter PROCLTR 02-17.

ITEMS 4a-4b. NSN: 7340-00-235-5013 DATE: 1/24/2008 KNIFE, TABLE (SILVERPLATED): Shall be a silver-plated, table knife, with the following characteristics:

Unit of issue – DZ (twelve (12) knives per container).

Materials. Materials not definitely specified shall be the type and quality supplied by the manufacturer for their normal commercial product provided the completed items comply with all the provisions of this IPD. Commercial tolerances are applicable to all material thicknesses and diameters.

Base metal. For silverplated items the base metal shall be stainless steel, nickel brass or brass.

Nickel brass sheet. Nickel brass sheet specified herein shall have a minimum of 8 percent by composition of nickel with the balance of copper and zinc in accordance with commercial practices.

Brass. Brass specified herein shall have a minimum of 65 percent copper with the balance of zinc.

Stainless steel. Stainless steel shall conform to the type 300 series in accordance with ASTM A 240/A 240M. The stainless steel used for the knife blades may be a type 410 or 420 series in accordance with ASTM A 240/A 240M.

Design and construction. The design shall be the “Kings” pattern and shall be sharp and clearly defined. Figure below is to be used as a guide only.

Knife, Table

Length dimension tolerance: +/- ¼ inch

Thickness of silver. The thickness of silver applied to each item shall represent an average thickness of at least 280 microinches or 0.23 troy ounce per square foot when tested in accordance with ASTM B568.

Weight of silver (handle only). The minimum weight of silver shall be 2.0 troy oz/gross.

Adhesion. When testing, the silver plating shall show no evidence of blistering.

Knife blades. The blades of knives shall be fabricated from stainless steel. Blades shall have a hardness of between 40 and 58 on the Rockwell C scale or between 90 and 89 on the Rockwell 15-N scale when tested in accordance with ASTM E-18.

Blade attachment. Shells of hollow handle cutlery shall be one piece construction when possible. Blade may be soldered into the handles with soft solder, secured by a nontoxic cement, or argon welded so that attachment is not evident in accordance with commercial practice.

Finish. The finished items shall have a bright finish.

Marking. Each item shall be clearly and permanently marked with the manufacturer’s name, trademark or tradename of such known character to be easily identifiable with said manufacturer. The surface opposite the markings shall show no signs of penetration.

Workmanship. Finished items shall be clean, well made, and free from any defect which may affect appearance or serviceability. Except for specified fork tine tips, there shall be no sharp edges, burrs, rough die, tool, gouge or grind marks. The silver plating shall be smooth, fine grained, adherent, and free from visible blisters, pits, porosity, and indications of burning or excessive edge buildup. The finished items shall not be fractured, dented, bent, punctured or malformed.

PRODUCT CONFORMANCE. The products provided shall meet the salient characteristics of this description, conform to the producer's own drawings, specifications, standards, and quality assurance practices, and be the same product offered for sale in the commercial market. The Government reserves the right to require proof of such conformance.

MARKING. Shipments to GSA and other civilian agencies shall be marked in accordance with FED-STD-123. Shipments to the Department of Defense (DoD) shall be marked in accordance with MIL-STD-129.

PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY. The item(s) shall be packaged and packed in accordance with the latest revision of ASTM D 3951, Standard Practice for Commercial Packaging. Copies of ASTM standards are available from the American Society for Testing and Materials, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. Phone: 610-832-9585, Fax: 610-832-9555, Web site: www.astm.org, e-mail: service@astm.org.

Palletization: The shipping (transport) containers shall be palletized. The pallets shall be 48-inch length x 40-inch width, general purpose, four-way entry, flush stringer, and double-face non-reversible pallets. The palletized load shall not exceed 2500 pounds in weight for shipments to the Eastern Distribution Center (Burlington). The palletized load shall not exceed 2000 pounds in weight for shipments to the Western Distribution Center (French Camp and Stockton locations). The palletized load shall not overhang the pallet deck board edge by more than 1 inch and shall not exceed 53 inches in overall height (including pallet). Less than half pallet loads or loads shipped by small package carrier in acceptable transport packing need not be palletized. When less than full but more than a half pallet is used, the palletized load shall utilize proper bracing and/or reinforcement to ensure that the load can withstand two additional loads placed on it.

Stacking. A load-stacking test shall be performed once, at the beginning of the contract, for each different unitized or palletized load configuration. A fully palletized load shall be tested utilizing a total stack of three palletized loads, with all the proper bracing and/or reinforcement necessary to perform the test. There shall be no evidence of damage to the pallets, shipping containers or products when stack is tested on the rigid surface for a minimum of 24 hours, in compliance with all the National and Local Safety Regulations. The pre-tested palletized load configuration shall be duplicated using the same packaging materials, pattern, number of shipping (transport) containers, and procedures consistent throughout the duration of the contract. Palletized loads shall be stable and safe when handled with mechanical equipment by qualified personnel.

Materials. All lumber used inside or outside a shipment shall be bark free. No used wood pallets with repaired components or stringers will be acceptable. All wood pallet stringers shall be manufactured from hardwoods. Pallets manufactured of materials other than wood, shall conform to all the requirements specified herein.

Unitization. For the purpose of this requirement, the assembled group of containers or items in a single load that can be handled as a unit throughout the distribution system. Unitization encompasses, but is not limited to, consolidation in a container, placement on a pallet or load base having forklift capability, or securely binding together. Shipments should be considered for unitization where appropriate or specified.

Unitization of pallet load. The palletized load shall be unitized and secured to the pallet to insure that the load arrives intact without product damage. The containers or items shall be placed in a suitable pattern to form a stable and balanced load. Vertical, horizontal or filler reinforcement shall be added as necessary to meet the stacking strength requirements. A palletized load shall be secured to the pallet by shrink or stretch wrapping, and/or, by steel or nonmetallic strapping. When steel or nonmetallic strapping is used, edge protectors shall be provided to prevent damage to the cartons when tensioning the strapping. As a minimum, two straps shall run lengthwise, two straps shall run widthwise, and two straps shall run around the girth of the palletized load. A palletized load shall be capable of protecting the products against damage in a multiple handling, transportation, and storage environment having distribution warehouses with rack systems that support the load/s overhead of warehouse personnel.

Notice of special requirements for shipment to all countries that have endorsed the IPPC Guidelines for treatment of non-manufactured wood packaging: The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) has approved and published on March 15, 2002, “Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade”. Countries endorsing the IPPC Guidelines are found at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/swp/. Clause D-FSS-468 requires non-manufactured wood pallets and other non-manufactured wood packaging material used in shipments destined to IPPC compliant countries require the appropriate wood treatment. Additionally, shipments delivered to DOD distribution facilities or freight consolidation points for eventual delivery to or through EU/IPPC countries shall comply with applicable DLA Regulations and Procurement Letter PROCLTR 02-17.

ITEMS 5a-5b. NSN: 7340-00-235-5021 DATE: 1/24/2008 SPOON, ICED TEA (SILVERPLATED): Shall be a silver-plated, iced tea spoon, with the following characteristics:

Unit of issue – DZ (twelve (12) spoons per container).

Materials. Materials not definitely specified shall be the type and quality supplied by the manufacturer for their normal commercial product provided the completed items comply with all the provisions of this IPD. Commercial tolerances are applicable to all material thicknesses and diameters.

Base metal. For silverplated items the base metal shall be stainless steel, nickel brass or brass.

Nickel brass sheet. Nickel brass sheet specified herein shall have a minimum of 8 percent by composition of nickel with the balance of copper and zinc in accordance with commercial practices.

Brass. Brass specified herein shall have a minimum of 65 percent copper with the balance of zinc.

Stainless steel. Stainless steel shall conform to the type 300 series in accordance with ASTM A 240/A 240M.

Design and construction. The design shall be the “Kings” pattern and shall be sharp and clearly defined. Figure below is to be used as a guide only.

Spoon, Iced Tea

Length dimension tolerance: +/- ¼ inch

Weight of spoon blanks. Minimum weights of blanks for the spoons and forks shall be 11.0 Avdp. lbs. per gross brass/nickel brass or 10.0 Avdp. lbs. per gross stainless steel.

Thickness of silver. The thickness of silver applied to each item shall represent an average thickness of at least 280 microinches or 0.23 troy ounce per square foot when tested in accordance with ASTM B568.

Weight of silver. The minimum weight of silver shall be 1.65 troy oz/gross.

Adhesion. When testing, the silver plating shall show no evidence of blistering.

Finish. The finished items shall have a bright finish.

Marking. Each item shall be clearly and permanently marked with the manufacturer’s name, trademark or tradename of such known character to be easily identifiable with said manufacturer. The surface opposite the markings shall show no signs of penetration.

Workmanship. Finished items shall be clean, well made, and free from any defect which may affect appearance or serviceability. Except for specified fork tine tips, there shall be no sharp edges, burrs, rough die, tool, gouge or grind marks. The silver plating shall be smooth, fine grained, adherent, and free from visible blisters, pits, porosity, and indications of burning or excessive edge buildup. The finished items shall not be fractured, dented, bent, punctured or malformed.

PRODUCT CONFORMANCE. The products provided shall meet the salient characteristics of this description, conform to the producer's own drawings, specifications, standards, and quality assurance practices, and be the same product offered for sale in the commercial market. The Government reserves the right to require proof of such conformance.

MARKING. Shipments to GSA and other civilian agencies shall be marked in accordance with FED-STD-123. Shipments to the Department of Defense (DoD) shall be marked in accordance with MIL-STD-129.

PREPARATION FOR DELIVERY. The item(s) shall be packaged and packed in accordance with the latest revision of ASTM D 3951, Standard Practice for Commercial Packaging. Copies of ASTM standards are available from the American Society for Testing and Materials, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. Phone: 610-832-9585, Fax: 610-832-9555, Web site: www.astm.org, e-mail: service@astm.org.

Palletization: The shipping (transport) containers shall be palletized. The pallets shall be 48-inch length x 40-inch width, general purpose, four-way entry, flush stringer, and double-face non-reversible pallets. The palletized load shall not exceed 2500 pounds in weight for shipments to the Eastern Distribution Center (Burlington). The palletized load shall not exceed 2000 pounds in weight for shipments to the Western Distribution Center (French Camp and Stockton locations). The palletized load shall not overhang the pallet deck board edge by more than 1 inch and shall not exceed 53 inches in overall height (including pallet). Less than half pallet loads or loads shipped by small package carrier in acceptable transport packing need not be palletized. When less than full but more than a half pallet is used, the palletized load shall utilize proper bracing and/or reinforcement to ensure that the load can withstand two additional loads placed on it.

Stacking. A load-stacking test shall be performed once, at the beginning of the contract, for each different unitized or palletized load configuration. A fully palletized load shall be tested utilizing a total stack of three palletized loads, with all the proper bracing and/or reinforcement necessary to perform the test. There shall be no evidence of damage to the pallets, shipping containers or products when stack is tested on the rigid surface for a minimum of 24 hours, in compliance with all the National and Local Safety Regulations. The pre-tested palletized load configuration shall be duplicated using the same packaging materials, pattern, number of shipping (transport) containers, and procedures consistent throughout the duration of the contract. Palletized loads shall be stable and safe when handled with mechanical equipment by qualified personnel.

Materials. All lumber used inside or outside a shipment shall be bark free. No used wood pallets with repaired components or stringers will be acceptable. All wood pallet stringers shall be manufactured from hardwoods. Pallets manufactured of materials other than wood, shall conform to all the requirements specified herein.

Unitization. For the purpose of this requirement, the assembled group of containers or items in a single load that can be handled as a unit throughout the distribution system. Unitization encompasses, but is not limited to, consolidation in a container, placement on a pallet or load base having forklift capability, or securely binding together. Shipments should be considered for unitization where appropriate or specified.

Unitization of pallet load. The palletized load shall be unitized and secured to the pallet to insure that the load arrives intact without product damage.