> wrote:
>How long do people use soft or hard wood or bamboo chopsticks? Can
>they be used indefinitely? When would you discard them?

We use our bamboo chopsticks until they start discoloring badly (or
until my wife says "let's change them", whichever comes first). At
99 cents for a ten pairs, it's not a big deal to throw out twenty
pair every three to six months.

We have some wooden chopsticks (not sure if they're soft- or hardwood),
which cost about three times as much (!), and basically only use them
for cooking.

We run our dishwasher on "extra hot wash", and place our chopsticks (both
kinds) on the top rack in a single layer (with other dishes above
that, often). Never had a problem.

Donald