[0x3f]

> Just proceed to eat some splinters, then? What is the good etiquette way to handle low quality el-cheapo chopsticks?

Well first of all the chopsticks are joined at the non-eating end, typically. So the splinters would be bothering your fingers more than anything.

It's rude because it insults the host, in a way. Anywhere that would care about you doing it should not be giving you the cheap chopsticks in the first place. If you're in a place that gives you them, they probably don't care about you doing it.

[sudo_cowsay]

There are steel chopsticks (though not really common <-- only in Korea).

[scheme271]

The metal chopsticks are pretty much only get used in Korea. The shape and material of the chopsticks varies by country so you can make a good guess as to where someone is from based on which chopsticks they use.