While knives and spoons have such a venerable record that they cannot be

attributed to any one place or time of origin, the introduction of the fork can

be more definitely traced. The design of the fork is very ancient. Large forks

are referred to as having been found in the remains of early civilization, but

they were used as weapons and not for eating. The fork as a weapon is well-known

to everyone because of its association with such mythological characters such as

Triton and Neptune and, of course, the Devil.

Left: 16th Century fork, handle bears the Arms of Cosmo de Medici, First Duke of Tuscany.

The fork is also known to have been used as early as 600 A.D. in connection with

viands, but it was regarded for a long time only as a useful utensil for serving

them. At least that is true of forks made of metal. It seems logical to suppose

that man used a one or two-pronged fork in the form of a stick to hold food over

a fire. One natually wonders that the fork did not become a common utensil all

through the ages.

Above: Left 1704 3-tined English fork. Right A two-tined 9th Century Silver Fork, Byzantine design found buried with a silver spoon and 70 Saxon coins at Semington, Wiltshire.

However, we find the fork missing from the table as an implement for general use until

the early 16th Century, when it suddenly appeared in Italy among a few of the

members of the nobility and upper classes. It had been used for some time before

that, in rare instances, for the eating of special dishes and delicacies, such as

preserved pears.

Above: Left A sucket fork used for sweet meats such as prunes and raisins preserved in a thick syrup. Also used as a spoon. Right 17th Century 2-tine fork with steel prongs and Agate handle.

Italy is given credit for the introduction of the fork by many,

but it is believed that certain authorities are more nearly correct when they say

that potentates who came to Italy from the center of the Byzantine Empire had the

honor of showing the Italians how to use this useful article. No satisfactory

records can be found of the duration or prevalence of use of the fork there, but

we know that the Italians were getting many ideas from the Byzantine Empire

around that time.

The fork was not taken up immediately by the common people because its use was

regarded as effeminate. Forks with one, two, three and four tines (prongs) were

among the very early models but the two-tined forks were perhaps more common.

Left: 16th Century fork in gilded bronze, Jasper handle.

A few decades after the upper classes began putting forks into general use, the

other people in Italy adopted them also. It was about the same time that the use

of table knives became very common, although they had found their way to the

table before that. Common people in other countries accepted the fork more

slowly. It was not until the 17th Century that the fork began to be used in

England. The clergy even protested it as a sacrilege, in that it provided a

substitute for the God-given fingers. However, the usefulness of the fork won it

a permanent place at the table against all protest. It was along the lines of

the natural progress for England to eventually borrow the fork from Italy, for

Italy was the center of culture and refinement.

Some of the very first forks made for general use were really works of art. They

were identical with modern forks, except for the fact that they had only two

tines or prongs. There is not much development in design to relate. The only

outstanding features are the inclusion of the fork in a set of utensils carried

in a scabbard. Also a combination of a fork with a folding spoon inside.

Left: Fork with Mother of Pearl and ivory handle set in gilt, iron prongs.

There were some spoons made with fixed handles having a fork at the end of the handle.

People who could not afford silver used forks, knives and spoons of pewter. Below: Combination spoon, fork and toothpick, made to fold and carry in the pocket.

It has been mentioned in discussing thehref=”http://www.silvercollectblog.com/Spoon-History.html” mce_href=”http://www.silvercollectblog.com/Spoon-History.html”>spoon, that knives

were first fashioned out of stone. The close resemblance of some of them to

modern knives indicates that types which are familiar to us were copied from

stone predecessors. (Pictured at left: Flint Knife, 3000 B.C.) Following the period when flint and other suitable stone

materials were used, we find knives made of bronze, then iron, and later, steel,

as knowledge progressed. Corrosion has taken a heavy toll of most of the ancient

metal knives. Parts that remain from the better preserved specimens indicate

that some of these earlier weapons were very fine examples of artistic

handicraft.

Who knows whether some of these early knives were put into practical use by their

owners when eating. It seems reasonable to suppose that they sometimes were.

But there is substantial evidence that the knife was not regarded primarily as an

eating utensil until the Middle Ages. It was undoubtedly used to cut meat or

other foods, prior to serving them, but they were not part of an individual's

eating equipment.

When they finally began to be used that way, the same knife which served as a

weapon also served for eating purposes, being carried at the belt. Persons who

were not entitled to carry arms carried the knife in a scabbard fastened to the

belt as an eating utensil. That was around the time of the 15th century, but

very few specimens are found dating earlier than the 16th century. One of the

first table knives produced had a broad or spatulate end to the blade opposite

the cutting edge. It was recommended “For the eating of pease and jelleys.” Thus it was that he who dined out during the stirring days of the

15th century brought his eating utensils with him. If he observed the rules of

etiquette of his day, he dined noisily in accordance with one of the cardinal

principles of 15th Century table manners - “Smack thy lips resoundingly if thou wouldst show due appreciation to thine host.”

Many of the 15th century knives, carried at the belt, were made up into a set of

one large hunting knife and two small knives, closely resembling the kitchen

paring knife. All of them fit into one scabbard. This set was designed for the

cutting of game. As the knife began to be fashioned more for the table, the need

for such hunting sets disappeared with the development of city life. The

scabbard more often contained only a single knife, and later a set consisting of

a knife and spoon, and still later - knife, fork and spoon.

Left: 15th Century Knife - open brass handle with pierced butt.

It was only after knives became thoroughly identified with the table that they

began to appear in silver. At that late stage of the knife's development, it was

possible to make the first silver knives in very convenient form. They

practically duplicated the steel knives. Very often the blade was made of steel

and the handle only of silver.

Below left to right:
1) 18th Century Italian knife. The blade is engraved with the arms of Medici, first Duke of Tuscany.
2) Italian knife, 16th century. Black wooden handle, embossed with gold and silver. Iron sheath is engraved and covered with gold leaf.
3) Table knife with a silver gilt handle, Germany latter 16th century.
4) Dagger knife, Mother of Pearl handle, Italy 1573.

Today the knife is usually made with a hollow handle - that is two separate hollowed-out sterling silver blanks soldered together to form a handle which can be held firmly and gracefully in the hand. Since about the 1920s, the blade is stainless steel which embodies the hardness of steel and the quality of being stain resistant.

Silver is an ore - a precious metal. When refined to the degree of absolute

purity it is melted into ingots weighing from 500 to 600 ounces. Nine hundred

twenty-five parts of this pure or fine silver are alloyed with 75 parts pure

copper in order to give it the strength and sturdiness of a metal that can be

manipulated and fashioned into useful and decorative utensils.

This metal is known as “Sterling Silver” - 925/1000 fine. Since about 1860 (in

the U.S.), an article of silver that does not assay .925 is not “Sterling” and it

is unlawful to stamp it so. The mark “Sterling” is your guarantee of the same

quality throughout the article. These ingots when alloyed into sterling quality,

are poured into skillets or slabs and then brought to the rolling machines where

they are rolled into sheets of various gauges, depending upon the article to be

made.

Here is an illustration of the 10 steps in making a spoon:

Top Row

(1) The blank is cut.

(2) The blank is cross rolled to widen it.

(3) The piece is rolled lengthwise.

(4) The piece is rolled to varying thicknesses to obtain the correct proportions

of the handle and give strength were needed.

(5) The blank is punched to bring out the form of the spoon.

Bottom Row

(6) The punched-out form.

(7) Forming of the bowl.

(8) The pattern is then struck in die with excess silver pressed out between

upper and lower dies.

(9) Edge is clipped and ready for finishing.

(10) The finished spoon.

See also Brief History of the Spoon

There is plenty of evidence that the people of very early times concentrated along the borders of the sea and large bodies of water. The shores of these waters provided shells which served as natural spoons with which to eat certain types of food. These were available long before man knew how to fashion metal into weapons or implements. Stone knives were made at a very early time, but they were fairly clumsy and apparently were used for hunting rather than eating. This was true even long after metal was employed. Spoons have been found as relics from the table dating from a period long before knives and forks began to

appear. Therefore, we may conclude that the spoon was the first of these implements to be used for eating purposes. Upper Left: Ancient Egyptian ivory spoon with shallow round bowl and short handle.

To make shells more convenient, wooden or bone handles were attached. These produced an implement very much like the spoon of today. During many periods, metal spoons have been produced representing the bowl of a shell.

Above: Examples of ancient Egyptian wooden spoons.

Very early spoons are found made of wood. This was a natural development from using a flat or hollowed splinter of wood for eating purposes. Some very fine spoons carved of slate, wood and ivory have been preserved as relics from ancient

Egypt. By comparing them with other works of Egyptian art, it would seem that they date well back into Egyptian civilization.

Above: Left Ancient Egyptian spoon made of slate. Right Figural spoon in the form of a fish. There is a small cavity underneath used as a salt container.

In some parts of the world, bronze and gold were being used to make spoons. Stone, wood and other materials were employed in other sections. Some of the earliest specimens found represent works of art. The use of the spoon was so prevalent that it appears to have been known to practically all of the civilized world.

Left: 16th century enameled copper spoon - Limoges.

There seems to be no point in following the spoon all the way through the ages and observing its many forms and variations because of the fact that we have not

departed far from the original design. There is one variation of interest that might be mentioned, and that is the folding spoon used around 1400 A.D. At that time, people carried their eating utensils with them, and the 1400 model was made to fit the pocket conveniently. Later, when forks came into use, some combination forks and spoons were made.

Even the very wealthy did not attempt to provide spoons for their guests as a

common practice, but a few of the royalty and nobility did have sufficient

silverware to provide for guests. For a long time spoons were practically the

only implements represented.

Below: Left 17th century combination spoon, fork and toothpick. Right Parts of the combination spoon, fork and toothpick. It was made to fold and carry in the pocket. The 3-tined fork fit into loops at the back of the bowl, and the toothpick screwed into the handle.

During the Tudor and Stuart reigns, a fashionable gift at Christenings was the Apostle spoon (shown at left). A complete set of twelve silver Apostle spoons was indeed a very valuable gift. Sometimes a thirteenth spoon was added, called the “Master” spoon because it bore the figure of Christ. Spoons of copper, pewter or brass were used by folks of limited means.

The earliest American-made spoons followed closely the style of the English spoon because the early New England colonists brought examples of these with them. Modifications of these early spoons naturally followed.

See more spoon images below.

Below: Left 4th century Roman spoon. Right 16th century Italian golden bronze spoon.

Berry and Strawberry forks were produced for most antique sterling silver and silverplate flatware patterns. Some patterns had 2 tine berry forks and some had 3 tines. The 2 tine forks are often incorrectly identified as hors d'oeurves, oyster, seafood and other types of forks. If you have unsuccessfully searched for berry forks in your pattern, try using other names. You may have better luck but keep in mind that berry serving spoons are more commonly found than the berry forks. Strawberry forks are sweet collectibles. If you cannot find them in your pattern, consider adding a complimentary pattern to your collection. Sterling and silverplate patterns from the same era generally go very nicely together.

Strawberry forks were usually sold in boxed sets of 6, or as a boxed berry set which included the berry spoon and 6 berry forks.

Here are examples of both the 2 and 3 tine forks.

Above: Sterling silver “Venus” berry set with spoon and 2 tine berry forks.

Above: Silverplate “Melrose” berry set with spoon and 3 tine berry forks.

I've seen countless silver descriptions online which include claims that the tarnish on a piece of silver or silverware is actually patina. Tarnish is not patina!

Patina is a rich, warm color which forms over time as a result of use and handling. Flatware straight from the factory has a “factory shine” whether it's sterling silver, silverplate or stainless steel. After only minimal use, you will begin to notice fine surface scratches. It is impossible to avoid but this is nothing to worry about; it's part of the patination process. Over time, these fine scratches will blend together to form a soft finish.

Most people are familiar with the term “patina” when used in reference to a piece of antique furniture and how it increases value. It's the same thing with silver. Patina is very desirable on antique silver and flatware. Oxidation

(blackening in the fine details of a pattern) is also very desirable and increases value. Oxidation is so desirable, some flatware patterns were produced with factory-applied oxidation. Removing this oxidation with chemical dips or by

placing in a dishwasher can decrease value, so think twice before using either of them on your valuable silver. Damaging or removing the patina from your antique silver is akin to stripping the finish off of your prized antique table.

Above: Example of oxidation - 1897 Berkshire flatware pattern by 1847 Rogers Bros. Oxidized details make the pattern stand out. Note the soft patina on the handle.

Tarnish is the all-over blackening of silver caused by pollutants in the air. This is easily distinguishable from patina. Avoid buying tarnished silver and silverplate because it can hide wear and damage. The old-fashioned way of removing tarnish by hand polishing with a non-abrasive silver polish is always best for your antique silver. Hand polishing will remove tarnish; it will not remove the patina but rather, add to it.

Antique silver lettuce forks are fun to collect and use. Now obsolete, the lettuce fork was once offered with flatware services to the health-conscious and nature-loving Victorians.

Fresh vegetables had become more readily available due to increased usage of the railroad and shipping industries. Victorian-era silver manufacturers were happy to oblige, and designed special utensils for each of the favorite foods at the time.

Lettuce forks generally measure approximately 7.5-8 inches long and are still very reasonably priced. The more popular patterns command higher prices but the less popular are still works of art. They are very useful for any number of foods and dishes today, and are sure to be appreciated and admired by both family and guests.