Fashions in Cutlery.
Table cutlery, as the designation was formerly understood, included all the knives and forks, nut-picks, etc. To-day, among well-to-do people, all the forks, except that which belongs to the carving set, are either sterling-silver or silver-plated. It is astonishing how the table appliances have multiplied in this luxurious age. For the fish course there are sterling-silver knives and forks of special shapes, and a broad silver knife and fork for serving the fish. Oyster forks of another shape are considered indispensable when raw oysters are served. Knives and forks of medium size are used for entrées, the forks being silver and the knives having silver, silver-plated, or steel blades. For the meat course the forks are silver and the blades of the knives steel. The dessert knives and forks are silver-plated; the butter knives that are placed by the little bread-and-butter plates are silver. So it will be seen that the cutlery of to-day does not mean for fine tables what it did formerly. Common knives and forks are made with flat tangs, to which pieces of wood or bone are joined for the handle. In fine knives the tang is made round, and is pressed into a round groove made in the handle. Sometimes this is fastened with a rivet, sometimes with a spring, and again with some cement.
The handles of the finest knives are weighted, unless made of a heavy material like silver. This is important, as it causes the knife to lie flat upon the table. Handles are made of sterling silver, mother-of-pearl, ivory, grained celluloid, plain celluloid, etc. Buckhorn and imitations of buckhorn are used a great deal for carving sets. Ivory has been used the most for the best class of knives and forks, but in furnace-heated houses the ivory is apt to split. Even the greatest care does not insure against it, and dealers find that this often happens while the goods are kept in their stores. As a substitute for ivory, celluloid, grained celluloid, and ivorine are coming into use. These substances neither crack, stain, nor turn yellow, as does the ivory; which, of course, is a great consideration. Mother-of-pearl handles cost about twice as much as ivory. With proper care one can keep them in good condition through a lifetime. Sterling-silver handles are very handsome and satisfactory. Knives and forks with metal handles, which are plated with the rest of the knife or fork, are the most commonly used, because they are so easily cared for and are not liable to get out of order. They are, however, not found upon elegant tables.