When Etiquette Tabooed a Knife

An 1878, patented design for a utensil which is “adapted to subserve the various functions of knife, fork, and spoon, as occasion be required.” – For when “etiquette has tabooed the knife,” which was the case with steel bladed knives and salads, due to common salad dressing ingredients. Knives were also “tabooed” for pastries and pies, due to the special forks already created for them.

“My present invention consists of an article of table-cutlery adapted to subserve the various functions of knife, fork, and spoon, as occasion be required. Except when used to hold meats while being carved, (for which purposes an ordinary two-tined fork is usually employed), the tines of the table fork are seldom or never called into play, as such for more than from one-fourth to one-third of their length, the remaining portions being useless as tines, and not adapted, obviously, to subserve the functions of the spoon. 

Occasion frequently arises also when it is desirable or necessary to use the fork as a cutting implement, as certain varieties of food, notably such as are served with mustard or vinegar, attack and discolor the steel of the table knife, while with others, such as pastry or pies, etiquette has tabooed the knife.” — Charles Reese, 1878

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia