Table Knives in the Middle Ages

Some English table knives of the 1400s were said to have handles made from unicorn horns. Such handles were prized because the horn of a unicorn was believed to act as a charm against poison. ~ A favorite image of Etiquipedia’s shows a servant cutting trenchers of bread in a detailed banquet scene. This image is from a woodcut by German artist M. Wohlgemuth, 1491

Some English table knives of the 1400s were said to have handles made from unicorn horns. Such handles were prized because the horn of a unicorn was believed to act as a charm against poison. The handles probably came from the narwhal, a sea creature with a single long tusk. Until the 1600s, people thought narwhal tusks were really unicorn horns.

Innkeepers didn't provide table knives for their guests in the Middle Ages, and most hosts didn't either. So people took their knives with them when they traveled. The wealthy nobles and clergy carried theirs in handsome sheaths of tooled and decorated leather. Poorer people simply stuck their knives into their belts or a stocking.

In the homes of well-to-do Christians, knives with different- colored handles were used to help celebrate certain religious holidays. For example, knives with black handles made of ebony were brought out during Lent as a symbol of Christ's suffering. Then on Easter, knives with white handles made of ivory symbolized His resurrection.– From James Cross Giblin’s book, “From Hand to Mouth”, 1987

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