1830’s-40’s Table Etiquette Changes

Butter knives, shown above with antique butter dishes and butter forks, were new to tables in the 1830’s- 1840’s. Butter forks and butter picks came later in the 1800’s. Prior to butter knives and individual butter spreaders being introduced, it was very common for diners to butter their bread with their thumbs. This always leaves me to wonder, bemusedly, how common it was for diners to then lick the butter from their thumbs. 

A giant leap in table etiquette was made from the late 1830’s to 1875 due to the rise in use of the table fork, the lower saucers with rings in them created for tea, chocolate and coffee cups, as opposed to the deeper bowl-like, ringless saucers in use for years, along with the introduction of butter knives to the table:

 “Everybody was accustomed, twenty or thirty years since, to use the knife to carry food to the mouth, because the fork of the day was not adapted to the purpose. Since the introduction of the four-tined silver fork, it has so entirely supplanted the knife, that the usage of the latter, in that way, is not only superfluous, but is regarded as a vulgarism. 

Another example is the discontinuance of the custom of turning tea or coffee from the cup into the saucer. Although small plates were frequently employed to set the cup in, they were not at all in general use; and even when they were used, the tea or coffee was likely to be spilled upon the cloth. The habit, likewise, of putting one’s knife into the butter arose from the fact that the butter-knife proper had not been thought of. Such customs as these, once necessitated by circumstances, are now obviously inappropriate.” —Scribner’s Monthly, 1875

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

Ignoring Civilities Can Cost You

 

“For this exploit he had to pay five dollars.” One should always use the butter knife, spreader or butter pick provided, rather than their own table or dinner knife..., but these are minor etiquette faux pas compared to the outright bad manners of hurling a knife at a restaurant wall in anger!
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Above, assorted antique silver butter knives, butter spreaders and butter picks.
Photo source, Etiquipedia private photo library

 

We have heard of a well-dressed stranger at a great hotel in Boston who, having used his own knife for the butter, flew into a violent passion with the waiter for respectfully pointing out to him the silver butter-knife.

Swearing that the knife he had been putting into his mouth was quite good enough, afterward, for any butter in the world, the gentleman flung the silver knife across the table and broke it against the wall. For this exploit he had to pay five dollars. —New York Times 1931

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