Name That Silver Serving Piece (or, what’s that weird fork or spoon?)

Ever wonder what those curvy-tined forks are in the old silver service you inherited? Or the oddly shaped spoon? Utensils were pretty specific in the old days…here are just a few silver serving pieces that you shouldn’t live without 😉. (With thanks to Veranda.com and Replacements.com.)

Unusual serving pieces

Jelly server: This spoon can either have a point and a sharpened edge or a ladle and a long handle.

Toast fork: Apparently Victorians thought touching rolls or bread in a basket would lead to illness, so they used a special serving fork. Its wide tines make it easier to pierce and serve the toast.

Grape shears: These would generally be used at the final fruit course of formal dinners. Diners would use the shears (featuring long handles and a short blade) to cut a small cluster of grapes to place gently on their plates.

Ice cream fork: Used when ice cream was served on a plate instead of in a bowl. It has a shallow bowl with 3-4 tines.

Asparagus fork: It’s made to hold a single stalk of asparagus and features U-shaped tongs.

Small serving forks

Butter pick: Two tines and a smaller size made this the choice for piercing and serving pats of butter.

Lemon fork: These were generally used at tea parties, with wide, splayed tines that made it easier to pick up the lemon wedges.

Pickle fork: A long, skinny fork to get pickles or olives out of the jar.

Pastry fork: The left tine is often flatter, which lets the user hold a plate in one hand while cutting through pastry with the other.

Sardine server: short, wide tines make it easier to spear sardines and anchovies.

And one non-metal utensil

Caviar spoons: Unlike our other examples, these aren’t made of silver (which could hold or give off flavors), but of mother-of-pearl.

These are only a small sample; it’s a lot of fun to figure out what pieces you may have. And with the holidays coming up, this is a great time to make sure your silver flatware is properly insured. Start with an updated professional appraisal (silver prices have gone up a lot!). Contact me at 617-304-0174 or at aimee@aimbappraisal.com. I’ll even let you know what all of your unusual silver flatware pieces are!

Uniquely yours, Aimee