The knife is the oldest known implement, used as a cutting tool at the dawn of Mankind.
The knife as an eating utensil didn't develop until the Middle Ages. At that time, peasants would carry a knife
with them at all times, having the knife do double duty as both an eating tool and a weapon. Noblemen would
carry two knives, one for each purpose. It was common for a whetstone to be placed just outside the entrance of
a great hall so that guests could sharpen their knives before a feast. From this we get the expression "to whet
the appetite." During the meal, knife blades were used for cutting and the tips of the knives were used to spear
meat and used in the manner we use forks today. Blades were used to pick up smaller items that weren't feasible
to be eaten with the hands, such as peas. So in its early days, the knife took on the role of knife, fork, and spoon
all at once.
It wasn't until the 16th century in Italy that the true dinner knife emerged, one that's use was strictly for eating.
Even then, only the wealthy could afford to supply their guests with them.
Louis XIV was the first king to provide each guest with a knife, fork and spoon. By the 18th century it had
become fashionable for wealthy people to have sets of matched flatware.
The knife as an eating utensil didn't develop until the Middle Ages. At that time, peasants would carry a knife
with them at all times, having the knife do double duty as both an eating tool and a weapon. Noblemen would
carry two knives, one for each purpose. It was common for a whetstone to be placed just outside the entrance of
a great hall so that guests could sharpen their knives before a feast. From this we get the expression "to whet
the appetite." During the meal, knife blades were used for cutting and the tips of the knives were used to spear
meat and used in the manner we use forks today. Blades were used to pick up smaller items that weren't feasible
to be eaten with the hands, such as peas. So in its early days, the knife took on the role of knife, fork, and spoon
all at once.
It wasn't until the 16th century in Italy that the true dinner knife emerged, one that's use was strictly for eating.
Even then, only the wealthy could afford to supply their guests with them.
Louis XIV was the first king to provide each guest with a knife, fork and spoon. By the 18th century it had
become fashionable for wealthy people to have sets of matched flatware.
| Knives - A Brief History |
| Sterling Flatware Fashions |