Come sit with me for awhile…
and see what I’m bringing to the table®

The world is filled with tons of finger foods, such as sushi, pizza, soup, chili, and even fried chicken, that in no way requires a knife .   .   . But .   .   . one can not live on these foods alone. O k, yadah yadah .   .   . I hear some of you saying .   .   . hmm .   .  . not so bad an idea! Stop .   .   . Wait !!! Before you all go native on me, consider that thick juicy steak, baked ham, or even a red velvet cake that needs cutting .   .   . uh ha .   .   . mm hmm .   .   . Even the cavemen honed pieces of flint used for cutting!  Sheesh!!!  A spreader knife used for spreading butter, tapénade or even a schmear of cream cheese has a rounded top, but is not generally part of your everyday place setting. Oh please .   .   . since when has that stopped some of you out there in reader land? People, with a touch of due diligence, some good old fashioned flea market foraging, and an out-of-the-box attitude, there are finds to be found!  Being of the not so matchy-matchy mentality, I purposely mix modern with Victorian, and many styles in between. Hmmm, maybe that’s why I’ve never been considered a ho-hum tablescaper. Spreaders are generally 6 inches in length, but can be found even shorter .   .   . no worries .   .   . I didn’t buy all of them!!!

Table knives, (aka dinner knives) are found in all 5 piece place settings. They may vary in length, width, and design while serving an all purpose use including cutting a wedge of lettuce, and are generally 9 1/4 inches in length.

Steak knives reside in a very special class, and are chosen as to the heft of the knife, the feel of the handle, and the seriousness of the serrated edge. Steak knife lengths run between 8 – 9 inches long. Some people take their steak eating seriously, and have been known to spend hundred of dollars for a set of 6 steak knives!

The shape of the fish knife has a definite shape to the design, because of the specific use. The blade is wide, dull edged, and has a notch at the tip used to separate, and lift bones away from the body of the fish. The general length is approximately 8 3/4 inches. The fish fork that pairs with the fish knife was discussed in last years July 17th blog, and can be found in the archives.

Hang on we’re almost there .   .   .

Let’s not ignore the luncheon knife .   .   . really .   .   . there is a luncheon knife. The lengths range from 8 – 8 3/4 inches, and are generally used with luncheon plates that are smaller  than a dinner plate.

Dessert knives, can be found in two styles. One style has a rounded tip for soft desserts, and the other has a pointed tip to cut hard desserts. Both knives have a narrow blade and measure around 8 inches in length.

Fruit knives, can be anywhere from 6 1/2 inches to 7 plus inches in length, and is best when the blade is slightly curved, with a pointed tip, making it easy to peel and cut fresh fruit. Again a table utensil that is generally not sold with everyday sets, but are available from the inexpensive to the sterling silver versions, and sold in sets of 6 unless you are lucky enough to find a few strays here and there.

No knives here… At long last, my new book available on Amazon http://goo.gl/4kBSxv

Sharon Insul is the former owner of the popular Beverly Hills boutique Candle light and…

I WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS and QUESTIONS  .   .   . sharons3@me.com