The knife is a very old tool. For historical eras (pre-history) it was used for hunting, and came from the stone in general, properly processed and sharpened. Often, pointed, was hoisted on top of a stick and used as a lance.
There have been a great evolution of the knife in the age of copper and iron, with copper first and then with iron, much harder, we were able to forge even weapons (swords, lances, ...). The hunting knives throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, were used both for hunting and cutting food (meat) on the table.
But it is only relatively recently that the knife has been reclassified as a table tool in close connection with the development of metallurgy, where the functionality was combined with a decorative look that embellished the dinner tables.
The use of the table knife was not unknown in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, but it was used in promiscuous way: while it didn't exclude the use of hands on the food, it was used to cut food and collect the cut pieces as a fork, but not only. In these feasts, it was often used to solve discussions.
Only in the '600 appeared the first flatware knife, in an odd shape, very sharp. It was used to clean the teeth (this is the very first type of table knife). Banned by Louis XIV, it was often used as a weapon in arisen disputes; it seems that the Cardinal of Richelieu was not excited for this usage because that fashion bothered him. And (it seems an initiative of Richelieu) the knife began to change shape so that it could be used only for the purpose of the cut. In this way the knife with the fork, that had meanwhile come into use, allowed diners to eat without touching the food with their hands.
That was the luck of the table knife, because it became an object of design. The evolution of metallurgy allowed also to improve the functionality of the knife with the introduction of the stainless steel, where the blades were sharper and more durable.
Therefore, the knife designed for the tables, had to have a stainless steel blade, rounded tip so as not to serve as an instrument of aggression, and the handle with a variety of shapes and materials, wood, silver, steel. Then other materials were introduced, which affect the cutlery in general, such as the alpaca.
On the principle that food should not be touched with the hands were invented different knives for several use (to cut the meat, butter, cheese, etc.) and then the knives meal suffered successive evolutions for different uses: fish knife, knife for spreading butter on bread and so on.
Steak knife (or normal table knife) — the knives were originally used only for cutting meat. They have a sharp blade, sometimes with a serrated edge although experts say it is not necessary. In any case the blades must be well-cutting; the knife is placed on the right side of the plate with the blade facing inward.
Fish knife — used to eat the fish at the table. It is used in the cover in formal where it is placed, together with the table knife on the right of the plate. If it is not present in the cutlery, it must be substituted with a spoon.
Made entirely of metal: stainless steel, nickel silver, and silver; the balde is not sharp, with the shape of a shovel, which is large and pointed.
Cheese knife — it is used to cut the cheese at the table. It may have different sizes which, however, shouldn't exceed the table knife; smooth or serrated blade, wooden or silver or plastic handle, but with the characteristic of a double curved tip turned backwards, which serves to thread the cut portion and take it into the plate. It is a piece of cutlery service and is not used for the parmesan cheese.
Butter knife — it is used to spread the butter on the bread at the table generally. Its size is smaller than a normal table knife, completely metal or wooden handle or plastic. The blade is not sharp, it is short, wide and smooth, but the main feature is that it has a very rounded tip. It can be used as service cutlery or individual, following the butter on the plate or butter dish that is on the table and is used to spread on bread or sandwiches the butter in pat at room temperature or already prepared in curls.
Tagliagrana (Parmesan cutter) — it is a type of knife used for the Parmigiano.
Small size; the blade is short and sturdy, drop-shaped, wooden handle short-shaped knob. It is used to obtain small flakes of parmesan cheese, starting directly from the whole cheese or from a piece that you put on the table.
To open the whole cheese, which is large and with a very hard crust, there are tagliagrana with adequate size and strength, with wedge-shaped blade and flat handle head on which you can beat. The tool has naturally come from the Emilia region.
Knife for oysters and seafood in general — it is mostly used to open the shells: the blade is very short, pointed and sharp, with the handles that can be made of wood, silver or steel. You must use it with caution: in France it seems that, at Christmas time, the hospital receive a lot of injured because people have used the tool for opening oysters, despite the fact that there is a protection over the blade.
Fruit knife — it is like a normal meat knife, but smaller; it must be placed on the table, along with other dessert cutlery, always with the blade facing the plate and the handle to the right.
The blade is the most important part of the knives, of course, but the most interesting one is represented by the handle, which can be different, we have seen, in material but even in processing or in the family coat of arms that are often reported.
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