Obsolescent cutlery

[Arran]

Asparagus tongs for eating asparagus with.

Sugar tongs for picking up sugar cubes with.

Salt spoons for use with salt bowls on tables instead of salt shakers.

[zabadak]

Hardly ever use knives these days...

[Arran]

Cake breaker. Invented in the US some time in the 19th century for cutting cakes without crumbling them. Early examples are usually silver but the model below dates from around 1970. For some reason or other they never caught on in Britain. I wouldn't mind trying one out if I can find one.

[tex]

Sugar tongs and sugar nips, i think the difference was the bowl end on the tongs which wasn't found on nips.

[marc]

Aran, above, that Cake Breaker looks has though it would break the cake in more ways than one. I would also like to try one out.

[Arran]

An ebay search points in a direction that cake breakers were never made in Sheffield, or anywhere else in Britain.

There is a sardine fork that is very broad with short prongs used to remove sardines from a tin. I'm not sure if they are American or were manufactured and used in Britain.

Sardine tin keys have also fallen out of use.

Tea caddy spoons have largely disappeared along with the loose tea leaves that they scooped up. With the rise in popularity of ground coffee in recent years then they theoretically should have made a comeback, for coffee rather than tea, but most people just use cheap plastic scoops instead.

[angliaknight]

The cutlery used for Escargot or snails to you and me.

[Arran]

I have noticed that you can buy souvenir caddy spoons with enamel badges of the town on them. I'm not sure if they are meant to be used to scoop up tea leaves or coffee grounds with or are ornamental. The badges have a habit of detaching with use.

Lemon forks - smaller than a standard fork and the prongs often splay outwards. Still sometimes used by in cocktail bars or by lemon tea enthusiasts.

[zabadak]

I have noticed that you can buy souvenir caddy spoons with enamel badges of the town on them. I'm not sure if they are meant to be used to scoop up tea leaves or coffee grounds with or are ornamental. The badges have a habit of detaching with use.

My dad bought some of them in Germany in 1955 when he was on honeymoon with my mum. I think my brother has them now...

[Twocky61]

Now we have 'Sporks'. Mostly offered to people in police custody suites