Forks And Knives
Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Tableware
Silver Plate, Brass
Antique 1890s French Sterling Silver
Gold, Gold Plate
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Brass, Stainless Steel
Antique Late 19th Century English International Style Tableware
Silver Plate, Stainless Steel
Vintage 1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
Early 20th Century English Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces
Stainless Steel
20th Century French Modern Serving Pieces
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1920s British Sterling Silver
Silver, Britannia Standard Silver, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Antique Early 1900s Edwardian Tableware
Silver Plate, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1960s American Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Tableware
Brass
Vintage 1920s English Edwardian Tableware
Silver
Antique 1860s European Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces
Steel, Stainless Steel
Antique Late 19th Century English Aesthetic Movement Sheffield and Silve...
Silver Plate
20th Century Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Antique Early 1900s English Edwardian Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1910s English Edwardian Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver, Brass
Antique Early 1900s English Art Deco Serving Pieces
Silver, Brass
Antique Mid-19th Century Scottish Victorian Tableware
Agate, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century German Country Tableware
Stainless Steel
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Sterling Silver
Vermeil, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1920s French Art Deco Tableware
Silver Plate
Antique 19th Century French Tableware
Stainless Steel
Antique Early 1900s British Victorian Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s German Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces
Metal, Stainless Steel
2010s British Knife Boxes
Bronze, Steel
Antique 1890s Austrian Victorian Tableware
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century German Edwardian Tableware
Silver Plate
20th Century Tableware
Silver
Early 20th Century German French Provincial Tableware
Silver Plate
Vintage 1930s British Art Deco Sheffield and Silverplate
Stainless Steel, Steel, Metal
20th Century Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Antique Late 19th Century Tableware
Sterling Silver
Antique 1890s French Louis XVI Sterling Silver
Vermeil, Sterling Silver
20th Century Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Antique 1890s Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Antique 1880s Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
20th Century Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
20th Century Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Antique 1890s Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
20th Century Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
20th Century Indian Anglo-Indian Tableware
Brass, Steel
- 1
- ...
Forks And Knives For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are Forks And Knives?
Finding the Right tableware for You
While it isn’t always top of mind for some, antique and vintage tableware can enhance even the most informal meal. It has been an intimate part of how we’ve interacted with our food for millennia.
Tableware has played a basic but important role in everyday life. Ancient Egyptians used spoons (which are classified as flatware) made of ivory and wood, while Greeks and Romans, who gathered for banquets involving big meals and entertainment, ate with forks and knives. At the beginning of the 17th century, however, forks were still uncommon in American homes. Over time, tableware has thankfully evolved and today includes increasingly valuable implements.
Tableware refers to the tools people use to set the table, including serving pieces, dinner plates and more. It encompasses everything from the intricate and elaborate to the austere and functional, yet are all what industrial product designer Jasper Morrison might call “Super Normal” — anonymous objects that are too useful to be considered banal.
There are four general categories of tableware — serveware, dinnerware, drinkware and, lastly, flatware, which is commonly referred to as silverware or cutlery. Serveware includes serving bowls, platters, gravy boats, casserole pans and ladles. Most tableware is practical, but it can also be decorative. And decorative objects count as tableware too. Even though they don’t fit squarely into one of the four categories, vases, statues and floral arrangements are traditional centerpieces.
Drinkware appropriately refers to the vessels we use for our beverages — mugs, cups and glasses. There is a good deal of variety that falls under this broad term. For example, your cheerful home bar or mid-century modern bar cart might be outfitted with a full range of vintage barware, which might include pilsner glasses and tumblers. Specialty cocktails are often served in these custom glasses, but they’re still a type of drinkware.
Every meal should be special — even if you’re using earthenware or stoneware for a casual lunch — but perhaps you’re hosting a dinner party to mark a specific event. The right high-quality tableware can bring a touch of luxury to your cuisine. Young couples, for example, traditionally add “fine china,” or porcelain, to their wedding registry as a commemoration of their union and likely wouldn’t turn down exquisite silver made by Tiffany & Co. or Georg Jensen.
It’s important to remember, however, that when you’re setting the dining room table to have fun with it. Just as you might mix and match your dining chairs, don’t be afraid to mix new and old or high and low with your tableware. On 1stDibs, find an extraordinary range of vintage and antique tableware to help elevate your meal as well as the mood and atmosphere of your entire dining room.
- What is a fish fork?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertOctober 5, 2021A fish fork is a 4-tined fork used with an individual fish knife in eating fish or seafood. On 1stDibs, you can find a variety of fish fork options to upgrade your kitchenware with a vintage appeal.
- What is a hay fork?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertOctober 19, 2021A hay fork is a farm tool with two or three sharp metal prongs on a long handle. It is used for lifting straw or hay. A hay fork is typically made of steel, wrought iron, or a mixture of metals. On 1stDibs, find a variety of antique and vintage hay fork decorative items for you to choose from.
- What is a snail fork?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertSeptember 28, 2021A snail fork has two long prongs, which help to eat snails directly from the shell. It is also called an "escargot fork.” Find vintage snail forks on 1stDibs.
- Are Sheffield knives any good?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 25, 2024Yes, many people say that Sheffield knives are good. Specifically, experts and online reviewers often tout the brand's price-to-quality ratio, stating that its cutlery is well made and durable yet economically priced. The company's history of producing cutlery dates back more than 700 years to its founding in 1297. Explore a range of Sheffield knives on 1stDibs.
- What is a carving fork used for?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertOctober 19, 2021A carving fork is used to keep meat or other dishes secure when slicing them. It also aids in keeping hands away from knives' sharp blades. A carving fork usually has two long tines and a protrusion at the base of the handle where the thumb and forefinger can rest. Shop a range of antique and vintage carving forks on 1stDibs.
- What is a British toasting fork?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022A British toasting fork is a fork with a long handle used to toast bread, cheese and other foods in front of the fire. It was typically crafted from metal, and one was even referenced in Shakespeare’s works. On 1stDibs, find an array of toasting forks.
- What is a pastry fork used for?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertOctober 5, 2021A pastry fork is used for eating pastries and other desserts like pie or cake from a plate. This fork has three or four tines. Upgrade your kitchenware today — find a variety of antique, new and vintage serveware, tableware and more on 1stDibs.
- What is a serving fork used for?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertSeptember 28, 2021A serving fork is an important composite of formal tableware. Comprising two or four prongs and a long handle, a serving fork is used to serve food from a bowl or platter onto the person’s plate easily. Cado, Balance, Boston and Avance are a few of the well-known varieties of serving forks. Shop a range of antique and vintage serving forks on 1stDibs.
- What is a tuning fork watch?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertOctober 5, 2021A tuning fork watch uses a tuning fork instead of a balance wheel and is driven by a solenoid-powered one-transistor oscillator circuit and no mechanical contacts. An attached pawl and index wheel turn the gear train. A collection of vintage tuning fork watches is available on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 28, 2021A combination of fork, knife and spoon in one is called a splade, which is generally shaped like a spoon with four fork tines. The sides are either perforated or sharp and can be used as a knife to cut through food. Shop a range of antique and vintage splades on 1stDibs.
Read More
How the Chunky, Funky Ceramics of 5 Mid-Century American Artists Balanced Out Slick Modernism
Get to know the innovators behind the pottery countercultural revolution.
Ready for a Cinderella Moment? This Glass Handbag Is a Perfect Fit
Glass slippers might be the stuff of fairytales, but glass handbags? Artist Joshua Raiffe has made them a reality, and they're far less delicate than you might imagine, but just as dreamy.
With Dansk, Jens Quistgaard Delivered Danish Simplicity to American Tables
When a visionary Copenhagen designer teamed up with an enterprising Long Island couple, Scandi-style magic landed in kitchens and dining rooms across the United States.
Hostess Extraordinaire Aerin Lauder Shares Entertaining Tips and Auction Picks
The arbiter of good taste, who has curated a collection for 1stDibs Auctions, invites 1stDibs inside her family’s Hamptons barn for a firsthand look at her welcoming style.
Handmade with Lab-Grade Glass, This Decanter Holds Your Favorite Cocktail Concoctions
Artist Simone Crestani conjures the fascination you remember from Chemistry 101.
28 Cheerful Home Bars, Where Everybody (Literally) Knows Your Name
Simple or sophisticated, equipped with console, cart or custom cabinetry, these stylish bar areas deserve a toast.
Meet the Celebrated Hostess Whose Magical Tabletops Enhance Every Occasion
For Stephanie Booth Shafran, entertaining guests is about opening her heart as well as her home.
How to Identify Real Capodimonte Porcelain
Early examples by the Italian manufacturer can be hard to come by, but the best later pieces possess the same over-the-top charm.