Principal pieces in a cutlery set are the table knife and fork, dessert knife, fork and spoon, soup spoon and teaspoon. Cutlery has evolved through the ages ever since pre-historic humans learnt to cook.
The knife was probably the first cutlery piece, first used around 2000 BC. These early knives were rocks and other objects with sharp cutting edges. Spoons were introduced when cooking developed further and humans had to raise food and liquid to their mouths for consumption. The early spoons were made from stone, clay and animal horn.
Forks are believed to have first appeared around the 9th century and bore resemblance to a spear. The use of forks while dining was started by the Italians and much later the practice was adopted by the British. In 1660, after Charles II returned from exile in France and Holland, his court popularised the use of the two-pronged fork. Previously, the English used a single-pronged fork to hold meat while it was carved with a large-bladed knife.
Stainless steel is the most commonly used material for making cutlery items. Initially, steel was used to make knives, while pewter was common for making spoons. Since the 19th century, electroplated nickel silver has been used as a cheaper substitute. After steel, silver is the second most common material used.
Additional specialised cutlery pieces for eating specific foods have been developed. For example, people generally eat soups with a round-bowl soup spoon and egg spoons and grapefruit spoons are also used when eating these respective foods. There are also a variety of knives to use – for example, when eating cheese, butter, cake or bread.
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