Plastic cutlery | Imamother

amother

Thu, Sep 29 2022, 4:06 pm

I’ve always wondered, why do American sets of plastic cutlery not come with 2 knives? Do Americans not use a knife and a fork for the starter? Just a fork? What if it’s something you need to cut?!

amother

Thu, Sep 29 2022, 4:13 pm

Ok phew!
I don’t want any Americans to think I’m having a go at them! Just genuinely curious!

If it’s just for fish maybe that’s why cos fish is soft so you can get anyway with no knife, but even to get the little bits onto the fork it’s easier with a knife otherwise one might have to resort to fingers Can't Believe It

amother

Thu, Sep 29 2022, 4:14 pm

teachkids wrote:

I've never used a knife for a fish starter... It's generally something like salmon or gefilte fish that you only need a fork.

So what about if you lay with metal cutlery? Also no knife?

I wonder if it’s a cultural thing

amother

Whitesmoke

Thu, Sep 29 2022, 4:20 pm

amother OP wrote:

Which sets come with 2 knives
Please link
I always set 2 knives but then I don’t have enough knives

Bnei Berak 10

Thu, Sep 29 2022, 4:27 pm

amother OP wrote:

So what about if you lay with metal cutlery? Also no knife?

I wonder if it’s a cultural thing

I have understood that fishforks and fish knives are usually sold separately.
I think Fox said that american sets don't have knives for 1st course and european sets have.
If you want fish cutlery shop at shops who caters to restaurants caterers and function halls.

amother

Anemone

Thu, Sep 29 2022, 4:27 pm

Not to be snarky but I would suspect that any meal which is using plastic cutlery is not so formal that it would merit this kind of formal setting.

FWIW they don't come with fish forks either which are also necessary if one is setting a very formal table with a fish course.
Fish knives are not even included in sterling silver place settings or stainless either.

Plastic cutlery sets don't generally have soup spoons either.

The purpose of a fish knife is to be able to extract the fish bones gracefully. Are most people serving whole fish with the bone.

Do most people even know how to debone a fish using a fish knife and fork? Chicken on the bone is a bridge too far for many people to eat with utensils. LOL

Bnei Berak 10

Thu, Sep 29 2022, 4:31 pm

amother OP wrote:

You may use a piece of bread as a pusher if needed Smile

I never thought much about fish knives until I had a whole fried fish and used a fish knive. It made a huge difference to debone and eat. A pleasure Smile

Bnei Berak 10

Thu, Sep 29 2022, 4:37 pm

amother Anemone wrote:

Easy to debone a whole fried/cooked fish Smile

Lift off the skin as much as possible with cutlery. Start to eat. Once you reach the bone you just lift it off.
The flat blade actually makes it very very easy Smile

amother

Anemone

Thu, Sep 29 2022, 4:42 pm

Bnei Berak 10 wrote:

Easy to debone a whole fried/cooked fish Smile

Lift off the skin as much as possible with cutlery. Start to eat. Once you reach the bone you just lift it off.
The flat blade actually makes it very very easy Smile

Yes I actually know how to do it - My question was rhetorical in terms of wondering how many people actually would know how to use a fish knife and fork.

They are not generally part of even expensive place settings - you have to purchase them separately in my experience when you buy your silver flatware. And you would have to get stainless separately as well because I don't think most stainless patterns even have the option of buying these separately.

The old silver stuff is really fun because it can get so specialized like special pickle forks and jam servers and asparagus tongs.

Bnei Berak 10

Thu, Sep 29 2022, 5:05 pm

amother Anemone wrote:

I bought my fish cutlery around 15 years ago. You may find fish cutlery in shops that sell to hotels function halls restaurants.

teachkids

Thu, Sep 29 2022, 6:15 pm

amother OP wrote:

So what about if you lay with metal cutlery? Also no knife?

I wonder if it’s a cultural thing

I've never even considered using a second knife. And we use metal cutlery.
We generally use challah to push onto our forks if needed, and I'd someone uses their knife it gets washed/replaced

amother

Thu, Sep 29 2022, 6:46 pm

https://www.johnlewis.com/brow.....unk=2

So all sets have an equal amount of knives to forks. The smaller knife and fork are not specifically fish knives and forks though- they are just for starter. Fish knives and forks are a slightly different shape which you can usually buy separately to match your set.

But that’s why my question originally asked about a knife for starter not exclusively for fish!

I guess it must be cultural- I have never put out just a fork for starter - always a knife to go with it.

amother

Charcoal

Thu, Sep 29 2022, 8:15 pm

Totally cultural. I remember in seminary the Europeans would always put out two forks, a spoon, and two knives and as Americans would always put out just one knife, they would make such fun of us. :-)

shanie5

Thu, Sep 29 2022, 10:14 pm

If there is a fish course, we (american here) put out 2 forks. If more than 1 course, but no fish, we put out 1 fork as it can be used for each course.
Only "jewish" plastic cutlery sets come with 2 forks here.

Bnei Berak 10

Fri, Sep 30 2022, 1:43 am

amother OP wrote:

https://www.johnlewis.com/browse/home-garden/cutlery/canteens-sets/cutlery-sets/_/N-bz2Z1z0w48d?chunk=2

So all sets have an equal amount of knives to forks. The smaller knife and fork are not specifically fish knives and forks though- they are just for starter. Fish knives and forks are a slightly different shape which you can usually buy separately to match your set.

But that’s why my question originally asked about a knife for starter not exclusively for fish!

I guess it must be cultural- I have never put out just a fork for starter - always a knife to go with it.

I wonder how many imamothers have special 1st course knives that are not fish knives? LOL

amother

Narcissus

Fri, Sep 30 2022, 3:26 am

I moved to a country where a fish knife is used. I was recently back in the US and couldn't figure out how to eat me fish without my fish knife, it was a real struggle. As for wiping it up with Challah - it's not the type of thing I do anymore - honestly people have better table manners in general in the European style countries.