Fish knife

At the turn of the 19th century, the originally symmetric and broad blade of the fish slice evolved into a scimitar-like shape, with the knife often marketed as a matched set with a four-tine serving fork.

[5] Use of the knife came from the rich commoners, with high society at first frowning upon it as a too specialized tool (and the one they were also missing in their hereditary silverware sets).

"[7] Use of silver as a material for the knife was the only available means (before the arrival of the stainless steel) to enable pairing of lemon and fish without encountering a metallic taste.

The modern knives are about 8 to 9 inches long, have a dull blade and frequently a notch close to the sharp tip that can be used to separate the bones from the flesh of the fish.

[10] If the fish is served already without bones, knife is either used to "flake" the pieces onto the fork, or its use can be avoided altogether, known as "American style".