Table knife

Men and often women from all classes carried a knife around with them for a great variety of tasks, from pruning trees to personal protection or eating at table.

It was only in the 17th century that hosts among the elite again began to lay out cutlery at the table,[1] although at an Italian banquet in 1536 for Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, it is recorded that each guest was provided with knife, spoon and fork, evidently a rarity.

The origin of this, and thus of the table knife itself, is attributed by tradition to Cardinal Richelieu around 1637, reputedly to cure dinner guests of the habit of picking their teeth with their knife-points.

[3] Later, in 1669, King Louis XIV of France banned all pointed knives in his Flemish provinces, insisting on blunt tips, in the hope that it would reduce knife crime.

As a result, these blades are extremely sharp and it is not necessary to use an additional knife with a serrated edge to cut bread or buns.