Cutlery

Cutlery is a fancy term for eating utensils such as a fork, knife and spoon, although it most specifically refers to utensils made of valuable metals. A cutlerer or custler was a craftsman who specialized in the creation of cutlery.

The most common utensil in period was the eating knife, usually a sturdy single-edged blade worn at all times. Many SCAdians use a dagger as an eating knife, which can be tricky and is not strictly accurate.

In period, forks were largely unknown as a table utensil, although some eating knives had prongs at the point so as to be used like a fork; otherwise, two-pronged forks were for toasting or broiling. In the SCA, however, table forks appear to be period by consensus.

Spoons were of course common in period, as it is quite difficult to eat soup with a knife. Most common spoons in period were made of bone or horn, although metal spoons were used for special occasions.

It is interesting to note that most common eating establishments in period would not provide cutlery: the customer was expected to bring their own.