silverware

Spoons and knives were made and used in the earliest times and they are found among the artifacts of the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, etc. Prehistoric implements used for cutting, hunting, and defense were fashioned from stone, especially flint; from obsidian, a volcanic glass; and from bones and shells. Forks, which originally had a single point, were made with two prongs by the Romans. Matching sets of spoons and forks in standard patterns were common by the mid-18th century. The modern tablespoon, with its stem ending in a rounded curve and turned downward, was adopted about 1760. Although by the late 17th century individual eating knives were no longer carried for ordinary use, sets consisting of knife, fork, spoon, and drinking vessel were made for travelers well into the 19th century.