Hi All,
I thought these were ice cream forks but cannot find any like it and doesn’t come up in Replacements.com. Any idea what this for?
Decor by Gorham.
Decor by Gorham Sterling Silver pair of Ice Cream Forks 5 3/8" | eBay
Decor by Gorham Sterling Silver Ice Cream Fork Custom Made 6" Silverware | eBay
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Cold meat serving Fork possibly !!! 
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It’s a runcible spoon!
May I explain! The English for reasons best known to themselves start rather a lot of their meals with soup or broth. You are given a bowl of this in a largish plate or soup bowl together with a 9 inch. “tablespoon” too large to fit into even the most loquacious of mouths.
Neophytes will afford polite society gathered some quiet amusement by attempting to do what is logical, stick the spoon in the broth then guide the pointy end to your mouth and slurp it down.
Don’t do this.
The spoon must be allowed to quietly submerge itself in the broth and then balance the contents on the bowl the side of which is to be brought into contact with your mouth and tipped slightly so you sip it from the spoon side.
As you get toward the bottom of the bowl you must tip it away from you and scoop the last drops.
The good news is if it is turtle soup you probably get a decent glass of Madera to go with it.
Some of the odd customs and even odder nine-inch monster spoons were shipped over to New York.
The New Yorkers, used them as serving spoons. Thy had shorter handles than British serving spoons which were 12 inches. The length of spoon reflecting the lack of washing facilities afforded 19th century UK domestic staff. Apparently New York staff got better facilities and nine inches was adequate separation.
But New Yorkers being New Yorkers, wouldn’t just leave things like that and consulted with the likes of this maker of spoon as to adaptation.
He suggested following what the Irish had pioneered and cutting the bowl of one of the spoons into sharp points and call it a “spork”.
Edward Lear was writing his nonsense rhymes about the same time and decided all this is absurd and it needed an absurd name.
Which he came up with in:
The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five-pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
"O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon,
"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
Your ring?" Said the Piggy, “I will.”
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.
CRWW
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Wow! Thank you. That is fabulous information. I have not seen pierced versions so it threw me. Thanks so much for this!
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So what do you propose to use it for?
Dining on Mince and slices of Quince is a fanciful but rather limited option.
They usually end up as salad servers.
The piercing in yours is indeed novel.
Here’s a basting spoon which has been converted:
CRWW
Could it be a terrapin fork?
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Yes indeed.
A terrapin fork is a specialized, spoon-shaped fork (similar to a spork) designed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to eat terrapin stew, a delicacy made from turtle. It features a bowl-like shape with short, stubby tines used to spear meat while scooping up gelatinous soup.
- Design: Often four-tined and concave, bridging the gap between a spoon and a fork.
- Purpose: Served both as a spoon for soup and a fork for picking through the turtle meat.
- Popularity: They were popular in the United States during the Victorian era and are considered rare antique silverware today.
- Related Items: These are closely related to ice cream forks, seafood spoons, and ramekin forks, often having similar ornate, small-sized designs.
The fork was essential for formal dining when terrapin soup was a sought-after, luxurious meal. They were often crafted in sterling silver and formed part of the vast array of specialized silverware developed during the era.
CRWW
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