Mmmm, mmmm. I, too, love using the old things I have inherited. Last fall I set a table for ten with salt cellars and tiny siver spoons. Fun! In a couple weeks I plan to fill them with red pepper flakes when I serve a very upscale spaghetti dinner on my best china. I hope my Irish great-grandmother doesn't roll in her grave over such a travesty in her beautiful crystal cellars.

I have silver fish forks but don't know how to use them, or with which of my china plates. Maybe I should look into acquiring some knife rests. They sound like necessary fun. I do feel a little out-of-date using these things, but I do like it

I use all of the above and never considered them anachronistic. Perhaps I just never deviated from the way my parents did things. However, I use knife rests only for carving knives. At formal meals, our knives get removed with each course in which they are used. When people put used silverware on tablecloths, I have to restrain myself. DH thinks that I was born in the wrong century. I'm aware that I'm neurotic.

Yes to all of the above for me also. I have a set of crystal knife rests that I love using. I also have a set of 12 salt cellars. To use with the salt cellars, I have a set of gold spoons and a set of silver ones.

Several years ago, I found a sugar scuttle with the scoop and it is one of my favorite pieces to use on the table. I also have a crystal/silver domed butter dish that I like to use. It is just a cheap silver plated one, but I enjoy seeing it on the table. Maybe one day I can replace it with an antique Victorian one. Oh, and a pickle castor! I don't have one, but sure would love to!

I don't think using these items are anachronistic at all, but maybe I was born in the wrong time. I got my love of dishes/accessories from my grandmother. She and my grandfather were just simple country farmers and didn't have much in the way of material things, but she did love pretty dishes. I think she would have loved to have been able to own some of these items.

I love old silver pieces, vintage plates, etc. but although we enjoy having people over, we rarely do anything fancy. Certainly not plates changed, etc. so many of those items would be lost on us (such as the knife rests). I do have a collection of salt cellars and also old cut crystal and silver salt and pepper shakers that I use often - the shakers more than the cellars, but several of the cellars are on display in my china cabinet.

tina

I use most of the above. I figure, I spent hours and even days cooking for holidays and dinner parties, so the food deserves a bit of ceremony. People love the salt cellars and tiny silver spoons, although I do seem to be the only person who knows how to set the table. Now I'm looking for a silent butler and crumber.

The hard part is knowing when to stop. Fish knives? Cold meat forks? Corn scrapers? Grape shears? Gateaux slicers? It gets a little OCD.

And a formal dinner with a tablecloth? Egads.

Oh, dear. I do not own corn scrapers. The horror. The horror.

Yes, knowing when to stop is key! I don't have fish forks and probably would not use them if I did, but my mother does, so eventually they'll wind up with me. The thing is, I don't want the table to be too crowded with stuff. I have a theory that the larger, "oversize" plates of 11 and 12 inches that are the norm today were meant to replace things like knife rests and bread plates. However, if the meal is served at table you still need some place for your knife. The most I do with knives is two, and that is seldom as the only beef we serve in the dining room usually does not need a sharp knife. I think they look silly --- and are messy---when left on a charger and still have to be picked up when the next course is served.

We have dinners with servers (usually our HK and one of her daughters) only four or five times a year, and they are normally three courses---- only occasionally four, when there is a soup added. Appetizers are always with drinks in another room. Most of our dinners with company are buffet style, and the majority are informal and outside on the patio. But on those occasions when we have a Dinner, capital D,I have found that the old fashioned tools and implements are much better suited for that style of entertaining. And people LOVE using salt cellars because they can finally see how much they're getting!

Crumbers--- I love the ones with the small brush and pan but the smaller, four or five inch thin metal ones are much more efficient on a tablecloth. I have one of the latter, but would never have it used with guests because it would be rude to call attention to their messy places :-)

"The hard part is knowing when to stop. Fish knives? Cold meat forks? Corn scrapers? Grape shears? Gateaux slicers? It gets a little OCD."

You've reminded me that we have Victorian silver and mother of pearl grape scissors. Gateaux slicer? No, but yes to a sterling cake slicer/spatula thing (which, obviously, I don't know the correct term for) with Wedgewood handle, lots of salt cellars, sterling iced tea spoons. Little silver salt spoons. Bone caviar spoons. Sterling candy dishes. Decanters by Baccarat, George Jensen, and Who Knows Who.

How about other cool stuff that never gets used? An 18th century wine glass. A set of Bimini swizzle sticks. A set of vintage iced tea glasses in frosted glass with old cars on them. And so on.

Whenever I read through a thread like this one or look at pictures in decorating books and magazines, I think that I should hunt through drawers and cupboards and get the cool stuff out, and then use it. And then we have dinner on - once again - the chipped, mismatched white plates. I sense a new New Year's resolution here.

Oh, my dears!
What a lovely thread.

Guilty as charged, and happy to be so.
I give the overflow to my daughter, bit by bit, because she has reached the age of appreciating things - this Christmas in her stocking was a set of six little silver demitasse spoons...I have three other sets, and never serve coffee in demitasse cups any more (though I keep all three sets...!)

My hoard includes grape shears, which don't work worth a damn, but I love the elaborate pattern of grapes all over them. And two sets of pearl handled fruit knives, a full fish service (knives and forks, bone handled), countless odd serving spoons, forks, and knives (including an Austrian horn-handled carving set), and two sets of Val St. Lambert crystal that my father sent back from Europe after WWII. Not to mention shrimp forks, ice cream spoons, pickle forks, salt spoons & cellars, and a clump of silver souvenir spoons from all over the place, which I've been getting rid of bit by bit as presents when called for.

This is embarrassing enough...don't get me started on china and table linens!

I have a "silent butler" - but it is for looks only - never used. LOL

tina

In answer to the original question...I do, I do, I do! I love setting the table with different pieces. However, I don't follow formal etiquette exactly regarding the use of each item including using tablecloths for formal dinners...lol. Even worse, I like the added pattern and texture that tablecloths can bring so I don't even follow the rule of using only white. Luckily, no international incidents will result from an etiquette faux pas in my home, so I can be as creative with table settings as I want to be.

I would love to have a set of fish knives and forks. I would probably never use them, but some are so beautiful with chased or engraved blades. Sadly, the lady from whom I've purchased many silver pieces over the years closed her shop and retired at age 90-something. I guess I'll be searching eBay for future purchases.

I like to mix things up, too.

And I don't think of it as a faux pas...it's not like you drank your finger bowl or blew your nose in your napkin or called the ambassador "honey..!"

Tablecloth user here and I had to eventually stop myself from buying additional silver pieces that I knew I'd never use. I too have several silver tongs for those neat little purposes and I do use them, as well as the pickle forks and other assorted serving pieces. No salt cellars (I stopped myself before I actually purchased those and the cute little spoons to go with them because I knew my children would say she'd gone 'round the bend at that poinit). Knife rests are still on the horizon and have been for quite some time but I've not yet taken the plunge for the children's and grands sake. Nearly purchased the fish set but passed and still kicking myself over that one. No, let's not start on china and crystal.

I stopped using salt cellars because people complained about not being able to distribute the salt evenly. But they're so cute . . .

Well, for pete's sake, I just realised I HAVE KNIFE RESTS! For thirty years I've wondered what these pretty little crystal bars are, and it turns out they must be knife rests! Mine look like little dumbbells with balls with little prisms on the ends that glitter and flicker in the light.

I've shown them to several.people over the years, no one could ever identify them. They are so pretty, though, that I"ve just kept them and looked at them periodically. Now I can hardly wait to put them on the table next to my salt cellers....the ones I am going to fill with red pepper flakes in a few weeks! Yay!

My mother has (or had) a set crystal knife rests, but I can't ever recall her using them. They were probably a wedding present. She always removed any utensils that had been used with that course.

Between the two of us we have lots of these types of things:
Fish sets
Salt cellars and spoons (both master and individual)
Pickle forks
Lemon forks
Gateau forks
Cocktail forks
Various types of soup spoons
Marrow spoons
Ice cream forks
Silver flatware in both luncheon and dinner sizes
Grape shears
Cold meat forks
Carving sets
Stuffing spoons
Asparagus tongs (These are my favorite!)
Sugar tongs
Berry spoons
Jelly spoons
Iced tea spoons
Grapefruit spoons
I'm sure there's more!

I agree with outsideplaying that we should NOT talk about china and crystal! ;) My mother is more of a collector than I and has me beat in all these categories, but it's all coming my way one of these days. I'm guessing that I'm one of the few people my age who knows what all of these esoteric items are, but it's fun to collect and use them!

I'd be willing to buy fish knives, but not to actually cook a fish course.

(including an Austrian horn-handled carving set),

This Christmas, for the first time, we used a horn-handled carving set that I bought at a neighbor's estate sale. Hers was the original family to live in that house, so the set has been on this street since it was built in the 1920s. We had it sharpened and did a lot of careful polishing. It was flat out gorgeous and a joy to use. And it's nice to think of her when we use it--I didn't know her well, not having lived her long, but she was very sweet.

We only use the knife rests for carving knives, rather than at places.

Porkandham, you have marrow spoons! I am green with envy. When I serve osso bucco, I am forced to use my lobster scoopy things, which are not silver! Horrors...

But I do have a whacking good stuffing spoon - huge, and unwieldy, and wonderful. And two punch ladles of different sizes...but no silver punch bowl and cups, I'm afraid. So I have to make do with cut glass on the once every ten years that I serve punch....

And what the heck happened to the staff? Aren't they supposed to be taking care of all this lovely things we are so lucky to have? How are the mighty fallen...

LOL, P&H, and that's a good list! Marcolo, I have to agree...somehow with a set of fish forks and knives I'd feel like I had to eat my fish like the Brits eat. Lord knows I've tried, I've tried the many times I've been over there.

Knife rests are great for resting chopsticks on when you have Chinese food.

I knew I couldn't be the only table lunatic out here. I have now purchased a set of crystal knife rests and have bids on two silver sets and a single antique Sevres knife rest in the shape of a reclining oriental gentleman ! Have also purchased darling set of 8 small flattish leaf shapes in ceramic in yummy tones of green and brick red, that are surely chopstix rests but popped up with the knife rests. I may use those in the kitchen or as decoration on a cheese platter! Out. Of. Control. ( anyone who wants to get started on china, crystal or tablecloths, lets meet in the linen closet, lol!)

Silver or silverplace Victorian place card holders; also, actual cards, Chinese, from the 1920s, if not earlier. And I have crystal knife rests, too! I'd no idea what they were. And a horn carving knife

Drat. No marrow spoons, either.

Helloooooo, where are your pictures of those lovely tongs, knife rests, ice cream forks and all?????

I love all those "little" touches.

It's hard to find a decent modern olive spoon. It's okay to serve olives in the jar so long as you're using an art nouveau sterling spoon.

....isn't it?

Bronwynsmom - The marrow spoons really need to find their way to my brother. They love osso bucco, and I don't eat red meat. Sadly we had to let the staff go. There was an economic downturn after all! ;)

Kswl - Your post reminded me that I have a set of silver leaf-shaped butter pat dishes. At least that's what I was told they were. So cute!

We always called them "butter chips" - one bunch of mine are china, and the rest are pressed glass.

I had forgotten about them...wonder where they are...?

Yes, we need all of these things. It adds to the specialness of a meal. And it makes us all feel a little Downton Abbey-esque for an evening.

My favorite are these tiny little white porcelain mussel shells by Pillivuyt. I am not sure what they are for, but I like to fill them with softened butter and then sprinkle a few herbs on top, to serve with bread. I bought them at a restaurant supply store in Paris over 10 years ago and would love to find more...

"Presentation is everything"! I use all the things i've 'collected' thru the years, so they are not just 'for show'. While it's true it's only 2-3 times a year, these things sure make the occasion more special.....and beautiful. Another old saying, "if you got it, flaunt it". ;o)

Patty cakes, what occurred to me reading your note was, "If you got it, you don't have to go buy it."

Turn off that marketing machine and go polish your silver!

Nope, and haven't for years!

Marketing machine??? I polished before Christmas, and it won't get done again until Easter! LOL

I mean the industry out there that says we have to buy new stuff all the time...

It's not necessary to eat sushi from a sushi set when you have granny's best porcelain and sterling.

My sister uses her individual salt cellars (with stainless or ceramic spoons) for sauces that are so potent you only drip a couple of drops, such as wasabi, and for balsamic vinegars of the syrupy kind.

If you ignore the name and just look at things as an object that holds things you can use them more often.

A marrow spoon would be perfect for filling chiles rellenos, and maybe for eating them too.

I’m so excited to have found this group/chat! I have some salt cellars from my wonderful grandma, no spoons (yet), so I’ve started using a small melon baller to scoop up soft butter, one scoop per cellar. Then each guest has their own little ball of butter! I think it’s the cutest thing. None of my friends/guests are formal so they giggle and get a kick out of it. I’ll know I’ve found “my people” when someone LOVES the idea like I do! :-)