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Chop Fork?

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Author	Topic: Chop Fork?
jersey Posts: 1203 Registered: Feb 2005	posted 02-28-2009 10:15 PM Has anyone ever heard of a chop fork & what it is used for? My friend showed me a Gorham piece that I thought was a very large pickle fork. She then told me she was told it was called a chop fork. She uses it for cole slaw etc. As always thank you so much for any help. Jersey IP: Logged
Paul Lemieux Posts: 1792 Registered: Apr 2000	posted 02-28-2009 10:51 PM From dictionary.com: Chop: an individual cut or portion of meat, as mutton, lamb, veal, or pork, usually one containing a rib. So that's what your friend's fork was made to serve. IP: Logged
Cheryl and Richard Posts: 154 Registered: May 99	posted 03-01-2009 05:57 PM jersey, would it be possible to see a photo? IP: Logged
FWG Posts: 845 Registered: Aug 2005	posted 03-02-2009 11:06 AM Is it also possible it's for chopped salads, rather than meat chops? It seems to me a chop fork - for meats - would likely be similar to a carving fork, but serving chopped salads - which were formally much more popular in elegant circles than they seem to be now - could call for something more like what this sounds like. So yes, a photo could help.... IP: Logged
Paul Lemieux Posts: 1792 Registered: Apr 2000	posted 03-02-2009 02:25 PM FWG may be right. This is a picture of a "chop set" featured on the Replacements website. It features a serving spoon and serving fork, which has two splayed tines. The length is 10 1/8". The spoon obviously has nothing to do with serving meat. IP: Logged
jersey Posts: 1203 Registered: Feb 2005	posted 03-02-2009 04:26 PM Hi Paul! Thank you for that explanation. The fork certainly looks like it could stab a pork or lamb chop etc. The picture & size of the one you found is exactly like the one they have. Cheryl & Richard, knowing my difficulty with photos I am grateful for the one that Paul has found. FWG I like the use for salad idea better. Maybe the chops were smaller then than now, since it seems that todays chops would be heavier & I'd be concerned that the fork tines might bend. Thank you all again for another day learning something new. I will advise my friend as well as to another use for the fork. Now, that raises another question, why is the spoon called a chop spoon! Maybe chopped liver??????? Jersey [This message has been edited by jersey (edited 03-02-2009).] IP: Logged
Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 Registered: Apr 93	posted 03-02-2009 04:59 PM The fork looks like it was made to handle colossal olives IP: Logged
Paul Lemieux Posts: 1792 Registered: Apr 2000	posted 03-02-2009 07:23 PM I admit I am still baffled about the exact function of this "chop set". I would guess now that FWG is correct in that it is for serving chopped salad. It looks like it could function like a standard salad serving set (large serving fork & spoon). However, the tines and spoon bowl on this set seem much narrower than regular salad sets. Although given the tendency of manufacturers to produce many different serving pieces for similar foods, I guess this is not surprising. I can find no dictionary definition of "chop" that involves salad or any other food besides meat. I know some of our members have the Chantilly catalog reprints; I'm sure Replacements is correct in calling it a chop fork/spoon, but can anybody confirm that "chop" is the exact terminology used by Gorham for these servers? IP: Logged
Dale Posts: 2132 Registered: Nov 2002	posted 03-02-2009 08:04 PM Could it be for serving salads like chicken or tuna? These could have been the mysterious 'chop' refered to. IP: Logged
Polly Posts: 1970 Registered: Nov 2004	posted 03-03-2009 01:00 AM I have a fork with similarly splayed tines (though more of them). I used it last week for serving slices of pot roast, and I was struck by how well it worked. The tines were sharp enough to enter the meat easily, but curves at the ends prevented the slice from falling off the fork. It worked much better than an ordinary, straight-tined fork. So I can't explain the spoon (for jus, perhaps?), but I'm convinced the fork really is meant for serving meat. IP: Logged
dragonflywink Posts: 993 Registered: Dec 2002	posted 03-03-2009 12:27 PM Can't say that I've run across that shape fork in such a large size in American silver before - and can't recall seeing one in any of my references (most are packed away right now). It is a very common piece in Scandinavian silver, usually 8-10 inches long, and still in current production - called a serveringsgaffel or anretningsgaffel (serving or service/sideboard fork), there would also be a spoon of the same size. A prominent matching service calls the various sizes of this style fork in their Marthinsen section "cold meat forks". It does indeed work very well for spearing meat or anything else that might be picked up with its sturdy tines. Might guess that a "chop set" would intend the fork be used to transfer the chops to a dinner plate and the spoon to gather some of the sauce or gravy that was on the serving plate with the meat. ~Cheryl IP: Logged
Bob and Carol Carnighan Posts: 63 Registered: Apr 99	posted 03-04-2009 08:32 AM We have two similar large forks by Porter Blanchard. They are quite useful for sliced meats at buffets. IP: Logged
chase33 Posts: 362 Registered: Feb 2008	posted 03-04-2009 10:40 AM In going through the some old Gorham Chantilly documents, I ran across this set and it is listed as a chop/entree fork and spoon and the date on the photo was 1935(I think). I was lucky enough to purchase a fork recently and it is a very substantial piece so there should be no need to worry about the tines bending unless of course you are trying to pick up a whole roast! Robert IP: Logged
jersey Posts: 1203 Registered: Feb 2005	posted 03-05-2009 02:40 PM Thank you all for your wonderful comments. Congratulations to you too Robert on your having one. I think sliced meats would be the way to go, perfect for a buffet serving piece. Jersey IP: Logged
middletom Posts: 467 Registered: May 2004	posted 03-06-2009 05:08 PM Jersey, We make, though seldom, chop forks and chop spoons. They are very much like the ones shown by Paul, the spoon having a long and narrow bowl. The tines of the fork are the shape shown. I've always assumed that it was intended for meat chops. The spoon may exist just to round out the set. We make a stuffing fork to go with the stuffing spoon, though I can't imagine the fork being of much use in getting stuffing out of the bird's cavity. middletom IP: Logged
jersey Posts: 1203 Registered: Feb 2005	posted 03-06-2009 05:52 PM Hi Middletom! Thank you too for that info. Do you make them in more than one pattern? Might I suggest the fork could pry out the remaining stuff after the spoon digs stuck stuffing out? (Try saying that fast 3 times)! BTW Are the lengths the same for the spoon & fork? How's the snow by you? Jersey IP: Logged
middletom Posts: 467 Registered: May 2004	posted 03-11-2009 05:38 PM Jersey, Yes, the chop spoon and fork are available in all our patterns, and they are just about the same length. You may be right about use of the stuffing fork. I hadn't thought about that use for it, but it makes sense. The snow is going away and I've had enough shoveling for this year. Middletom IP: Logged

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