Butter knife

[amc80]

My husband refers to a dinner knife as a butter knife. I corrected him once and he said that's what they called it in the Marines. To me, a butter knife is one of those itty bitty ones used for butter. Every time he says butter knife (and is referring to a dinner knife) it makes me cringe...just a little.

Edit- poll added!

 

[Enerchi]

I would agree with you and not DH. Maybe that's a marine based nickname for a dinner knife? but over time - that would irk me....

 

[Kismet]

Huh. I call it a butter knife too. In fact, I don't think I've ever heard the term dinner knife but then I haven't had many conversations about silverware.

 

[amc80]

I would agree with you and not DH. Maybe that's a marine based nickname for a dinner knife? but over time - that would irk me....

Ha, thank you! I am hoping he is right because it would be easier for me to accept it than get him to change what he says. But I'm pretty sure I'm right....

 

[amc80]

Huh. I call it a butter knife too. In fact, I don't think I've ever heard the term dinner knife but then I haven't had many conversations about silverware.

Interesting! I've heard it called a dinner knife or table knife...but never a butter knife!

So what do you call the little ones used for butter?

 

[Enerchi]

From Wikipedia - butter knife defn:
In common usage, a butter knife may refer to any non-serrated table knife designed with a dull edge and rounded point; formal flatware patterns make a distinction between such a place knife (or table knife) and a butter knife. In this usage, a butter knife (or master butter knife) is a sharp-pointed, dull edged knife, often with a sabre shape, used only to serve out pats of butter from a central butter dish to individual diners' plates. Master butter knives are not used to spread the butter onto bread: this would contaminate the butter remaining in the butter dish when the next pat of butter was served. Rather, diners at the breakfast, the luncheon, and the informal dinner table use an individual butter knife to apply butter to their bread.[1] Individual butter knives have a round point, so as not to tear the bread, and are sometimes termed butter spreaders.[2] If no butter spreaders are provided, a dinner knife may be used as an alternative.[3]
Colloquially, bread knives are sometimes referred to as butter knives, though technically incorrect.

A table knife is an item of cutlery, part of a table setting. Table knives are typically of moderate sharpness only, designed to cut only prepared and cooked food. They are usually made of stainless steel and may be ornate, often having handles of bone, wood or (less commonly now) ivory.
The distinguishing feature of a table knife is a blunt or rounded end. The origin of this, and thus of the table knife itself, is attributed by tradition to Cardinal Richelieu around 1637, reputedly to cure dinner guests of the unsavoury habit of picking their teeth with their knife-points.[1]
Later, in 1669, King Louis XIV of France banned pointed knives in the street and at his table, insisting on blunt tips, in order to reduce violence.[2][3]
In any table setting, the knife will typically be the piece to bear the maker's stamp, on the blade. The English city of Sheffield is noted for its cutlery manufactury and many knives bear the city's name in addition to the maker's.

 

[slg47]

I also call it a butter knife. I am not sure why...that is just what I have always called it!

 

[decodelighted]

So funny. I always think of the rounded ones as butter knives & the sharp ones as steak knives. Never thought of anything as a "dinner knife".

Do they even make little knives anymore? I think of those as "spreaders" not "knives" (unless sharp -- in which case it's a paring knife) HA!

 

[zoebartlett]

My husband also calls a regular dinner knife a butter knife. I'm with you though, amc. We have a few little "spreader" knives which I call butter knives.

 

[junebug17]

Hmm, growing up my parents referred to it as butter knife, I have no idea why! I still say butter knife as an adult...interesting!

 

[StacylikesSparkles]

Huh. I call it a butter knife too. In fact, I don't think I've ever heard the term dinner knife but then I haven't had many conversations about silverware.

I'm with you. It doesn't come up much, but everyone I know uses butter knife or at least NOT dinner knife.

 

[amc80]

Never thought of anything as a "dinner knife".

Do they even make little knives anymore? I think of those as "spreaders" not "knives" (unless sharp -- in which case it's a paring knife) HA!

Come to think of it, I probably just call it a knife. Any other knife (bread, steak, butter) would get a modifier.

And yes, they still make them!

 

[amc80]

This is really fascinating! I had never heard it called a butter knife until I met him. I added a poll at the top!

 

[monarch64]

Always called it a butter knife. That's how it was referred to when I was growing up.

My husband calls pizza "pie." Drives me nuts. Might not be incorrect but I still can't stand it.

 

[amc80]

Always called it a butter knife. That's how it was referred to when I was growing up.

My husband calls pizza "pie." Drives me nuts. Might not be incorrect but I still can't stand it.

He also calls a camper shell a canopy...but that's because it's what they are called in Oregon, where he grew up. The regional differences are amazing!

 

[Octavia]

So funny. I always think of the rounded ones as butter knives & the sharp ones as steak knives. Never thought of anything as a "dinner knife".

Do they even make little knives anymore? I think of those as "spreaders" not "knives" (unless sharp -- in which case it's a paring knife) HA!

Same here! I always called the little one a "butter serving knife," though. I think you usually get one per set of silverware if you get the big sets (8-12 place settings in one box) or as part of a "serving set" if you buy the settings as open stock.

 

[JewelFreak]

I never heard a dinner knife called a butter knife! Maybe it's a regionalism? You use it to eat dinner (& spread butter if there isn't a butter knife.) But it's primary purpose is eating the meal.

If you call that the butter knife, what do you call the butter knife?

--- Laurie

 

[lliang_chi]

I just call it a knife. And every other knife gets a specific title: steak knife, chef's knife, carving knife etc.

 

[Hera]

It's a butter knife!

 

[AGBF]

I never heard a dinner knife called a butter knife!

Nor did I...and I am not about to start taking direction from Wikipedia! When I ordered my sterling flatware from Tiffany's I did not order "butter knives" to cut meat at my evening meal! Each knife has a name, whether or not one knows it. Often I am the one who does not know it! But I assure you that my flatware is all named! It is all very, very scientific. Sheldon Cooper from, "The Big Bang Theory" would be happy with the system. My pattern happens to have two butter spreaders, one with a hollow handle and one with a flat handle. It also comes with a luncheon knife, a dinner knife, a steak knife, and a fish knife. One must know one's way around the table or have a guide!

Deb/AGBF

 

[Lotus99]

I've always called it a dinner knife. A butter knife is the small knife with no serration that goes on the bread plate.

Like the image here: http://www.abigslice.com/formalsetting.html

 

[VapidLapid]

Butter knives are cute little knives often rounded at the tip with an extra flourish, you know, for butter. If one is serving butter for dinner then one can rightly call a dinner knife a butter knife, but then it would be even more right to set the table for such a meal with butter knives proper. Still even more right than that would be not to serve butter for dinner!

 

[MissStepcut]

Always called it a butter knife. That's how it was referred to when I was growing up.

My husband calls pizza "pie." Drives me nuts. Might not be incorrect but I still can't stand it.

He also calls a camper shell a canopy...but that's because it's what they are called in Oregon, where he grew up. The regional differences are amazing!

I come from a long line of Oregonians. I've never even heard of a table or dinner knife, and I've never heard of the thing over the truck bed a "camper shell." Whaaa?

 

[Gypsy]

I call it a knife. Butter knives are the special little ones. I also have smaller versions of my standard knifes that I call fruit knifes. I guess if I were pressed I'd say dinner knife makes more sense than butter knife to me, but I've never heard anyone call it a dinner knife either.

 

[JewelFreak]

Deb, you're right. Things have their own names, whether or not we call them by those names. My Towle sterling of my mother's has dinner knives & butter knives, and they aren't the same!

Here's Emily Post's diagram:



The text says: d) Dinner Knife: The dinner kinfe is set immediately to the right of the plate, cutting edge facing inward. (If the main course is meat, a steak knife can take the place of the dinner knife.) At an informal meal, the dinner knife may be used for all courses, but a dirty knife should never be placed on the table, placemat or tablecloth.

(h) Bread Plate with Butter Knife: If used, the bread plate goes above the forks, with the butter knife placed diagonally across the edge of the plate, handle on the right side and blade facing down.

Solved! (But we'll all call them whatever we already did.)

--- Laurie

 

[Deia]

I call it a dinner knife or just...knife.

I've never heard it called a butter knife, this is fascinating lol. A butter knife to me is just that...a knife you useto spread butter on your bread which is usually sitting on the bread plate, which alot of the time is also the side plate.

 

[amc80]

Always called it a butter knife. That's how it was referred to when I was growing up.

My husband calls pizza "pie." Drives me nuts. Might not be incorrect but I still can't stand it.

He also calls a camper shell a canopy...but that's because it's what they are called in Oregon, where he grew up. The regional differences are amazing!

I come from a long line of Oregonians. I've never even heard of a table or dinner knife, and I've never heard of the thing over the truck bed a "camper shell." Whaaa?

Yep, same with him. I grew up in CA and that's what we called those things...but for him, it's a canopy and a butter knife.

 

[audball]

Very interesting! We call it a butter knife.

We have a knife block that holds steak knives, paring knife, carving knives, etc. But the ones that come with spoons and forks in a flatware set? That's a butter knife to me

 

[amc80]

Very interesting! We call it a butter knife.

We have a knife block that holds steak knives, paring knife, carving knives, etc. But the ones that come with spoons and forks in a flatware set? That's a butter knife to me

I should have asked people where they were raised....it might make for an interesting geographical discussion...sort of like the soda/pop/coke thing.

 

[Pandora II]

In Britain you have 'large knives', 'small knives' (large is the normal main course size, small is used for starters, entrees and pudding).

There are also 'steak' knives, 'butter' knives (small with rounded end used for butter) and some people have 'fish' knives although eating fish with a normal knife and fork is more correct.

With forks there are 'small' and 'large' forks plus 'pastry' that you use for cake that are even smaller and often have a tine shaped slightly differently.

Spoons come in 'serving', 'soup', 'dessert', 'coffee', 'tea', 'salt' and 'espresso' sizes.

I've never heard of any other names.