What is the function of this lever?

[Joerg]

Hi, I saved this French serving set from destruction. After cleaning I recognise it to be made by a maker "L & H" wich I did not find in the French section.
However, I am curious what the function is of the lever on the fork. I noticed it also on other French serving forks.

Kind regards

Jörg


http://abload.de/img/overallrmuxf.jpg








http://abload.de/img/makersmark9wu2o.jpg

[silverly]

Very attractive set. There maybe other purposes, but for sure, one of them is a guard.

[dognose]

I agree with Silvery, a guard to protect the hand should the knife slip when carving.

Trev.

[Joerg]

Hi Trev and Silvery

How would the protection work? I was exercising with the knive and the fork yesterday. Holding the fork reversed in the left hand and the knive in the right, playing cutting a roast. The lever clapped out, pointing to the right, the knive. Honestly, I did not see how this lever provides protection doing so. The only thing it does keep the knive away from the fork. Maybe I am not handling them the way it is supposed to be. Maybe a French Chef is laughting at my ignorance....

Any ideas?

Kind regards

Jörg

[dognose]

Hi Jörg,

Use like this:



It prevents the knife running up the back of the fork tines.

Trev.

[Joerg]

Oh, now I see.
Makes perfectly sense. Item closed.

Thank you Trev

Jörg

[JayT]

And the maker L & H is Lowcay and Henry, working in Paris at 94, Rue du Temple from 16 April 1921. No end of activity date is given in the French Ministry of Culture website.