A World without forks

I haven't heard of forks being a security measure but I have heard that Louis XIV introduced table knives to keep sharp knives in the kitchen and away from guests. No idea if its true though
Not really : Louis XIV was really hostile to the use of forks (mostly because he tought as a good part of people before the XVII, that it favoured gluttony as in "taking more than you could") but when he eat, it was generally "alone" (understanding by that, alone at the table and surrounded by a horde of nobles from a distance and with a bunch of guards)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZESdIUCWzE (It's a rather good reconstitution. and they actually talk about forks on this extract :D)

Knives were still used for table, and eventually, what he was more afraid about was being poisoned than stabbed.

Anyway, the reason forks were considered safer was that prior to their introduction the knives had pointed ends so you could skewer your meat. Forks removed the need for this, so the knives could be blunted, reducing their capacity for killing people.

I've an hard time believing it : forks began to be introduced by the XI century, from Constantinople, and they didn't really imposed themselves until the XVIII.
Furthermore, knives weren't blunted before the XIX and you still had sharpen cutelry for meat by exemple.

The long time of adoption, and the absence of replacement makes me things it's probably an exxageration fitting with an usual portrayal of Middle Ages.
Not meaning that they didn't joyously assassinated themselves sometimes, but "domestic murder" was essentially using poison.

They would need to do this anyways. It's the traditional way. But foods will need to be served up so that they can be conveniently eaten with the hands.
Pincers could be a plausible alternative, as "second hands". Eventually, it could evolve as you can hold more firmly for food and possibly cut it.

Something like this, but less similar to OTL cutelry, of course.
 
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