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 Could someone tell me what this is please?
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| Author | Topic: Could someone tell me what this is please? |
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suefromoz Posts: 58 |
posted 10-03-2002 08:20 AM
  
[01-0838] Would someone please be able to tell me something about this interesting piece please. I am guessing it may be a pickle fork and it is stamped 935 Sterling. No other marks, except a repeat of the number. Any ideas of age, country etc? It is 7" long and operated by depressing a button on the end. Thank you , in advance! And fingers crossed I get the pic on first go... IP: Logged |
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JUANSI Posts: 13 |
posted 10-03-2002 12:57 PM
it is certainly a nice piece. It seems to be a tool to serve the bread, so you cut the bread first in small pieces, and then you serve a slice in the bread plate to each one in the table with it. It has to be american, I have some silver pieces and all what they have is the word sterling on them. No clue about date and place of origin. IP: Logged |
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jt251 Posts: 25 |
posted 10-03-2002 07:52 PM
Since the end opens and closes, could it be used to pick up ice cubes? It's a neat object for whatever use. IP: Logged |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 10-03-2002 08:57 PM
Olives; at least that is what my grandfather used it for when making martinis. IP: Logged |
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Bill H Posts: 31 |
posted 10-03-2002 10:34 PM
I always understood these were for serving sugar cubes. IP: Logged |
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Brent Posts: 1507 |
posted 10-03-2002 11:33 PM
Hi Sue, I wish I could tell you exactly what this is. I have seen several for sale, but with a variety of names. Olives and sugar cubes are just of the things you might grab with this. As for the origin, the 935 standard is mainly followed in modern Germany and Austria. Modern pieces produced in Europe are often stamped STERLING when intended for sale overseas. I would guess that you piece is German or Austrian, and probably no more than 20 or 30 years old. Brent IP: Logged |
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suefromoz Posts: 58 |
posted 10-04-2002 03:44 AM
Hi everyone, Sugar cubes or olives? That would make a lot of sense if it were smaller! When the "jaws" are opened, the distance between the tips is 2" in each direction....a mighty olive for a mighty martini maybe?? The bread idea almost made more sense! I freely admit that I have never seen one beore so will be guided by the concensus of opinion. The age surprises me a little as I would have thought that wev's comment was more in keeping, assuming that wev's grandpapa is not in his 50's. I found it in with a sealed box of old perfume bottles, most of which dated back to the 40's - 50's. One of the boxes found in a garage after an estate clearance. Does the addition of the Jaws size dimension change anyone's opinion? Best wishes IP: Logged |
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Paul Lemieux Posts: 1792 |
posted 10-04-2002 11:27 AM
At first I thought olives too, because of the item's length--it would be able to fit into those slender olive jars. But then I wondered how well the claw would open inside of an olive jar, perhaps with other olives obstructing the way. So perhaps it is for sugar cubes. I don't think it is for bread. IP: Logged |
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Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 |
posted 10-04-2002 11:52 AM
I have found these in all different sizes. Most often they are 4-6 inches in length and have European marks. I have heard many of the above explanations plus "hot towel lifter", "asparagus server", "breakfast sausage server", etc. I have also heard more than once (and believe) that these are "rock sugar" swizzle sticks. The mechanism is used to pick up a rock sugar loaf (we call it rock candy). The stick is then swizzled in a drink until the desired level of sweetening is achieved and then the stick with the excess sugar is removed. IP: Logged |
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JUANSI Posts: 13 |
posted 10-04-2002 08:53 PM
I have something similar to serve bread, but the method to hold the bread is different, in mine you prick the piece of bread with this fork with two ends, and when you press the button the bread is pushed down by a small bar and falls down wherever you want. ------------------ IP: Logged |
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Arg(um)entum Posts: 304 |
posted 10-18-2002 06:37 AM
Here is a link to one of these things of normal size - it is described by the same term used for conventional sugar tongs (pince à sucre).  As for the one with the larger claws, given
I started to dream about its suitability for retrieving slippery and somewhat soggy fruit out of a 'Rhumtopf', i.e. a ceramic pot containing rum, sugar and each hausfrau's secret additional ingredients along with a mixture of many fruits and parts to be retrieved from time to time for dessert or the like. The catch is that ideally there should be a matching little ladle to get out the juice when you do want it. IP: Logged |
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doobees Posts: 277 |
posted 03-04-2003 05:18 PM
I was just going through some old postings and came across yours... Boy, I see these often here in France. Here, I'm told it's to grab sugar if it's small and for ice if it's large. Not that the uses for these things in France are always the same as the good 'ol USA. To my knowledge, France does not use the word sterling though, so it's most possibly pas français. ------------------ IP: Logged |
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Dale Posts: 2132 |
posted 03-04-2003 09:35 PM
The majority of these that I have handled have been Swedish usually with the three crowns in enamal at the trigger, with French the next most prevelent. People have told me that these are used at smorgasbords, to pick up just about everything. Since smorgasbords features lots of food cut into small pieces, this seems like a good use. I have seen Skandinavian restaurants use them in this way. They are excellent for serving pickled herring. My impression is that they date back at least into the 20's, if not earlier, based on sets I have seen. These are incredibly useful. IP: Logged |
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doobees Posts: 277 |
posted 03-06-2003 08:19 AM
HA... And didn't it prompt me to start picking them up here. My family goes nuts trying to figure out what to use with what at dinner. This should be fun! ------------------
[This message has been edited by doobees (edited 03-07-2003).] IP: Logged |
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T-Bird-Art Posts: 143 |
posted 03-08-2003 08:05 AM
Been using this "grabber" for years to pick up nuts/bolts/pieces/parts that I dropped into the far reaches of the engine compartment. Course my Grabber wasn't sterling or Gold or Silver Plated ! What this is really used for: When someone gets the pork chop you wanted ( or any other tidbit) you use the grabber on their finger, hand or arm until they drop the chop. IP: Logged |
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