Knife rest
A knife rest (also: knife rest ) is used to put down the cutlery used in order to have the plate free and not to dirty the table, the tablecloth or other documents.
There are knife rests in different designs:
- Classic: cross bar on X stand
- Modern: transverse blocks
- Special shapes: small figures or animals (made of porcelain). There are also tubular specimens, they are made of glass, with one end bent up so that a flower can be inserted. Knife rests, which also serve as holders for place cards or napkins, are rarer.
The cutlery rests on the knife rest approximately at the point where the handle merges into the blade or the dining part of the spoon and fork, the end of the handle resting on the table and the front part protruding into the air beyond the knife rest. Many cutlery manufacturers offer knife rests to match the other cutlery items in a series. Knife rests typically belong in the field of festive table culture.
In Japanese food culture , a similar tableware is used with the Hashioki (Japanese 箸 置 き, literally. Chopstick holder).
Kitchen knives can also be stored on a somewhat different type of knife rest. The knife rest is then a block of wood with recesses for the knives, on which they are balanced with the cutting edge down.
