# What is this silver spoon for? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 8, 2014, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-silver-spoon-for/680849 "2014-02-08T19:05:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2014, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-silver-spoon-for/680849/1 "2014-02-08T19:05:36Z")
See subject, [here](http://imgur.com/sof4915) and [here](http://imgur.com/3CRhCX1). It is tea-spoon in size, has a relatively steep angle off the stem, curved wing flair tips (what marine animal could I be thinking of–whale, dolphin?), and a little ridge running centrally through the bowl. I think it’s Jensen, if that helps. ---
**Author:** ![nonacetone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonacetone/32/2819_2.png) [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-silver-spoon-for/680849/2 "2014-02-08T19:25:21Z")
A sugar spoon, possibly? ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2014, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-silver-spoon-for/680849/3 "2014-02-08T19:46:58Z")
When I was trying to identify a strange piece of flatware recently, **tomndebb** posted [this great link.](http://www.silverqueen.com/sterling-silver-flatware/individual.asp) (though I didn’t see anything there that quite matches your piece. Sugar spoon makes sense; perhaps the little ridge discourages clumping?) ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2014, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-silver-spoon-for/680849/4 "2014-02-08T19:47:42Z")
It looks like a toothless grapefruit spoon. Do an image search. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2014, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-silver-spoon-for/680849/5 "2014-02-08T19:57:39Z")
Good idea, **even sven**. I just tried with tineye though, and got 0 results. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2014, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-silver-spoon-for/680849/6 "2014-02-08T20:00:40Z")
I believe Tineye will only find results if the exact same photo exists elsewhere. It’s not going to look for the object shown in the photo. And it looks like a fruit spoon, based on the images at that site. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2014, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-silver-spoon-for/680849/7 "2014-02-08T20:20:28Z")
Answer: [Tea caddy spoon.](http://www.bryandouglas.co.uk/silverware/tea_caddy_spoons/j5690a/j5690aa.htm) To spoon out dry tea with, naturally. Got through Bing, FTR. ETA: wait, I think I read the image as having a central ridge, but now it may be a image or perceptual artifact. Back to berry spoons? ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2014, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-silver-spoon-for/680849/8 "2014-02-08T21:01:25Z")
Ok, if it’s not described [here](http://www.antique-central.com/antique-silver-spoons.shtml), it’s not described anywhere. Haven’t read it through, and the damn site has no images. The spoon is Bruckmann 800, not Jensen, which I’m sure is an embarrassing mistake to some as to mid century style. FWIW: Also A. Hitler’s sole supplier. I inherited it from my great-aunt, who as a child met him frequently (a buddy of his, before he was the Hitler we know and love, lived in her apartment building in Munich. Who killed all in her family but her. So there’s that. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2014, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-silver-spoon-for/680849/9 "2014-02-08T21:27:18Z")
Damn, **Leo**. That’s a story. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2014, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-silver-spoon-for/680849/10 "2014-02-08T21:53:01Z")
Is it a jam spoon perhaps? Google images of jam spoons, the first result (which my tablet won’t let me copy/paste for some reason), has similar looking wings. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2014, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-silver-spoon-for/680849/11 "2014-02-08T22:14:53Z")
Obviously for placement in an infant’s mouth, prepartum. I can’t believe I’m the first one to say something like that. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2014, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-silver-spoon-for/680849/12 "2014-02-09T01:58:43Z")
I am no expert, but my immediate thought was a sugar spoon. [Here is a somewhat similar one](http://www.etsy.com/listing/47463596/fancy-sugar-spoon-floral-design-wma). ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2014, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-silver-spoon-for/680849/13 "2014-02-09T06:08:11Z")
> [@Apollyon](#): > > Is it a jam spoon perhaps? > > Google images of jam spoons, the first result (which my tablet won’t let me copy/paste for some reason), has similar looking wings. Absolutely. Gotta be. Did bunch of searches. I got fixated on the ridge as functional, rather than other features. Here’s a [ridged one](http://www.ebay.com/itm/A-F-TOWLE-SONS-BALL-TWIST-LOVELY-EARLY-PRESERVE-JAM-SPOON-G-W-BRITE-CUT-MINT-/380472910646?pt=Antiques_Silver&hash=item5895f3e336), not so nice. [Nother one.]([http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Four-Antique-Silver-Jam-Spoons-Birmingham-Sheffield-1902-1926-/00/s/MTIxMFgxNTQ0/z/IJ8AAMXQwwlSASDH/$(KGrHqZ,!roFHloEbw+BBS!SDHgqF!~~60\_35.JPG)](http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Four-Antique-Silver-Jam-Spoons-Birmingham-Sheffield-1902-1926-/00/s/MTIxMFgxNTQ0/z/IJ8AAMXQwwlSASDH/$(KGrHqZ,!roFHloEbw+BBS!SDHgqF!~~60_35.JPG)) ETA: to my eyes… ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2014, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-silver-spoon-for/680849/14 "2014-02-09T14:43:09Z")
Jam spoon with straight wings for scraping the side of the jam pot, I assume. Of course that assumes that one’s jam pot has straight sides. All of these specialty items are the result of Victorian consumerism. They didn’t exist prior to the mid-1800s. I used to think they were interesting but these days they kind of irritate me… ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2014, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-silver-spoon-for/680849/15 "2014-02-09T15:32:59Z")
To me, the most distinctive feature of the spoon in the OP is the pointed tip, which seems characteristic of fruit spoons, based on the [linked page above](http://www.silverqueen.com/sterling-silver-flatware/individual.asp).