Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette. In
today's video we talk about how to eat with a fork and knife properly so you don't embarrass
yourself and can focus on the company you have tableside. ♪ Gentleman's Gazette Theme Song ♪ If you're curious about table manners as a
whole, I also suggest you watch our table manners guide here. In this video, we mainly focus
on fork and knife, the different options you
have, exceptions to the rules, do's and don'ts,
as well as the historic background of how
things evolved the way they did. We'll start by explaining
the different ways how you can hold a fork and knife. Yes, you heard me right. There
are multiple ways. Basically, there is the Continental Style, which dominates in Europe, their adaptations
in Britain, and other parts of the world; and then there is the US or Northern American
Style, which is somewhat different. Within those styles there are differences, too, and we'll
cover those as well. Now, as a quick note, keep in mind that, trad
itionally, cutlery etiquette
was based on the right hand and the left hand, and there was no variation. In this day and
age, it's more about the dominant hand and non-dominant hand. Back in the day, lefties had to learn
to do everything in the same way as the right-handed people did. Today, that's no longer the case,
and that's a good thing. Since we're based in the US, let's start with the American or
"Zigzag Style." In the 1946, World War II spy movie "OSS," an American agent is identified
by
the way they eat. As you might know from "Inglorious Basterds," the way you count with
your fingers, they also identify you as being on one side or the other. But, in this spy movie,
they really focused in on table manners. If you think about it, it truly indicates
how closely this style is associated with the United States of America. So, what's the American
Style? At the core, it means that you eat the majority of your food with your dominant hand
and your fork only. While you eat with your do
minant hand, your other hand rests on your
lap or underneath the table. In Europe, that wouldn't be considered proper at all. So,
what does the American Style look like? Basically, you hold the fork in your dominant hand, and
you only move it to a non-dominant hand when you cut. So, let's say, for a steak: your
fork moves to the non-dominant hand, you cut, you put
the knife down, you switch hands, and you eat
the piece of meat. If you want to cut another
piece, you repeat the procedure again. So
, the fork
goes back and forth, back and forth, hence the term "Zigzag Style." Now, let's take a look
at the details. The fork is held similarly to a pencil. The shank is extended between your
thumb, index, and middle finger. The hand is curved gently around the handle, and the tines
are pointing upwards. No, you should not grip the fork tightly. It should rest gently in
your hand, but it should be secure enough that it doesn't just fall out of your hand. When
you now eat, you gently slide under
whatever it is that you eat, or if it's something firmer
like a piece of meat for example, you can pierce the meat. Now, piercing can happen in one
of two ways. Either you keep the tines exactly the way you hold a fork, facing upwards; or
before you pierce it, you switch and you have the tines facing downward - that allows you
to put a bit more pressure with your index finger and some people prefer that. Then,
you lift the food to your mouth. Again, tines
face up should be somewhat parallel to
the plate,
and you insert the fork into your mouth. Now, you eat with your mouth closed, not making
any noticeable noises. You can see, if you rotate your fork so your tines face downward just
before piercing, you have to elegantly switch the fork back just before you eat. Now, when
you cut something, you transfer the fork to your non-dominant hand with the tines facing
down. You hold it with your index finger pushing down - that gives you a little more leverage
and ability to apply pressure, wh
ich is very helpful when cutting. Your dominant hand takes
the knife with the handle being in your palm. As you can see, the handle should be cradled
in your palm. The index finger should be slightly extended resting on top of the base of the
blade and pushing down, which gives you that control that you want when cutting. The middle,
ring, and pinky finger are curved around the handle. Lightly pierce the food with a fork
first, and then start cutting. Make sure the tines are rotated downwards, a
nd you hold
the fork in the proper way. Grabbing it with your entire hand is something four-year-olds do.
When you cut, do so in slow steady strokes. Not too fast, but not too slow either. When
you're finished cutting, place your knife on the plate, blade facing inwards of the plate,
wherever you have space. Typically, that's at the top of the blade at an angle, like so.
Now, transfer your fork to your dominant hand again, pencil grip, and eat. Again, you can pierce
it tines up or tines down. Wh
at matters is that the tines are up when you put it in your mouth.
In terms of size, you don't want to have a huge piece that you stuff in your mouth that
forces you to keep your mouth open. You also don't want it to be too tiny. Also, keep in
mind that the fork moves towards your mouth. It's not the other way around. You also don't
want to meet somewhere in between. It's easiest to do that if you sit upright and you keep
the non-dominant, non-occupied hand on your lap. In the US, it's not consi
dered polite
to have your elbows resting on the table or your forearms. If you want to pause eating or go
to the restroom, you can keep your utensils on your plate. More about that later. When
you're a conversation, and you use your hands to
gesture, always make sure that you put your utensils
and silver down first. You never want to gesture with your fork and or your knife in your hand. [upbeat acoustic guitar music] [GTA-style "Wasted" title card] Why? Well, with your silver in your hand,
you
have an extension, so your gestures become more extreme, and you may hit a glass or,
even worse, someone at your table. Now, what's
the Continental or European Style? Even though
it's called that way, it's used in most parts of the world, except, of course, the US. The
important difference is that both the fork and the knife are held in both hands throughout the meal.
So, for the knife, just like with the American method, the handle should be cradled in your
palm. Index finger should be slightly
extended, resting on top of the base of the plate to
give you that pressure and controllability. Your middle finger, ring finger, and pinky
are just curved around the handle. The fork is held in a non-dominant offhand. A fork can
be held in one of two ways. When the tines face upward, you hold it in the pencil grip. This
is the exact same grip as in the American Style. It's just in the non-dominant offhand.
The other option is to hold the fork tines down with the index finger extended, allowing
you to push down when needed. Again, you hold it between the thumb and your middle, ring,
and pinky finger. The index finger rests on the handle of the fork, not too far forward.
It's also called "The Hidden Handle" because the handle of the fork is covered by your
hand. When you eat, you sit up straight, your forearms are slightly extended, but close to your body.
You don't want your elbows to go sideways, especially on a table where there's not much
space. You never want to touch your neighbo
r with your arms when you cut or eat. Your forearms
are not resting on the table. Try to keep your forearms steady in the elbows tucked in, but
it should still seem effortless and comfortable, not too cramped. Most of your motions will
come from your elbow and your wrist. Avoid any large, long strokes with your arms or
elbows. If you eat your food, again, there are two
ways, depending on if your fork tines are facing
downwards or upwards. If your tines face upwards, you can gently slide your for
k under the food,
and then move it to your mouth with the tines facing upwards. Alternatively, you can use
the blade in your dominant hand to help shove the food onto the fork, and then move your
fork to the mouth. Same rules apply here as in the US; the fork moves to your mouth, your
mouth doesn't move to the fork. Now, if you're in Great Britain, many people will eat with
the tines facing down. In that case, the food is also applied with a knife onto the fork,
and then, with the tines facing d
ownwards, it is moved into your mouth. Reading through
the comments in our table manners video, some people argued that eating with your fork tines
facing up is a faux pas, and it reminded them of eating with a pitchfork. Maybe this is
the case in certain areas in the UK, but in most parts of Europe and the world, it is absolutely
100% acceptable to eat with the tines facing up. Now, when you cut your food Continental
Style, the tines will always face down. Again, the index finger is there to ap
ply pressure
downwards on the fork and on the knife. Place the fork in a shallow angle, pierce the food,
and use slow but steady cutting motions back and forth. Once you've done so, you can move the
cut-off piece - let's say, meat - to your mouth and eat it. Again, in Britain, the tines will
face down and remain face down, and the food will go to your mouth. For example, in Germany,
you will elegantly rotate your fork and bring the meat - tines facing up - to your mouth.
So, which style is bette
r: American or Continental? Some people may argue that the American Style
is easier to learn and to handle. Personally, I think it's all just a matter of practice
and training. At the end of the day, the Zigzag Style is more time-consuming, and it seems
less elegant to me. But, I also grew up in Germany, where I learned the Continental Style, so
I may be biased. In our opinion, the biggest
drawback of the American method is getting food onto
your fork, and I regularly see people using their fing
er to place things on their fork
when they eat it. In my mind, it's a lot more elegant, your hands stay clean and sanitary
if you just use your knife to move things onto your fork. Again, there are two different
options - like so, when the time stays up, and this way if the tines face down. [outtake] Hi, there! [Raphael, get off the
phone!] Got it, got it! Thank you! See you later!
Bye! Also, I think the Continental Style looks more elegant because you always have the fork
and a knife in your ha
nd and, in my mind, it's a lot easier. Some people say it's hard for
kids. My daughter has been using her fork and knife since she was three years old. And she's five
now and I think she has better knife and fork skills than some grown-ups I see sometimes. ["I'm About to End This Man's Whole Career"
meme] Ultimately, the choice of which style you
choose is entirely yours; however, if you're switching styles or if you're planning to up your table
manner game, I suggest you practice at home, so yo
u become really comfortable, and it's
all second nature. The last thing you want is to be intensely focused on your fork and
knife skills when you're in company, and you can't really focus your attention on the people
at your table. Also, if you're a clotheshorse like me, it would be terrible if your food
accidentally ends up on your clothes. So, at the end of the day, you might be better off
employing the style that you're more comfortable with than the one that is less familiar to
you, even th
ough it might seem more debonair. Now, what's the etiquette of resting your
fork and knife? First of all, what should you do when you're not actively cutting, scooping
or eating with it? Again, it depends on the style and whether your dominant hand is a
right or a left. By the way, if you know one of your guests at a dinner party is left-handed,
you can switch sides of the knife and fork, so you make it easier for them to eat, but
something that won't go unnoticed by your guest. No, leave the gl
asses and everything
elsewhere it is, but that little thing will probably make their day. So, with the American
Style, if you're not actively eating, maybe you're speaking, maybe you're attending the
restroom, or maybe you're just pausing, but you're not done yet with your food, place
the knife diagonally at the top of your plate, leave it on the plate with the blade facing
inwards towards you. Your fork is more on the left of your plate with the tines facing up.
Trained staff at a restaurant sh
ould recognize that you're not done eating yet, and they
should leave the plate where it is. Now, Continental Style, there are two ways to communicate that
you're not done yet. Your knife will be faced blate towards the center at around the four
o'clock position, your fork will be placed tines down at around the eight o'clock position,
and you create an inverted-V. Another Cardinal Style pausing option is to switch up that
inverted-V. Now, the knife goes on top of the fork, which has the tines f
acing up and the
blade facing inwards. Either of those three methods should indicate to the host or the
server at a buffet that you're still eating and that you're not done yet. That being said,
today, table manners are not something that are universally adhered to. So, your staff
may not have the proper training, and they may not recognize that this is what you're trying
to communicate. Again, it's important for you to understand what surroundings you're in.
At a high-end hotel, they will certa
inly take that clue. At a low-brow establishment, maybe
not. Now, if you're done eating, American Style, you take your fork and your knife in a 4:20
o'clock position to indicate that you're done. The fork is on the left, tines facing up;
the blade faces towards the fork. Continental Style, it's very similar. The only difference
is that sometimes the fork tines are facing downwards. They can also point upwards, and
the position might be anywhere between 4:20 and 5:25. It's important that the hand
les
are just at the edge or hanging slightly over the plate. Don't shove them all the way onto
the plate. You may occasionally see other, clearly intentional ways to arrange silverware in
order to communicate a certain message. For example, Some people argue that putting your
blade through the tines and leaving it in an inverted-V communicates
the service was bad. [skit, Raphael calls server a "peasant"]
[music, swinging jazz] Frankly, it's a very passive-aggressive way to communicate and most p
eople won't get
it anyways. Or some people think having an X on your plate indicates that you did not
like the food. How to behave if you don't like food at a dinner party or in a restaurant
is covered in our table manners and restaurant etiquette videos, respectively. So, why are
there really different styles to begin with? Well, the Continental Style is older. The use of
fork and knife to eat became standardized in the Western World in the 17th century.
Ironically, the American Style was devel
oped in France during the 18th century. At the time, it was
thought it appeared more elegantly when one hand would rest while the other would do the eating.
The cultural exchange between France and the US brought the style over to the US. However,
by the middle of 19th century, this style had mostly been abandoned in France. On the flip side,
it flourished in the US. Obviously, many cultures favor the use of hands over forks and knives,
and that's fine, too. And also keeping in mind that, once u
pon a time, people ate with their
hands in Europe, too. In fact, the Byzantine Princess Maria Argyra used a fork in the
11th century. Back then, she was mocked for her decadent and pretentious behavior. As
her critics put it, "She did not deign to touch
her food with her hands as normal people do, but
instead ordered her slaves to cut it into little pieces, which she speared on a golden
two-pronged fork." Also, keep in mind that etiquette can vary, not just based on the establishment
you're in,
but also based on the type of food you eat. For example, in Germany or Italy,
it is normal to eat your pizza with a fork and knife; however, doing so in New York City
is apparently headline-worthy. [reporter]: Major, I mean, major crisis enveloping
the brand new mayor of New York City. This involves
this scandalous picture. Mayor Bill de Blasio caught
on camera eating pizza with a fork. The horror, ladies and gentlemen! While, allegedly, the late Queen Elizabeth
II ate her banana with a fork and
knife. [music, choral]
[photo of Queen Elizabeth II] First you, cut off one end, then the
other. You hold the banana, slice open the peel, and then gently cut individual pieces out
that you then put to your mouth. No, that's not the way we eat our bananas here, but each
to their own. Personally, I think context matters the most. For example, if I'm at an interview
and I only have the choice between a burger and a club sandwich. I'd prefer to eat them
with a fork and knife, so I can take notes.
My hands are not sticky because the ketchup is leaking
all over it, and it leaves a professional impression on my interview partner. Frankly, when I go
to a burger joint, I regularly use fork and knife. My wife always laughs at me because
she likes to eat the American way, with her fingers. Sometimes in North America, if you
go to a restaurant, all they give you is a fork, and if you want a knife, you have to
ask for it and even then, they may not have it. In the US, it's much more common for pe
ople
to just cut their food with their fork when that is what they have. I've even seen people
try to go at it for chicken or pizza for example. Personally, I don't think it's a good idea.
If you apply that much pressure with a dull instrument, your food may go flying all over
the table or, even worse, onto someone else's lap. Now, while that may be commonplace in
the US, it is definitely considered impolite and improper in Europe; except, of course,
for things like pastry forks, which have a sp
ecial design that helps you to cut, let's say, your
cake crust more securely when you don't have a knife. More about that later. Now, when
you're about to enjoy a multi-course meal, chances are you will encounter a multitude of forks,
knives, and spoons at your table. The number of courses as well as the formality of the
meal often indicate and dictate how many pieces of silverware you'll find at your place setting.
In most places, will have a single fork and a single knife. Traditionally, the k
nife is
placed on the right with the blade facing towards the plate, and the fork is on the
left. Now, if you have more courses, you may find an additional salad fork, an additional salad
knife. Maybe specialty utensils, such as a fish knife or a shellfish fork. As we were mentioned
in our tablets video, it's typically very simple. Work your way from the outside in, and you
won't commit a faux pas. When you're done, leave
the utensils on the plate and they will be removed. Now,
in the US, many t
imes, even at restaurants, you'll see the constellation where you have
two forks and one knife. The fork on the very outside is meant as a salad fork, and you
can still use your knife to eat with it. But,
in case you use your knife for the first course,
it is often expected that you keep your knife. Personally, having grown up in Europe, I always
have my utensils on it and have them remove it and bring me a new knife. I don't think
that's too much to ask, especially in a restaurant setting. If I
'm at someone's home, they may
not have enough silverware, so I go along with whatever they've set out. Now, if you're interested
in a special video about all the different kinds of forks, knives, and silverware pieces,
we can certainly do it. Give us a shout out in the comments. Now, the most important ones,
we'll cover here. For example, a steak knife. If you order a steak in the US, you typically
get a steak knife. Sometimes, they also so give you one if you order a pork chop or maybe
even a
chicken. If they serve it to you, it's probably a wise idea to use them because,
typically, they have a sharper blade and it will make your life easier. Now, that being said, sometimes
you will get a tough sausage, and they just give you a dull knife; and they give you a
filet mignon and a steak knife even though you can totally cut it with a dull knife,
too. In that case, use what works for you. Another important aspect of knife etiquette is the
butter knife on your bread plate. Typically, in a
nicer establishment, you will have a
bread plate that is located to the left top of your plate, and it will have a butter knife on
it. Now, most of the times, there will be a bread basket or something comparable. They may have
some olive oil or they may have a little butter container. If that communal butter container
or butter plate has a butter knife, what you do is: you take that knife, take some butter,
place it on your plate, then you take a piece of bread, you take your knife, and butter
that individual piece of bread, and then put it in your mouth. In Europe, that is very common
practice. The only time where you can actually butter your entire bread and bite into it
is at breakfast. Never at lunch or at dinner. Let's say, the communal butter plate does
not have a butter knife. In that case, you use
your unused butter knife from your plate only once
to get the right amount of butter for what you think you will eat on to your plate. You
will then proceed again to break up your br
ead and butter the pieces you put into your mouth.
Do not use that same knife again to go to the communal plate and get butter off of that.
Also, be mindful of the other people at your table. If there's eight people, and you take
half the amount of butter, chances are someone will not get enough. Of course, you can always
ask for more, but just be mindful of your surroundings. Now, in Germany and Austria, potatoes are
traditionally not cut with a knife, but broken with the
fork. Some people argu
e that these uneven surfaces
make it easier for the sauce to cling to the food, and therefore, it tastes better. Others
also argue that if you actually use a knife to cut your potato, you indicate that the
chef or the cook didn't sufficiently cook the potatoes. Now, that's not something you want to communicate
probably. Also, historically, old steel blades may have left an off flavor on the potato
when you cut it. But, in this day and age, where stainless steel blades are the norm, you don't
rea
lly have to worry about it anymore, and you can safely cut your potatoes with a knife
in urban Austria without committing a faux pas. That being said, it's still okay
to do it the historically accurate or traditional way. Now, the off flavors neatly transition
us to fish cutlery. Traditionally, in Europe, there was a fish knife, which had a different
shape, and it was made out of a different material without the blade, so again, you wouldn't
get these off flavors. In the US, I've never seen fish
cutlery at restaurants. It's just not
something that people do and, again, in this day and age, it is not necessary. Now, in
Europe, while they may not serve you a fish knife,
they may just serve you a second fork that looks
like the other ones. You may also find a special fork that looks visibly different. So, in
that case, it's just easier for you to identify which fork is the fish fork, so you don't
accidentally grab the wrong one. Now, before going too
much into the weeds, let's just talk a
bout the
pastry fork or the dessert fork. In Europe, typically, you will find it placed horizontally on the
top of your plate. Often, there's also a spoon placed in the opposite way. What would happen
in Europe, at the restaurant, with your dessert cutlery is that the fork would be pulled down
in the spot where the other forks used to be before, and the spoon would be put in a
place where the knives used to be. Of course, in a restaurant, they don't know if you're
gonna order ice cream for desse
rt or something that requires a spoon, or maybe something
like a cake that is better with a fork. Now, cake forks in Europe are distinct. They typically
have three prongs with the one prong on the left being quite a bit wider. And if you take
a closer look at it, you can see that it is narrowing down similarly to a blade. No, it's
not as sharp as a blade, but it certainly makes it easier to cut soft things like cake with
your fork. Now, when you eat desserts, you just take your fork and the same
rules apply as
mentioned before, and you gently either pierce or slide your fork under it. Always avoid
to use your fingers to push anything on your fork. Now, if you have a dinner party at home
and you know what you're going to serve for dessert and you know a spoon is not required,
you don't have to put it there. Likewise, if you know that you'll only need a spoon for
dessert and no fork, you can also skip the fork. Personally, I always think it looks
nice and the orientation is very simple.
You just place the fork first, and you basically imitate
the pulling down motion to a place where you want to put a fork, and that gives it your
orientation for the fork, and then a spoon just goes the other way. Last but not least,
what are some do's and don'ts of using your fork and knife the most important one is:
do understand your surroundings. If you're eating with a Chinese family, and it's customary
to do so with chopsticks and to eat loudly and burp to indicate that the food is good, th
en
go along with that. If you're at a low brow burger joint, where everyone is eating their
burgers with their hands, by all means, go for it. You're at a nice restaurant with a beautifully
set table and many pieces of silverware, keep these table manners in mind. Two: don't ever
eat with your knife. It is sharp, you may cut yourself, it looks bad ,and that's pretty
much all I have to say about that. Three: do give people at your table the chance to actually
eat with your fork and knife. Now, th
is one may surprise you a little bit, but it's really
important. Let me tell you why. I've definitely been
to dinner parties where there's some people who
are really chatty, and they talk all dinner, so one person is already done with their meal
when the chatty person hasn't really started yet. No matter if you're in a restaurant or
in a home setting, it's always uncomfortable for the chef or to cook because nothing is done
at the same time, and you don't want to clear the table if someone is st
ill eating, and
it just creates a mess. So, how to get around
that? Basically, you just ask open-ended questions.
When you do that, your neighbor or the person you're speaking to will start talking. During
that time, it is your opportunity to take a bite. Now, when they're done with their answer,
ideally, just like in a ping-pong game, they should ask you an open-ended question, so
they can take a bite and eat, and so it goes back and forth and back and forth. Of course, if
the party at your tab
le doesn't get that and either doesn't ask you any questions or just
asks you yes or no questions, it might be difficult for you to get a bite in. In those situations,
it's okay to have a moment of silence where you take a bite, but it is always really awkward
when people are just sitting at the table and eating without having a conversation.
After all, it's a joy of life to eat together and have a wonderful table conversation, which
is probably another good topic for a video. Let us know if you
're interested in that.
Four: do use quality silverware. While it is a functional piece on your table, if you have that thin
crappy silverware where the tines are all bent, I think eating is just not as joyful.
If you care about the way you look and you're interested in aesthetics, you might find that
having a set of silverware that matches your personal style - whether that's Mid-century
Modern or Empire - is quite cool. Five: don't use plastic utensils if you can avoid it.
Personally, I hate p
aper plates and plastic silverware because, typically, the tines are too short,
the knives are not sharp, and then if you apply too much pressure, it breaks. And now, you're
just left with something that you can't cut. It's flimsy, it's ugly, it's bad for the environment.
So, do yourself and others a favor and get real silver if you can. Yes, I do bring proper
silverware even to a picnic, but that's just me, and I hate plastic silverware. Six: do have a firm, but not cramped handle
grip on your
silverware. Otherwise, you will just tense up in your muscles, it won't feel good
after a three-hour dinner, and people can see that you're not at ease. Seven: don't hold silverware in weird, awkward
ways, such as with the fingers all around the handle or like a pen. It makes you look like a four-year-old
or even worse like a peasant. Eight: do take small to moderate bites. Don't overload things
and stuff your mouth full. Nine: don't use your fork like a shovel to just get as much food
into you
as quickly as possible. Sit upright, take a bite, enjoy it, and your body will
take some time to register that you're full. And you're much more likely to overeat if you
super fast shovel stuff into your mouth. Now, my wife will laugh about that one because
I'm certainly someone who can eat really fast, and that's probably one of my biggest struggles:
to pace myself. But, I find it is much easier when in good company because I can ask a question,
I get asked questions, I can talk, and so this al
l happens naturally. So, if you're struggling
with it, try to incorporate more table conversations, and maybe it helps you, too. Ten: as mentioned before, do bring your bites
up to your mouth. Don't move your mouth down
to the food. Eleven: don't rest your elbows or
your arms on a table in an unsightly manner. If you quickly have to touch your forearms at
a table that is okay, but it should not be in a slouchy, inelegant way. Twelve: don't slice up all your meat or food
upfront, and then just pu
t your knife aside and eat with your fork. First of all, the food cools
down much faster that way; and secondly, this is something you do for two-year-old kids,
not for grown people. Thirteen: do use the right utensils for the
job and use what's available to you laid out at a place setting. So, if there's a steak knife,
by all means, go ahead and use it. If there is a special seafood fork, try to incorporate
it. If you're not sure how to use it, ask if someone can show you. Also, do eat from the
outside in because you don't, for example, want to use your big fork for your salad course
and then your small salad fork for your main course. Fourteen: do request new silverware if it
drops on the floor or it is taken away with your plate, and you find yourself without an extra fork
or extra knife. Fifteen: don't clatter or make extensive noise when you pick up or put down your silverware.
It's just annoying to others around you. Sixteen: don't use your silverware in lieu of communal
flatware
. Food served community typically will have serving utensils. If it doesn't then
you can use a clean utensil that you have once, but don't ever put a fork into your mouth
and then use it to take food from a communal platter. Seventeen: do rest used utensils on your plate
and try to not to stain the tablecloth. Sometimes,
you may also find a knife rest, so that's what
this should be used for. Eighteen: don't leave half-eaten food pierced on your
fork. In that same vein, don't take a large piece o
f meat on your fork and just bite off
of it. It just looks very raw and animalistic. Nineteen: don't make gestures or point at
people with your silverware. Again, it acts as an extension to your arms and, as such, you will have a
much bigger impact that will look more extreme, and you might accidentally hit a wine glass.
The wine will go all over the table, or you may hit someone and that's just not something
you want to encounter. Twenty: do allow your silverware to be taken away
with each cour
se. No need to put dirty silverware onto the table or soil tablecloth. Twenty-one:
in that same vein, don't try to unnecessarily hang on to your silverware, so there's more space
in a dishwasher later on or don't try to clean it with your napkin in between. Twenty-two: don't scrape leftover sauce on to your knife
or your fork and try to shove it in your mouth, even though it's really really good. In the
same vein, don't take a piece of bread and clean off your plate at a nice restaurant.
And whe
n there is sauce, you should only eat it with the food, so try to use the appropriate
amount and don't just overload your plate, so you'll still have a sea of sauce when you're
all done with your food. That's just wasteful and shows a lack of respect for the cook and
the chef who made that food. All right, that's it when it comes to eating with your knife
and fork. If you're interested in more etiquette videos, table etiquette-related videos, or
other things in that vein, please share with us
in
the comments. In today's video I'm wearing
a gray, Donegal tweed jacket, which is part of a suit, but I'm combining it with a navy
pair of wool trousers that is nicely pleated. The jacket is No Name. The pants were made
by Oxford. The shirt is, I think, made-to-measure I forget by whom. It's blue and white striped,
I think, with an Albini fabric. It has French cuffs or double cuffs that I wear with blue
and silver cufflinks that are made with lapis lazuli and sterling silver that is platinum
co
ated. They're by Fort Belvedere, and you can find them in our shop, just like the wool-silk
pocket square that has tones of orange, green, and blue, which picks up the flecks in the
jacket and other parts of my outfit. The tie is made of a printed English silk in an orangish
red, kind of micro pattern. My shoes are interesting monk straps from Alton in Paris. They were
custom stained for me, and I really liked the patina. My socks are navy and khaki, two-tone stripe
socks from Fort Belvedere tha
t are ideal to be worn with khakis and blazers, but you can
also combine them with navy pants and brown shoes for example, just like I'm doing here.
Last but not least, I have a pinky ring with a a synthetic atar sapphire, two diamonds, and
kind of a roughed up surface, so it's not a shiny metal
surface. ♪ Gentleman's Gazette Theme Song ♪
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