On Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:25:09 -0700 (PDT), Sheldon >
wrote:

>On Apr 24, 6:07?pm, Robert Klute > wrote:
>> On Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:06:46 -0700 (PDT), Sheldon >
>> wrote:
>>
>> >On Apr 24, 1:53?am, "CC" > wrote:
>> >> As I remember from my early days, I'm 62 now, I had been told
>> >> It's to keep the carving knife from sliding down the fork and cutting
>> >> your hand,
>> >> Like the gauntlet on a sword
>> >> They also made some that would fold out to keep the fork tines off the
>> >> table when you set it down,
>>
>> >That's exactly what it's for, creates a tripod stand so the fork tines
>> >don't stain the linen... many think (incorrectly) that it's a guard...
>> >look at its placement carefully and think about the distance between
>> >the fork and the carving, it guards nothing... were it truly a guard
>> >every steak knife would come with a similarly constructed steak fork.
>> >And nowadays carving sets no longer include that doohickey.
>>
>> Nope. ?I have a 19th century carving set with a guarded fork. ?The
>> antler handle is too heavy to allow the fork to rest on the tines.
>
>The fork doesn't rest on its tines, the whole idea is to keep the
>tines off the table. It rests on the handle and the two flip out
>legs, with the tines up in the air. The heavier the handle the more
>stable it will be.

That is the point - there is only one guard, not two. Take a look at
the picture referenced in Blinky's posting - there is no way for that
carving fork to stably rest on guard except on its side with the edge of
the fork on the table.

http://www.graphixfx.com/is.php?i=43...PIP_Tex t.jpg

Here are some other sites (British) which describe it as a safety guard:
http://www.culliners.co.uk/index.php...oducts _id=44
http://www.crocksandpots.co.uk/kitch...th_guard_20cm/
http://www.decuisine.co.uk/cookshop/...arvingset.html