On Sat, 26 Apr 2008 00:06:45 GMT, Leonard Blaisdell
> wrote:

>In article >,
> Gloria P > wrote:
>
>> Not quite. My late mother-in-law had a bone-handled carving set with a
>> fork that had that rod. It is a "rest" to prevent the fork tines from
>> touching the tableclolth and getting it dirty if it slid off the
>> platter. On MIL's fork the rod swiveled down so it wouldn't be in the
>> way when you were carving.
>
>I'm posting very late and too often. I just tried swiveling the 'guard'
>into position and using it as a rest for dirty tines above the table. It
>worked great. In all my life, I've never ran a knife up a fork to cut
>myself.
>
>leo

i was thinking this also. what in the world would you be carving (and
with what technique) to have this happen?

your pal,
blake