Modern flatware design: the viande/grille/vogue style.

Until about seventy years ago, the basic form of table knives had not changed for more than two centuries, although the materials used to make them and the ornamentation employed to decorate them had evolved over time. Except for folding types (1) and some individual fish knives, table knives had always had handles that were shorter than, or of equal length to, their blades. This changed in 1930 when a new style was introduced commercially. Variously called Viande, Grille, and Vogue, the new style called for the handle to be longer than the blade. The creator of this new form, the rationale behind it, its possible antecedents, the manufacturers who adopted it, the patterns ...