We rarely stop to think about the objects we use every day. A chair, a shoe, a pen—all so woven into the fabric of our lives that they seem timeless and inevitable. And then there’s the fork. Smooth. Efficient. Utterly unremarkable—until you trace its origins.
Long before it became just another item in the cutlery drawer, the fork was an invention that sparked heavy debate, defiance, and discomfort. Its entry into society wasn’t smooth or swift; it came with striking scandal, and many people spoke of how this simple utensil was a symbol of moral decline.
What happens when a tool meant to assist nourishment becomes a hated symbol of class and control? And how did the noble fork go from being reviled by clergy to revered by aristocrats and eventually accepted by everyone else? Click through this gallery to find out.