Looking for these dining utensils made from large nails

December 18, 2013 9:02 AM

Last month I had dinner at a restaurant in Rome that used these utensils. They seem to each be made from a single, large nail. I've tried to find them online, but have come up empty. Maybe the hivemind has some ideas?
posted by jedrek to Food & Drink (11 answers total)

Can't help you with a source, but FWIW they're almost certainly not made from actual nails.
posted by jon1270 at 9:06 AM on December 18, 2013 [10 favorites]

Replacements.com might be able to help.
posted by brianogilvie at 9:11 AM on December 18, 2013

Like jon1270 says, they are probably just made to look as if they were made from nails, not actually made from nails.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 9:20 AM on December 18, 2013

Any way you could contact the restaurant and ask?
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 9:27 AM on December 18, 2013

Response by poster: PuppetMcSockerson: I've tried to find it based on the general whereabouts and failed. Even looked for it on street view, but the camera-car drove along side a large coach/bus that blocked that side of the street. So... no :(
posted by jedrek at 9:36 AM on December 18, 2013

Well, nail head designed spoons were a thing in the 20's and 30's it seems. I can't find anything else more contemporary though, and it's difficult to google because nailhead is a design term for upholstery.
posted by Think_Long at 9:49 AM on December 18, 2013

I would call something that large a "spike", not a "nail".
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 10:12 AM on December 18, 2013

could they have been blacksmithed? i would ask the ferndale blacksmith store, on the web at ferndaleblacksmith.com, it's an incredible store if you're ever in the eureka, california area.
posted by bruce at 11:56 AM on December 18, 2013

Well, they are not unique. The restaurant Chutney Mary in Kuala Lumpur uses the same cutlery. This blogger wrote about it. Maybe contact that restaurant instead?
posted by travelwithcats at 12:37 PM on December 18, 2013

I think it's unlikely that they were made by modifying a spike. For one thing, spikes and nails are made from iron, and cutlery is usually stainless steel. Iron cutlery would rust.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 12:47 PM on December 18, 2013

Best answer: This set from West Elm? I know it's not the same, with not quite as pronounced of a nailhead at the bottom, but maybe it's close enough if you can't find the exact set.
posted by payoto at 2:45 PM on December 18, 2013