As rare as this three pronged pie fork!

In the past twenty years of collecting Reed & Barton Francis I, this is the only picture of the ultra-rare three tined pie fork I have found.

What generally separates a pie fork from a large serving pickle fork is that the curve on the pie fork cutting tine is on the inside. So much to pick up every lardacious flake of crust! The pickle forks, on the other hand, have the cutting tine end with the cutting edge nipped on the outside.

This only pertains to those three prong forks with cutting blades, be they pickle or pie forks. There are many three tined forks more tridentine in shape that are definitely not pie forks and there are four bladed forks with cutting blades that are more appropriately called cake or pastry forks. This is what rarity and scarcety are all about: incredibly minute differences.

If you see a Francis First fork as pictured above, please let me know.